Cold or Bronchiolitis?

[Gettingonabitnow]

Hi

DD1 has brought a cold home from her first week at school, loads of them have it apparently. I have it too.

DD2, 9 months, has some characteristics of it - runny nose, red eyes, sneezing, but she’s also coughing a lot - no one else in the family it. She was hospitalised with bronchiolitis when she was tiny and she just seems more poorly than the rest of us. Temp 37.5, eating and drinking. It’s mainly the cough that’s different, but I guess it could be a post natal drip couldn’t it.

Anyway...get her seen? We left it and left it last time and by the time she was admitted her oxygen was mid 80s.

Don’t think it’s Covid as she doesn’t have the super high temp.

Thanks x

Post nasal drip! Ffs. 🤦‍♀️

I would get her seen because you are worried (which is a reason in itself at this age), she is still so young and she will be more prone to getting it again because she did last winter.

Thanks. Yeah her cough is quite barky now. She’s due more calpol in an hour. Tempted to get her seen if no improvement tomorrow lunchtime.

Croup?

My DD had bronchiolitis aged about 13 months and after that episode every time she caught cold it turned into a viral induced wheeze needing hospital treatment of oxygen and a nebuliser. They said it was reasonably common. It didn't resolve until she was put on a brown steroid inhaler. We spent 2 days in hospital every 3-4 weeks or so as my other daughter was in nursery and brought all illnesses home!

The warning signs are how many breaths does she take in a minute (count for 30 secs and double, we were told over 40 is bad) and is the skin pulling in at the clavicle when she breathes or in-between the ribs. Either of these is an urgent A&E job.

Yes quite possibly. Her temp is 37.7 now, just given her some more calpol. It’s hard isn’t it if they are eating and drinking (which she is), deciding whether to push to be seen - especially in Covid times.

Sorry didn’t see your post blindmansbuff - I did just have my hand on her ribs just now and she isn’t tucking in thankfully. I will count her breaths next time though.

Just been in - 36 breaths a minute

Bronchiolitis is caused by the same virus as most common colds (RSV) it just effects young children differently to the rest of us.

If in doubt always get checked out even if just for your own piece of mind

When ds was in with bronchiolitis it was his stomach visibiliy moving to breathe that made the ooh Dr send him straight to a&e

Hi

So gp gave her a dose of the steroid dexamethasone yesterday to help her chest - she’s barely coughed since, amazing. But I’ve now been up with her for 2.5 hours 😩 she just won’t be put down. She’s quite sweaty but no temp and just in a vest.

Has anyone any experience of this steroid please?

Thanks

Dex is a really common steroid used to treat croup. It is deemed really safe- so safe we actually have some at home as my DS gets croup regularly. It relaxes the airways to make it easier to breathe and works really fast.

If you're in a&e, they'll monitor you for another couple of hours, if the breathing is better you'll be sent home. If not you can have another dose- we've often had to have two doses to calm things down.

Hope your DD is okay. Croup is so scary when it seems like they really can't breathe. But they recover so fast, you'll be amazed

A side effect of steroids is insomnia and agitation, so would expect difficulty sleeping for the 24 hours after a dose of dex

Thanks both. She got given it in liquid form to take at home. She’s up again now and brassed off!! Great on her airways though, really impressed x

@Gettingonabitnow

Thanks both. She got given it in liquid form to take at home. She’s up again now and brassed off!! Great on her airways though, really impressed x

Glad she is feeling better. It’s amazing how quickly dex helps but yes, definitely causes insomnia although it’s short lived so expect normal sleeping well within a day of giving it.

Steroids make kids hungry and awake.

Never give at night

@catnoir1

Steroids make kids hungry and awake.

Never give at night

Please ignore the second sentence. Croup is usually much worse in the night. No child should be left to unnecessarily suffer during the night because the best treatment for them will keep them awake.

I agree in an acute case they should be given when needed but where possible it is always best to give in the morning. When Ds has been admitted to hospital at night we have always given first dose then and then subsequent doses have been given in the morning because of the known disruption to sleep!

Hi. I had no idea about the insomnia or when to give it, neither the gp nor the pharmacist mentioned it. To be honest it barely came with any instructions!

She’s had a second dose now as the coughing returned. It has relieved it but only temporarily again. She’s bright enough in herself but the cough is awful and she isn’t eating much. I personally think it’s bronchiolitis over croup as the barking sound has gone. Gp isn’t concerned that it is Covid.

X

They always thought ours was croup first due to the cough but it wasn't. She was always prescribed prednisolone instead and that usually kicked in after a day or so, maybe worth a trip back to the GP if the dexy hasn't worked.

Just read your post, my ds is now almost 7 and was hospitalised once with it. He first had it at six weeks and narrowly avoided hospitalisation that time. We started using salt rooms when he was about 3 and he hasn't needed the nebuliser since