TREATMENT PECULIARITIES OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTION OF SMALL CHILDREN IN PRIMARY CARE

Abstract

Infants and children up to 5 years are affected by acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) in 50 proc. of all the cases. Mostly, it is viral infection caused disease, which is mild and require only symptomatic treatment. Nevertheless, half of these children are treated with antibiotics. In fact, antibiotic therapy should be given only in cases of serious bacterial respiratory tract infection or bacterial ARTI complication. Of all the most common acute pediatric respiratory illness, only otitis media, pharyngotonsillitis, and pneumonia are usually bacterial etiology or causes serious bacterial complications. S.pneumonia remains the most important bacterial pathogen of ARTI for pre-school age children. In Lithuania its sensitivity to penicillin is still 100 proc., so ARTI empirical antibacterial therapy for small children should be generally initiated with penicillin group antibiotics.