A doctor examines a child with mycoplasma pneumoniae at the National Children’s Hospital in Hà Nội.— Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The number of children treated at hospital for mycoplasma pneumonia has risen, with around 30 per cent of all daily admissions of youngsters suffering from the lung infection.

The disease often breaks out into epidemics at the time of season change or when weather is warm but turns cold suddenly.

The National Children’s Hospital reported on Monday that recently, B.N, aged 8, from the northern mountainous province of Lào Cai was taken to hospital with symptoms of high fever, dry cough, and a rash all over the body.

He was first diagnosed with a viral fever by doctors at a local hospital, but after three days, the symptoms never cleared and he was taken to the National Children’s Hospital.

A chest X-ray showed he was suffering from lobar pneumoniae.

After taking an in-depth test to accurately identify the name of the bacteria that causes the condition, the child tested positive for mycoplasma pneumoniae.

After five days of treatment with specific antibiotics, the patient is now awake without fever and does not have any difficulties breathing.

Ten-year-old L.D.T from the northern province of Thái Bình, has been treated at the hospital for more than 10 days.

The child now is eating well, without chest pain and the doctors said she could be discharged in a few days.

Previously, she was hospitalised with symptoms of high fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, and a rash all over the body.

After being admitted to the hospital, the doctors diagnosed the child with lobar pneumonia and left pleural effusion caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae.

The patient was treated at a lower-level hospital for nine days and did not get better before she was transferred to the National Children’s Hospital.

Associate Professor Lê Thị Hồng Hanh, director of the Respiratory Centre under the National Children’s Hospital, said that pneumonia has many causes. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of pneumonia in children in the community.

The disease occurs at any age, but it is more common in older children, she said.

According to an American study, the rate of pneumonia caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae is 16 per cent in children aged five to 10 and up to 23 per cent in children aged between 10 and 17.

Medical experts warn that the symptoms of pneumonia caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae in children are easy to confuse with other pneumonia agents such as viral pneumonia, because the symptoms are similar.

However, to confirm the diagnosis of pneumonia caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae, it is necessary to do specific tests.

According to experts, the way of transmission is by contacting droplets for pneumonia caused by bacteria or viruses.

There is no vaccine to prevent mycoplasma pneumoniae so parents need to keep a few rules to prevent their children from contracting the virus.

The rules include washing hands with soap, ensuring children live in a clean and cool environment, not contacting children with symptoms of cough and fever and giving children appropriate nutrition regimens to help strengthen children's resistance.

Doctors recommend that if children have symptoms such as respiratory tract infections, high fever, cough and shortness of breath, especially in older children aged from four to 10, they should be taken to medical facilities for examination and quick treatment. — VNS