ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH ALLERGY: PROBLEMS WITH ANTIBACTERIAL AGENT CHOICE

Abstract

Acute respiratory infections represent the most common disease among children. In addition to that, children with predisposition to allergy have respiratory infection more often and their clinical course is more severe than in non-allergic children at the same age. Respiratory infections in patients with predisposition to allergy often have complicated or chronic course without appropriate treatment. Timely and appropriate therapy of such conditions contributes to faster recovery and prevents complications. Modern macrolide antibiotics are the drugs of choice in treatment of acute respiratory mixed (viral and bacterial) or bacterial infections in children with allergy. One of the most commonly administered antibacterial agents in allergology practice is azithromycin. It is due to its high efficacy against out-of-hospital causative agents of respiratory infections, including atypical, significantly higher and more stable tissue concentrations, prolonged semiejection period and possibility of one-time intake per day, as well as low risk of allergic reactions. Appropriateness of azithromycin usage in allergic reactions is also caused by its non-antibacterial properties: anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity.

Keywords

• children
• acuterespiratory infections
• allergy
• macrolides
• azithromycin