In the treatment of diseases of the respiratory system in a child, inhalations of drugs are often prescribed for which a nebulizer is used. Pulmicort is one of the most commonly used inhalers by pediatricians. In what cases is it worth doing inhalations with this drug and what is important for parents to know about such procedures?
Inhalations, during which Pulmicort enters the child's lungs, have an anti-inflammatory and anti-edema effect. This drug belongs to the group of glucocorticoid hormones. It also has anti-allergic effects. The main active ingredient of such a drug is budesonide.
Indications
Nebulizer inhalation with pulmikort is prescribed mainly for the following pathologies:
- Bronchial asthma.
- Obstructive diseases of the respiratory system.
- Allergic form of rhinitis.
- Laryngitis with stenosis (mild course).
Contraindications
Pulmicort procedures are not prescribed for:
- Viral, bacterial or fungal diseases of the respiratory system.
- Tuberculosis.
- Individual intolerance.
- Liver cirrhosis.
Babies younger than 6 months are usually not prescribed this drug. If you have to treat children with pulmikort for up to six months, the doctor must control this.
Dosage and instructions for use
It is important to note that Pulmicort must be prescribed by a doctor for the child. Only a specialist selects the dosage and takes into account all the factors that can affect the treatment and the condition of the baby.
Features of the use of inhalations with Pulmicort for various diseases:
The daily dose of medicine for children is selected by the doctor. It can vary from 0.25 to 1 mg or more, depending on the severity of the disease.
Other important features of treatment with pulmicort in the form of inhalation:
- For inhalation, a suspension is used, which is sold in 2 ml plastic containers. Such a container has a mark showing the volume of 1 ml (if only 1 ml of pulmicort is required for the procedure, it is squeezed out of the container until such a mark).
- In most cases, the drug should be diluted before the procedure using saline solution. After dilution, the medicine should be used within half an hour. If there is still a drug in the container, it can be stored in a dark place for up to 12 hours.
Instructions for using Pulmicort for inhalation:
- Shaking the package, opening it and mixing the suspension with saline, the medicine is poured into a compression nebulizer (the ultrasound model for inhalation with pulmikort is not used).
- The child should breathe through a mask that fits tightly to the face.
- The duration of the procedure depends on the age. For young children who are being inhaled for the first time, 3 minutes is enough. Older children are usually advised to breathe with this medication for 10 minutes.
- After inhalation, the mask, mouthpiece and nebulizer container must be rinsed, and the child must rinse the mouth well.
- Although Pulmicort practically does not enter the bloodstream and acts mainly locally, it can still cause side effects such as candidiasis, hoarseness of the voice, skin irritation, pharyngitis, allergic reactions, rhinitis, overexcitation, and others. The frequency of such manifestations is 1-10%.
Although the therapeutic effect of procedures with Pulmikort is noticeable after a few hours, the maximum therapeutic effect of the drug is manifested within two to three weeks.
Analogs
You can replace Pulmicort when carrying out nebulizer inhalations with the following drugs:
- Benacort;
- Budesonide;
- Symbicort Turbuhaler;
- Novopulmon E Novolizer;
- Tafen Novolizer.
Reviews
In most cases, parents respond positively to inhalations with Pulmicort, because the drug effectively fights laryngospasm and bronchial asthma. Everyone notes the convenience of using such a medication, since Pulmicort is a suspension, it quickly enters the respiratory tract and has almost no effect on other organs.
As for negative reviews, they are often based on the high price of the drug, as well as on the frequent occurrence of such side effects as candidiasis. To avoid it, it is important to rinse your mouth thoroughly after each procedure.
