Clearing’ Pediatric Airways.

ABSTRACT

Let’s look at a common case-scenario. A two-year-old presents with recurrent episodes of fever, cold, cough and wheezing since the age of 6 months. Each time, the episode begins with high fever that lasts for 2 to 3 days, accompanied with cold and progressively worsening cough, followed by wheezing. Wheezing settles down within a short time but the cough continues for two weeks. Routine investigations are normal. The child remains well in between episodes, and maintains good growth and development. No one in family has history suggestive of asthma or atopy. The child receives repeated courses of antibiotics and inhaled steroids for 3 months, but there is no change in frequency of episodes. Each and every time pediatrician’s ‘mann ki baat’ rotates around questions like…Is it viral?...Is it bacterial?...Can I label it as asthma?...Kahin ye ‘woh’ toh nahin? (Tuberculosis!)... finally realizing that it is Wheeze Associated Lower Respiratory Infection (WALRI).