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Ongoing Chest Infection

1 reply

LS255 · 08/11/2026 20:04

Just looking for some advice really. My 4 year old little boy has been poorly for about 3 weeks now. Started out with a high temperature and generally just feeling unwell. Took him to the doctors who said his chest was wheezy and that he had a chest infection in which they prescribed 5 days of amoxicillin. When he finished the amoxicillin he still wasn’t right in himself and the temperature returned along with a runny nose and cold like symptoms .Again I took him to see the doctor who said his chest sounded clear now but again prescribed stronger antibiotics as he had not really improved with the amoxicillin (however they said his chest was clear) the stronger antibiotics seemed to have really helped in terms of how he is in himself- no temperature, eating more, back to running around playing. He finished the antibiotics about a week ago but yesterday started off really coughing again and sounding really wheezy. Again he has been back to the doctor who has again prescribed antibiotics as she said he has a chest infection again (different ones to the 2 previous) she said if he’s no better in 7 days then they will xray his chest. Has anyone been through this? Although in himself he is ok I am getting really worried now that we are missing something as it seems to be going on forever .

OP posts:
Unseenentity · 08/11/2026 21:46

Chest symptoms in children are always tricky to interpret:
Viral and bacterial infections are not reliably distinguished by any particular sign of symptoms.
Cough/chestiness after the end of active infection can persist for weeks, if unlucky.
There are lots of circulating respiratory viruses especially this time of year.
The treatment decision rules favour treating with antibiotics if there are chest symptoms but that doesn't mean every single event actually is a bacterial infection.

Very occasionally, children with persistent symptoms can have an underlying abnormality of the chest tissue, or an infection that has made a wall of fluid that is hard for antibiotics to penetrate. So it's not unreasonable for them to do this. Unfortunately it can seem like forv er while it's going on but most children get through these rubbish winters and it's forgotten about quickly after

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