Patient's question:
CoughingHigh fever
Runny nose
Diarrhea
Onset of illness: Coughing started the day before yesterday, worsened yesterday afternoon, began to have a high fever yesterday, started running a nose today, and had diarrhea.
Test results:
Previous treatment and effectiveness: Yesterday, I took two doses of Cefixime granules, twice in a few days, each time 2/5 of a bag. Yesterday, I also took two doses of Houtong, half a pack each time. Today, I also drank some light salt water. Yesterday afternoon, I had a slight fever, and in the evening, it got higher, with a high fever reaching up to 38.5°C (usually 37-38°C). After taking Houtong, the fever subsided in about half an hour, but it came back after a few hours. At first, I thought it was a cold causing the fever, but then I remembered that last Friday, the baby got the measles vaccine. I called the health clinic, and they said it wasn’t a vaccine reaction. Vaccine reactions usually occur within 24-48 hours. They advised us to drink more water and go to the hospital if things didn’t improve. However, after searching online, I found that many people start experiencing coughing and fever within 5-8 days.
Hello, what is the reason for the baby’s condition? Should we go to the hospital? Going to the hospital here is very difficult; it requires waiting in line for several hours. The baby would suffer too much if we took them to the hospital. Moreover, doctors usually recommend intravenous fluids. Last time, the baby ate too much and vomited at night, so we took them to the children’s research hospital. We waited in the emergency room for three hours before a doctor was available. The doctor wanted to give the baby an intravenous drip, but I hesitated to do it. The doctor said that if the baby didn’t eat, they might develop a high fever and nausea and vomiting. I still decided to let the baby take medicine, and they recovered that day without any fever or nausea and vomiting. But this time, it seems much worse. The baby has been feverish, and I’m very worried. I don’t know if it’s a fever or a vaccine reaction. Should we go to the hospital? I thought that with measles, the fever would last for two or three days before the rash appears, and then everything would be fine. But I’m not sure if the baby has measles. Most of the time, the baby is fine and can play by themselves. They only cry a little when they’re uncomfortable and need to be comforted. What should I do? Should I go to the hospital or buy some medicine at home? Thank you, doctors.
Doctor's answer:
Due to the unpredictable weather with sudden temperature fluctuations, it's easy to catch a fever, and the flu is quite prevalent. Therefore, your child's condition might be caused by either a bacterial or viral infection. The vaccine administered last Friday, of course, is absolutely not the cause. You can give your child antibiotics such as Cefixime Granules, which are (cooling and effervescent tablets), to help clear the heat. If the temperature is below 38.5°C, you can also give Nimesulide Granules to reduce fever. In this case, it is recommended to use traditional Chinese medicine decoctions for treatment, as traditional Chinese medicine has significant advantages. This is because traditional Chinese medicine is effective against both bacteria and viruses (while Western medicine is effective for bacterial infections but not as effective for viral infections)!