Recurrent respiratory infections – modern possibilities of a pediatrician

Frequent acute respiratory infections in children are not only a medical problem but also a socioeconomic one for both individual families and the country as a whole. Identifying the causes and effective monitoring and treatment algorithms for patients with upper respiratory infections is crucial for developing comprehensive national prevention and control strategies, as well as for more efficient allocation and use of healthcare resources. The number of episodes of acute respiratory infection during the year may vary in children depending on age, climate zone, socialization of the child and many other factors. Children susceptible to recurrent (repeated) cases of acute respiratory infections were previously called “frequently ill children” in our country. Allergies, immunodeficiencies, persistent opportunistic infections, functional digestive disorders, chronic diseases of the ENT organs and some other problems may be hidden under the guise of a “frequently ill child” or a child with recurrent respiratory infections, as such a patient is called today. A pediatrician must identify the true cause of frequent episodes of acute respiratory infections in such a child, as this will allow determining the tactics of his observation, the algorithm of diagnostic examination and, if necessary, optimizing the methods of therapy. It is extremely important in children with recurrent infections to adequately approach the treatment of each episode of respiratory infection, using modern possibilities of antiviral therapy, including drugs based on a combination of normal human immunoglobulin and recombinant interferon _α-2b.

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