How do you know if your child just has a cold or is it a bug?

[kellysmithfa]

I wait about 5 days and if she is still junky coughing I take her for a culture. Sometimes it is nothing but most of the time it is a bug. It is expencive to run the test everytime.

 

[kellysmithfa]

I wait about 5 days and if she is still junky coughing I take her for a culture. Sometimes it is nothing but most of the time it is a bug. It is expencive to run the test everytime.

 

[Ratatosk]

When DS gets a cough, we try to figure out if it's a postnasal drip cough, dry throat clearing, bronchial...

He doesn't cough normally, so we increase CPT/Vest treatments, check his temp, monitor his eating and behavior to see if he's off. And if it's a junky bronchial cough, we call his doctor and he usually gets put on an antibiotic.

 

[Ratatosk]

When DS gets a cough, we try to figure out if it's a postnasal drip cough, dry throat clearing, bronchial...

He doesn't cough normally, so we increase CPT/Vest treatments, check his temp, monitor his eating and behavior to see if he's off. And if it's a junky bronchial cough, we call his doctor and he usually gets put on an antibiotic.

 

[Rebjane]

If it is a cold, symptoms will generally get better in 7 days or so. Usually cold is worse first couple days then slowly gets better and peters out.

If symptoms linger, get worse not better, cough keeps her up at night, decrease appetite, fever, set me on high alert for a more bacterial type of thing. I do the same as Liza, up treatments, push fluids, and call the doc depending on her last culture will depend on which antibiotic she needs.

 

[Rebjane]

If it is a cold, symptoms will generally get better in 7 days or so. Usually cold is worse first couple days then slowly gets better and peters out.

If symptoms linger, get worse not better, cough keeps her up at night, decrease appetite, fever, set me on high alert for a more bacterial type of thing. I do the same as Liza, up treatments, push fluids, and call the doc depending on her last culture will depend on which antibiotic she needs.