HEENT and respiratory infections are affections that affect the head, eyes, ears, nose, throat and the respiratory system. These infections are bound to affect anyone at any stage of life depending on how one is prone to the HEENT related pathogens (Body, 2010). Mouth disorders may include Epiglottis, Lymphadenitis, Tonsillitis, and Mononucleosis. The nose may get affected with infections like Rhinorrhea, Polyps, Epistaxis and Rhinitis. Ear infections include Cerumenosis, Otitis externa and Otitis media, and cholesteatoma. Moreover, the effects of these diseases may vary with the parties involved and hence require a different prescription for medication. All these diseases have daring consequences and therefore, such infections should have the correct prescriptions
What are some common pathogens that cause HEENT infections?
Different diseases have different related pathogens. Moreover, an infection may be as a result of various pathogens. For example, the Otitis Externa an infection of the ear caused by herpetic viral infections can also be caused by Bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosin, Proteus mirabilis, and Streptococcus pyrogens. Fungi related to prolonged use of antibiotics can also result from ear infections. Nose infections may be as a result of fungal infections from irritants and smoking-related drugs. Mouth and neck infections like Tonsillitis involving the pharyngitis and pharyngeal tonsils glands are as a result of bacteria agents including Streptococcus pyrogens, adenovirus, influenza virus or coxsackievirus (Body, 2010). Respiratory infections like laryngotracheitis develop from viruses including Rhinoviruses, Parainfluenza viruses, and Adenoviruses. Cases of Sinusitis involve bacterial causes like Streptococcus pneumonia and Haemophilus influenza.
Do you recommend a limited or an involved use of antibiotics in treatment of these diseases and other unconfirmed bacterial illnesses and why?
In the diagnosis of respiratory and HEENT infections too much usage of antibiotics may result in an increase in the disease rather than the treatment. Infections like the Otitis Externa of the ear can lead from fungal infections on those who have a prolonged use of antibiotics (Goossens et.al, 2005). At such an instance, use of antibiotics for treatment increases the risk. However, for infections like those involving the nose like Rhinitis require antibiotics for preventing disease progression and complications. Therefore, a limited use of antibiotics is preferable so as to prevent instances of prolonged infections more so with mysterious bacterial illnesses.
What are the standards regarding the use of antibiotics in pediatric population, and what assessment findings would warrant prescribing an antibiotic for HEENT or respiratory symptom?
Overuse of antibiotics is common in a pediatric population due to the perception that antibiotics are the best prescriptions to viral infections (Herath, Poole, 2013). Pediatric cases have the expectations of the parental care and physicians. However, the same patients pressure physicians for prescriptions whenever it gets to acute respiratory tract infections. Most antibiotics prescribed in medical centers prescribed wrongly and instead of reducing the infections, they increase the chances of providing an increased infection rating. Antibiotics should relate to conditions that the physician responsible for diagnosing the illness is sure of no side effects to the body or the disease.
Do the etiology, diagnosis, and management of a child who is wheezing vary according to the child’s age?
Wheezing as a respiratory disease has a prevalence in children who are of underage. A three-year child is more likely to experience wheezing than an eleven years old child (Jartti, Tuomas, et al. 2009). Research indicates that one in every three children has a possibility of acquiring an acute wheezing illness before the age of three years. Most cases of children experiencing recurrent wheezing involve asthma although there are other diagnoses like obstructive sleep apnea. Wheezing may include infections like bronchitis, pneumonia, and upper respiratory tract infections.
Which objective of the clinical findings will guide your diagnosis? When is a chest x-ray indicated in this case?
Diagnosis of wheezing depends on the vulnerability of the infection. Moreover, the diagnosis should depend upon the suspected cause of the wheezing and should be modifies depending on the age of the child. For infants, viral and bacterial swabs should be used in diagnosis for tuberculosis while a sweat chloride test for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis is applicable. For children with an age of two years and above, an allergy test is more relevant in determining the cases of wheezing. Chest X-rays apply to recurrent wheezing or in cases of unidentified wheezing where there is a need to check for foreign bodies in the respiratory systems of the child (Fraga et.al, 2008). Moreover, instances of chest radiography are applicable in situations where bronchodilators cannot diagnose the cause of wheezing.
- BODY, F. (2010). Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat (HEENT). Emergency Medicine Review: Preparing for the Boards.
- Fraga, A. D. M. A., Reis, M. C. D., Zambon, M. P., Toro, I. C., Ribeiro, J. D., &Baracat, E. C. E. (2008). Foreign body aspiration in children: clinical aspects, radiological aspects and bronchoscopic treatment. JornalBrasileiro de Pneumologia, 34(2), 74-82.
- Goossens, H., Ferech, M., Vander Stichele, R., Elseviers, M., & ESAC Project Group. (2005). Outpatient antibiotic use in Europe and association with resistance: a cross-national database study. The Lancet, 365(9459), 579-587.
- Herath, S. C., & Poole, P. (2013). Prophylactic antibiotic therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 11(11).
- Jartti, Tuomas, et al.(2009): Bronchiolitis: age and previous wheezing episodes are linked to viral etiology and atopic characteristics. The Pediatric infectious disease journal 28.4 311-317.
