During the season of viral infections, every mother wants to protect her child from influenza and SARS, and if the baby is already sick, she does everything to speed up recovery. For this, drugs with an immunomodulatory effect based on interferon are often used. One of the most popular drugs in this group is Grippferon. Is it allowed in childhood, in what forms is it produced, how does it affect the body of children and how is it correctly used for preventive purposes?
Release form
The drug is presented:
- Nasal drops. They are sold in 5 ml plastic dropper bottles and 10 ml in each bottle.
- Dosed nasal spray. The volume of the drug in this form is 10 milliliters containing 200 doses of the drug.
The inner contents of any of these medicines are clear, colorless or yellowish liquid.
The drug, produced in the form of an ointment, cannot be used by persons under the age of 18 due to the lack of data on the effectiveness and safety of the drug in children.
Composition
The active substance of any of the variants of Grippferon is human recombinant interferon. Such interferon alpha-2b is contained in one milliliter of drops at a dosage of 10000 IU, and in one dose of a spray - in an amount of 500 IU.
The auxiliary ingredients of both the spray and the drops are the same. Among them are potassium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium dodecahydrite hydrogen phosphate and povidone 8000. The medicine also includes sodium chloride and disodium edetate dihydrate. The remainder of the drug is occupied by macrogol 4000 and purified water.
Operating principle
Both drops and Grippferon spray are immunomodulatory agents with anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, such medicines have antiviral activity.
At the same time, drugs act only locally, because studies have shown that the drug injected into the nasal cavity practically does not penetrate into the bloodstream.
In the next video, Dr. Komarovsky, in general, will tell us about antiviral drugs for children.
Indications
Grippferon is most often prescribed for various viral diseases of the upper respiratory tract, especially with influenza. These drugs are also in demand to prevent infection with the influenza virus, rhinoviruses, adenoviruses and other pathogens that infect the cells of the nasopharyngeal mucosa.
From what age is it allowed to take?
Grippferon is called a safe medicine for the body of children, therefore such a medicine is prescribed even for an infant up to one year old, for example, it is prescribed for a 3-month-old baby. However, although there are no age restrictions in the annotation to the drug, it is still advisable to consult with a specialist whether it is worth using interferon for a particular child.
Contraindications
The medication is not used in the treatment of children who are found to be intolerant to interferon or some other ingredient in the medication. Also, Grippferon is contraindicated in babies with severe allergies.
Side effects
In some young patients, treatment with Grippferon can provoke an allergic reaction. No other negative symptoms are detected when using drops or spray.
Instructions for use
- It is advised to start dripping or injecting Grippferon with a viral disease as early as possible when the first symptoms of infection appear.
- The duration of the course of drug treatment is usually 5 days, and the dose and frequency of administration into the nasal cavity are determined based on the age of the patient.
- After instilling Grippferon in drops into the nose, it is recommended to massage the wings of the child's nose for several minutes. To do this, lightly press on them with your fingers so that the agent is distributed over the mucous membrane more evenly.
- To use the spray, you need to remove the cap from the bottle, gently insert the spray device into the nostril, and then press the mechanism with force so that the drug enters the nasal cavity. One press corresponds to one dose of medication. Before using this form for the first time, several sprays should be done in the air until a small cloud of drug particles appears.
Dosage
- A single therapeutic dose for a child under one year old is 1000 IU of interferon, which corresponds to 1 drop or 1 spray in each nostril. For treatment, the drug is applied 5 times a day, that is, 5000ME of the active ingredient is administered to the infant in just a day.
- Ages 1-3 one application requires 2000 IU of interferon, so the child is either instilled with 2 drops, or 2 doses of a spray are injected into each nasal passage. The daily dosage for treatment is 6000-8000 IU of the active ingredient, which corresponds to three or four times the application.
- Child 3-14 years old 2000ME of the active compound is also instilled or injected at a time, but the daily therapeutic dosage at this age rises to 8000-10000ME, that is, the introduction of a spray or drops should be 4-5 times during the day.
- Over the age of 14 in each nasal passage, 3 drops of the drug or 3 doses of the spray should be injected, since a single dose for adolescents is 3000 IU of interferon. The child needs to receive 15000-18000 IU of the active ingredient per day, therefore, the medication for treatment needs to be administered 5-6 times a day.
- For prevention the medication is instilled or injected in a single dose recommended for age 1 time a day in the morning or every other day in the morning. In case of contact with a person suffering from acute respiratory viral infections or hypothermia, the medicine is administered twice twice a day.
Overdose
The manufacturer does not provide information on the negative effect of exceeded doses of the drug.
Interaction with other drugs
It is not recommended to use Grippferon and at the same time treat the child with other drugs in the nose, which have a vasoconstrictor effect. With this combination of drugs, the nasopharyngeal mucosa will dry out.
Terms of sale
All forms of Grippferon are classified as over-the-counter drugs, so they can be purchased at the pharmacy without any difficulty. One bottle of drops costs an average of 250 rubles, and the price of the spray is slightly higher and ranges from 270 to 330 rubles.
Storage conditions and shelf life
Unopened preparations (both a bottle with drops and a bottle of spray) are recommended to be stored until the end of their shelf life, which is 2 years, in a cool place at a temperature of + 2 + 8 degrees Celsius (in the refrigerator). Once the package has been opened, the contents can only be used for 30 days. If a month has already passed after the first use of the spray or drops, but the contents have not been completely used, the drug cannot be injected into the child's nose. This drug should be discarded.
Reviews
Many mothers respond well to Grippferon, confirming that the medicine helps to recover faster from a runny nose, cough and other symptoms of viral infections, and when taken prophylactically, children do not get the flu during the epidemic season. Pluses the drug is called the possibility of using at any age, the absence of a bitter taste and convenient packaging.
The disadvantages some parents attribute the small volume of the medicine, the short opening period of the bottle and the rather high cost, which makes many mothers want to find a replacement cheaper. In addition, some reviews mention the lack of effect of treatment with such a remedy, which is why parents again had to call a pediatrician and buy other medicines.
Analogs
Other interferon preparations can replace Grippferon, for example:
- Viferon. This medicine, containing alpha interferon, is also in demand for ARVI, chickenpox and other viral diseases, as well as for candidal infection. Candles and gel are allowed to be used in children from birth, and the use of ointment is permissible in children over a year old.
- Genferon Light. This medication includes not only interferon, but also taurine. It is represented by suppositories and nasal drops, allowed for children of any age. Also, the drug is released in a spray, but it is prescribed only from the age of 14.
If a child is sick with some kind of viral infection, instead of Grippferon, the pediatrician may prescribe medications with antiviral action, for example:
- Arbidol suspension or tablets for influenza.
- Acyclovir cream, ointment or tablets for herpes.
- Kagocel tablets for ARVI or herpes infection.
- Syrups Amizonchik or Orvirem for ARVI.
In addition, drugs with an immunostimulating effect can also be prescribed for treatment or for prophylactic purposes, including Derinat solution, IRS 19 spray, Imudon tablets or Citovir-3 syrup.
Some mothers decide to use homeopathic remedies instead of Grippferon (Viburkol, Anaferon, Oscillococcinum, Aflubin, Ergoferon and others), but pediatricians warn that such drugs cannot become a full substitute. In addition, many doctors, including Komarovsky, consider them ineffective.
