Protecting the health of children: rational use of antibacterial drugs in children

As children grow up, sickness is inevitable. Antibacterial drugs are often the focus of parents’ attention when children experience heat, cough and diarrhoea. However, the use of anti-bacterial drugs is not as simple as eating a sugar for a child, and only rational use can truly help the child overcome the disease while avoiding unnecessary risks.

Antibacterial drugs are one of the types of drugs used to treat bacterial infections, which are used to alleviate conditions by inhibiting or eliminating bacteria. It should be noted, however, that not all diseases require antibacterial drugs. Most of them are caused by viruses, such as common flu, influenza, and antibacterials do nothing to the virus. The use of antibacterial drugs is considered only when the doctor determines, through detailed examinations, blood protocol, etc., that the infection of the child is caused by bacteria. This is a case of a burglar in the home, and if a “virus thief” comes in, the “police” of the antibacterial drug is the wrong target, not only of the thief, but also of other problems.

For children, the organs of the body are not yet mature and the detoxification and metabolic function of the liver and kidneys is relatively weak, which makes the process of antibacterials different from that of adults in children. Some antibacterial drugs can cause damage to the organs of children, such as amino-sugar-like drugs, which, if used inappropriately, may affect the hearing of children; chlorocin may inhibit bone marrow blood function, leading to anaemia, etc. Thus, in the choice of drugs, doctors are particularly cautious in choosing the most safe and effective drugs, taking into account the age, weight, condition, etc. of the child.

In the use of antibacterial drugs, the accuracy of the dose is crucial. Overdoses are too small to effectively kill bacteria, not only to cure diseases, but also to make bacteria resistant, as they tickle the enemy and become more powerful; overdoses can exacerbate the adverse effects of drugs and cause physical harm to children. Parents must therefore give their children medication in strict accordance with the prescription prescribed by the doctor, without increasing or reducing their own doses.

There’s a lot of pharmacological treatment. In general, antibacterial drugs require sufficient number of days to ensure that bacteria are completely removed. Even if the symptoms of the child had improved after a few days of medication, it was not possible to stop. For example, the continuous use of anti-bacterial drugs may be required for the treatment of pneumonia in children for 7 – 14 days or longer, and if there is a premature stoppage, bacteria may “re-emerge” and lead to repeated cases.

In addition, drug-types and the way in which drugs are given can affect children ‘ s drug dependence and treatment. For younger children, it may be more appropriate to use better-tempered syrup, granules, etc., while for older children, tablets, capsules, etc. can be selected. In giving drugs, parents must be careful to ensure that the child is treated in a manner that does not cause fear and psychological resistance, and even leads to accidents such as cough.

In addition to complying with medical instructions, parents need to pay attention to a number of other matters. During a child ‘ s use of anti-bacterial drugs, the child ‘ s reaction is closely observed, such as the presence of adverse effects such as rashes, itching, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. If anomalies are detected, the medication should be stopped and the doctor informed in a timely manner. At the same time, attention should be paid to the interaction between drugs. Some drugs cannot be taken at the same time, otherwise they may affect their efficacy or increase the risk of adverse effects. For example, some antibacterial drugs cannot be used in conjunction with those containing metal ions such as calcium, magnesium and aluminium, which are combined with antibacterial drugs to reduce their absorption.

In order to reduce the generation of bacterial resistance, parents must also avoid the blind pursuit of “higher” antibacterial drugs. Each antibacterial drug has its own specific antibacterial spectrometry and scope of application, which should be reasonably chosen according to the child ‘ s condition, rather than considering the more expensive the drug is.

Rational use of antibacterial drugs by children is a key component in ensuring their healthy development. Parents need to develop a sound approach to the use of drugs and to cooperate actively with the doctors ‘ treatment programmes so that anti-bacterial drugs can play their part in the child ‘ s health defence, while laying a solid health foundation for the child ‘ s future.