Patient's question:
On March 7th, I had some hiccups and coughing. That evening, I had a slight fever of 38%. I took Erythromycin and Phenylephrine, and the fever eventually subsided, but I still felt hot, with cold limbs and back, sweating, and had two episodes of diarrhea. My temperature also dropped to 35.8. I took the baby to the doctor, who said it was inflammation of the throat or something. They prescribed Ribavirin, which had no side effects, and then transferred to another hospital where they put the baby on an IV drip for three days. After the fever improved, the diarrhea still persisted. The doctor then prescribed Bifidobacterium. However, the baby has been having diarrhea consistently, with two to three episodes daily. A few days ago, we had a stool test, which came back normal. But in the past two days, the baby’s stools have become looser and sometimes yellowish liquid stools are passed occasionally, though not in large amounts but always present. This has made the anal area look red as if scalded. Additionally, the baby’s complexion is yellow, and his spirits aren’t great. In the evening, under the light, the upper eyelids look as if they’ve been lightly coated with a thin layer of pale white eyeliner, while the lower eyelids look slightly bluish in the daytime, though some say they are dark red. The urine is yellow, and the frequency is normal. Breastfeeding is still normal, but sometimes the baby hums while feeding. Occasionally, there are hiccups with a rumbling stomach. In the past few days, the baby’s palms and soles felt noticeably hot without sweat, and his temperature was slightly higher than usual—typically 36%, dropping to 37% when he cools down.History of Treatment and Effects: None.
Seeking Advice: From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, is the baby’s condition due to spleen deficiency with excessive dampness, indigestion, or spleen deficiency with damp-heat? Please advise the doctor.
Doctor's answer:
The most common cause of fever and cough in children is infection. If the fever and cough last less than 48 hours or if symptoms such as dry cough and lethargy reappear, it is necessary to go to the hospital for a urine test to check for bacterial, viral, or mycoplasma infection. Based on the results of the urine test, medication should be administered accordingly. Additionally, the doctor may need to perform a lung auscultation or take a chest X-ray to check for pneumonia. If the fever persists for a long time, it is important to monitor for the possibility of EB virus infection.If oral medication is ineffective for pneumonia, intravenous infusion treatment may be required. It is also important to pay attention to prolonged cough. If the child has a history of allergies, it may be possible to have allergic cough, and an allergen test should be conducted to determine what the child is allergic to. It is necessary to avoid exposure to allergens.
For frequent coughing, treatment with a nebulizer to clear the lungs can be effective.