Сare pathways of children with acute rhinological symptoms

Abstract

Acute respiratory diseases are one of the most common reasons for visiting a doctor in pediatric practice. Most episodes of this pathology have a viral etiology, signs of inflammation from the upper respiratory tract and proceed with symptoms of acute rhinitis (acute nasopharyngitis). The most of episodes of acute rhinitis last no more than 10 days and end with the patient’s recovery. The most common complications of acute rhinitis in children are acute rhinosinusitis and acute otitis media. These diseases are often mild and rarely have complications. However, a large number of patients with acute respiratory diseases increases the likelihood of a situation in which the doctor will encounter a problem patient. The article proposes care pathways for practitioners to manage patients with acute rhinological symptoms lasting up to 10 days and from 10 days to 3 months. The care pathways are based on several key points. No1: each patient must be analyzed for the presence of alarming symptoms, upon detection of which the patient should be urgently hospitalized. No2: all patients should be dynamically observed by a doctor until complete recovery, the patient should not receive treatment without the supervision of a doctor. No3: the basis of treatment is drugs for symptomatic therapy, which are selected depending on the dominant symptom that has the greatest impact on the patient’s well-being. To eliminate nasal mucosal edema, it is rational to use nasal decongestants (original oxymetazoline) for children of all ages; the course and dosages are determined according to the age of the child. Antibacterial drugs should be prescribed strictly according to indications in the presence of convincing data for the bacterial etiology of the disease.

Keywords

• children
• acute rhinitis
• acute nasopharyngitis
• acute rhinosinusistis
• care pathways
• oxymetazoline