Mixed infection has occurred! Doctors remind that the popular "three-piece set" for Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection should be used with caution!

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Autumn and winter are the peak seasons for respiratory infectious diseases. The pediatric outpatient and emergency departments of many hospitals are overcrowded. In addition to the mycoplasma infection that has been rampant this year, there are also cases of influenza, new coronavirus, bacterial infection, norovirus infection, and even mixed infections have occurred!

Why are respiratory infectious diseases so prevalent this year?

Lu Hongzhou, director of the National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, said that the number of people infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae this year may increase significantly compared with previous years, which is in line with the epidemic pattern of Mycoplasma. He reminded that adenovirus and Streptococcus pneumoniae can be mixed with Mycoplasma infection, and the younger the child, the greater the risk of mixed infection. If combined with Mycoplasma infection, the child's symptoms will be aggravated, and parents should be vigilant.

According to China News Network, the pediatric doctors and nurses at Beijing Tiantan Hospital have been very busy recently. A pediatrician at the hospital told reporters that the number of patients waiting for treatment in the pediatric outpatient clinic may be 400 to 500 per day, which is three or four times more than before. "We haven't reached a turning point yet. Currently, the main infection is Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Some infants and young children are prone to combined viral and bacterial infections. Syncytial virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, and rhinovirus are all sporadic, but there are not many cases at present. There have also been positive results for influenza A and B recently."

Wearing masks and vaccination are still good preventive measures

Li Xuan, chief physician of the Pediatrics Department of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, pointed out that the treatment options for mycoplasma infection in children are limited, and the drugs commonly used in adults are not suitable for children. At present, azithromycin is still one of the conventional treatment options. However, the mycoplasma prevalent this year has a high resistance rate to azithromycin, so unconventional drugs such as tetracycline or quinolone will be used. For children with combined bacterial or viral infections, the treatment plan will be more complicated and tense.

Li Xuan said that the influenza virus mutation rate is very high, although there is still a possibility of infection after vaccination, it will reduce the probability of severe illness, so it is still necessary to get vaccinated in time. In addition, it is currently a high incidence period for infectious diseases, and it is recommended that everyone wear masks in public places to avoid contact with more pathogens as much as possible.

Doctors urgently remind us to use the popular "azithromycin + ibuprofen + guaiac" three-piece set online with caution! Azithromycin, in particular, is an antibacterial drug and a prescription drug, so it must be used according to the doctor's orders.

According to the "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mycoplasma Pneumonia in Children" issued by the National Health Commission this year, macrolide antibiotics such as azithromycin and clarithromycin are still the first choice for mycoplasma pneumonia in children.

Although azithromycin is popular in the circle of friends, it cannot be used at will. Liu Maochang, pharmacist and deputy director of the pharmacy department of Wuhan Children's Hospital, said that after the doctor's judgment, the child does need to take azithromycin for anti-infection treatment, but there are still many details that need to be paid attention to when using the drug.

Some children do not see significant results with azithromycin, or experience severe gastrointestinal reactions after taking the drug. Doctors may also consider using alternative drugs or other treatment options. Therefore, it is not recommended that parents blindly follow recommendations on the Internet and take medication on their own.

To prevent superinfection, do the new coronavirus vaccine and influenza vaccine need to be injected at the same time?

Chen Meifang, deputy director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Peking University People's Hospital, said that in combination with the World Health Organization's recommendation on simultaneous vaccination of influenza and new coronavirus vaccines, and in combination with research progress at home and abroad, the "Technical Guidelines for Influenza Vaccine Immunization in China (2023-2024)" recommends that people aged 18 and above can receive inactivated influenza vaccine and new coronavirus vaccine respectively on both limbs during one immunization service; for people under 18 years of age, it is recommended that the interval between influenza and new coronavirus vaccines should still be greater than 14 days.