Related Experiment Videos
Chronic rhinitis in children
E Yaniv1, D Oppenheim, C Fuchs
1Department of Otolaryngology, Soroka Medical Centre, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.
Insights
Antibiotics effectively treated chronic rhinitis in preschool children, while antihistamines were more successful in older children. Bacterial infections are a key cause of chronic rhinitis in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Otolaryngology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Chronic rhinitis affects children, with varying causes and treatment responses.
- Age-related differences in rhinitis etiology and management are observed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of antihistamines (AH) and antibiotics (AB) in treating chronic rhinitis in children aged 2-6 years.
- To investigate age-specific differences in treatment response between preschool and school-aged children.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 151 children (aged 2-6 years) with chronic rhinitis was studied.
- Treatment involved either antihistamines (75 children) or antibiotics (76 children) for 3-6 months.
- Outcomes were compared between preschool and school-aged children.
Main Results:
- Antihistamines were more effective in school children (49% recovery) than preschool children (14% recovery).
- Antibiotics showed higher recovery rates in preschool children (58%) compared to older children (35%).
- Bacterial infection was identified as the primary cause in preschool children and a significant factor in older children.
Conclusions:
- Chronic rhinitis treatment in children requires age-specific approaches.
- Antibiotics are crucial for treating bacterial-induced chronic rhinitis, especially in preschool-aged children.
- Secondary bacterial infections can impact the effectiveness of antiallergic treatments in certain age groups.
Abstract:
One hundred and fifty-one children aged 2-6 years old suffering from chronic rhinitis were followed and treated for periods of 3-6 months. Seventy-five children were treated with antihistamines (AH) and 76 with antibiotics (AB). Significant statistic difference was found between pre-school children and school children. The differences were both with the nature of the symptoms, and reaction to treatment. While 49% of the school children recovered with AH treatment, only 14% of the pre-school children did. On the other hand, 58% of the pre-school children recovered with AB treatment while only 35% of the older children did. From our results it is clear that in many children bacterial infection is the cause for chronic rhinitis. In pre-school children it is the main cause, while in older children it is the cause in about a third of the cases. It is also important to remember that although allergy might be the basic reason for rhinitis, in certain age groups a secondary bacterial infection might interfere with the efficiency of antiallergic treatment.