common cold: Treating running nose!

Treating running nose is no big deal... but treating its complications and PNDrip is a headache for the practitioner. In fact, I had seen pediatricians admitting and sedating for 3 days to get rid off.

tricks:

Running nose:

A very common problem; watery or thick.. continuous or intermittent..
with fever or without fever

watery or thick.. :


Clean nostrils with ear buds, periodically, if its thicker.. use saline drops : no of drops + no of months of age till 8 months.. then 10 drops for all, wait 2 secondsa fter each drop.. then clean with ear buds once the drops are over. why more drops? - Bcos you want to douche the whole nasopharynx and clean the nose; the sticly secretions along nasopharynx will be dragged to oropharynx and then swallowed.
If its running continuously, one may prefer putting decongestant nasal drop like flucold drops.. or nasovion mini drops, use only 2 to 4 drops at any age.. nose will dry within 20 minutes provided drops are put after drying the nose with ear buds.. small dose bcos we want local action. Dont keep it TDS, can be used SOS. TDS use makes nose dry.. and the worst nose block will happena nd child will be very irritable crying refusla to feeds etc.


Treatment of noseblock:

commonest cause; inadvertant or TDS use of decongestant or sleeping in front of / facing fan..
Treatment:
saline drops: I use nasoclear drops procedure as above. But keep it TDS, keep nose wet, avoid drying by air/drugs. Stop decongestant drops. If child is cranky, do a mechanical nasal suction tiding over the crisis.. the thick secretions may be difficult to suck by syringe. Give A soothing nebulisation following suction, Clinical indicator: Irritability settles, child sleeps.

Treatment of Any of above with fever ; with or without PND:
Add a simple antipyretic, paracetamol: regular dose, round the clock for 2 days. If running nose, give combination with decongestant TDS orally, I find syp Sinarest more effective.
For PND: a good saline nebulisation with prior nasal suction and saline drop wash of nose. continue oral PCM and decongestant drosp combination for 3 days.
At times a short course chemotherapy with azithromycin may help if it lasts more than 72 hrs.



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