A properly chosen antibiotic helps prevent an infection on some part of the body caused by a bacterium (so not a virus, not a fungus, not a parasite!). There are different types of antibiotics, packaged in different forms (syrup, tablets, capsules, ampoules). It does not matter when, which, how much and for what it is taken, because in addition to the useful effect in the fight against bacteria, the antibiotic can also have unwanted effects.
The most commonly used antibiotics are penicillins. These are very powerful drugs for the treatment of bacterial infections, from the "ordinary" ones, such as, for example, sore throat, up to extremely severe and life-threatening, such as some types of meningitis and sepsis. But what if the child is allergic to penicillin?
Allergic reactions to penicillin occur in 1-10% of children. They can be immediate (appearing already two minutes after administration of the drug), accelerated (up to three days after administration) and delayed, which occur after three days after administration of penicillin. Clinical manifestations vary from redness accompanied by itching, over measles, hives, fever, joint pain, sneezing, hoarseness, swelling of the lips and other parts of the body, all the way to a drop in blood pressure and shock.
But not every change when taking antibiotics is an allergy. Nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain are common adverse reactions to antibiotics. Children can also recover the dose of medicine taken. When this happens once or twice, don't worry: it's probably just an intolerance to its taste. If a mild rash appears on a small area of the body, it is most likely not an allergy. However, in the future, this medicine should only be used in these children if other antibiotics are not available or are not recommended for a specific disease. However, a rash on the skin accompanied by itching is a reason to stop taking the medicine because there is a possibility that it is an allergy. It is not an emergency unless the rash is accompanied by difficulty breathing, wheezing or difficulty swallowing. In these cases, medical help is necessary. A definitive diagnosis of drug allergy is made exclusively on the basis of specific tests.
Antibiotics act not only on the bacteria that cause disease, but also on the "good" bacteria that make up the normal intestinal flora. "Good" bacteria regulate stool and aid in digestion, and are also thought to affect immunity. By destroying them, the stool becomes softer, watery and more frequent. When there are more than 6-8 such stools per day, you should contact your doctor. Fungi can then be found by analyzing the stool, and in the most severe cases of overuse of antibiotics, the clostridium bacterium is isolated in the stool, which is difficult and long to treat. This is just one of the reasons for the rational use of antibiotics!
With long-term use of antibiotics, white spots can be seen on the inside of the cheeks, on the tongue, on the inside of the lips or on the gums. It is a fungal infection of the oral mucosa, thrush, which occurs because the antibiotic destroys the normal bacterial flora in the oral cavity, which favors the development of fungi. For the same reason, the same can be seen on the mucous membrane of the genitals.
Successful treatment depends, among other things, on the correct use of the prescribed medicine, and that, again, partly depends on the form of the medicine: syrup, injections, capsules, tablets, spray...
Special skill is needed to give medicine that tastes bad or when the child refuses to swallow. In these cases, the medicine should be mixed with something that has a nicer taste (pudding, juice, fruit yogurt) and that the child will not chew, but swallow immediately. Care should be taken when using the medicine and food at the same time, because there are medicines that are taken exclusively before or after meals, in order to achieve optimal absorption.
It is best to put the tablet between two spoons, add a few drops of water, wait for it to soften a little and crush it. Children up to the age of five (and often older) will not agree to tablets or capsules. That's why syrup is provided for them. In the box with the syrup there is a spoon, which usually corresponds to a volume of 5 ml. If the syrup cannot be given with a spoon, a syringe into which the required amount of medicine is drawn can help. The syringe is more precise because it can be used to give e.g. 3,5 ml or 7 ml. Babies are given the syrup slowly, in the area between the inside of the cheek and the gums.
Medicines should not be administered forcibly, in order to avoid coughing and aspiration. If the child vomits the medicine immediately after administration, wait half an hour and repeat the same dose.
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