Recently, the National Health Commission has held a press conference on the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases in winter to inform and deploy the prevention and treatment of respiratory tract infections at present. In this year's peak of respiratory tract infections, mycoplasma pneumonia has been a high concern, and the co-infection situation has also made many parents nervous. At present, are there many co-infections with multiple pathogens?Mycoplasma pneumonia infusion is just right, why does the child start vomiting and diarrhea again?In response to everyone's concerns, the Sichuan Provincial Health Commission invited Qiu Li, deputy chief physician of the Department of Pediatric Respiratory Immunology of West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University, to answer the questions.
Q: Are there many cases of co-infection with multiple pathogens?Can I get infected again after I recover?
A: At present, infection with a single pathogen is the most common, of course, it cannot be ruled out that some children may have co-infection, such as mycoplasma combined with bacterial infection or mycoplasma combined with viral infection, but after all, it is still a small phenomenon. In addition, mycoplasma infection is usually less susceptible to reinfection, but it cannot be ruled out that some children may be reinfected after infection.
Q: How is mycoplasma pneumonia generally diagnosed?Can a positive antigen test confirm the diagnosis?
A: According to the latest guidelines in 2023, the diagnosis of mycoplasma pneumonia infection must first have respiratory symptoms, followed by the corresponding chest imaging manifestations, as well as laboratory examinations, in order to make a more definitive diagnosis.
Some parents think that if their child is positive for antibodies, it is mycoplasma infection, but in fact, once a person is infected with mycoplasma, the LGG in the body will exist for about half a year, or even longer. Therefore, it is actually relatively one-sided to determine whether a child is infected with mycoplasma pneumonia simply through antibody testing. It is still necessary to combine other clinical manifestations and imaging tests.
Q: The mycoplasma pneumonia infusion is just right, why does the child start vomiting and diarrhea again?
A: Your child's infusion must be done in a hospital or clinic, which is an environment with a high density of infected patients, and it is entirely possible to be reinfected and develop some new symptoms. But these symptoms are not necessarily caused by mycoplasma infection. Conversely, some patients with severe mycoplasma infection may also have extrapulmonary complications, and some children may have gastrointestinal symptoms.
In addition, mycoplasma pneumonia** is mostly used in the form of oral azithromycin, and the use of azithromycin may also have some gastrointestinal reactions, showing symptoms of loss of appetite or nausea and vomiting.
Q: Are people with vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency more susceptible to mycoplasma infection?
A: In the expert consensus on the use of immunomodulators, it is clearly mentioned that vitamin A and vitamin D have the role of immunomodulators. When our body is deficient in these immunomodulators, it may indeed be more susceptible to microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, and mycoplasma.
Q: What are the current difficulties of mycoplasma pneumonia?
A: Mycoplasma pneumonia infection may cause some complications in or out of the lungs. How to reduce complications and sequelae is the difficulty and focus of mycoplasma pneumonia at present.
Chengdu **Jinguan News Reporter Hu Guiwei Editor-in-charge He Qitie Editor Wang Qi **Sichuan Provincial Health Commission.