How to treat pneumonia in children?

Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
Updated on July 01, 2025
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In the treatment of pediatric pneumonia, the main choice is to use antimicrobial drugs to control the infection and symptomatic treatment. For patients with mild symptoms, oral medication can be administered, but for those with a prolonged course of illness or difficulty in taking oral medication, drugs can be administered via intramuscular injection or intravenous antibiotics. If the pneumonia is caused by an infection of Streptococcus pneumoniae leading to lobar pneumonia, the first choice of clinical drugs is penicillin antibiotics. If there is an allergy to penicillin, macrolide antibiotics can be used for anti-inflammatory treatment. For patients experiencing respiratory distress and hypoxia, oxygen therapy should also be provided. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor according to specific circumstances.)

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"Does a weakly positive Mycoplasma pneumoniae indicate pneumonia?"

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The difference between interstitial pneumonia and pneumonia

Interstitial pneumonia, also known as diffuse pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, mainly refers to a disease characterized by the replacement of the lung interstitium with some invisible fibrous tissues, leading to lung atrophy and difficulty breathing as the main manifestations. The pathological site of pneumonia is mainly in the alveoli and lung parenchyma, and patients mainly show symptoms such as coughing, expectoration, and fever, generally not experiencing difficulty breathing. Additionally, interstitial pneumonia and pneumonia have typical and distinct changes in imaging. Through imaging, it is basically possible to differentiate almost completely between interstitial pneumonia and pneumonia without the need for any special techniques.

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How is pneumonia treated?

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Are pneumonia symptoms contagious?

The main clinical symptoms of pneumonia include chills, high fever, cough, expectoration, shortness of breath, chest pain, etc. Pneumonia is a common infectious disease of the respiratory system, and it can be transmitted through the respiratory tract. However, pneumonia is not classified as a contagious disease; it is merely an infectious disease. It tends to be more prevalent during the flu season, so pneumonia is contagious, but it is not considered a contagious disease.