Bacterial ribosomal immunostimulant prophylaxis for recurrent acute respiratory infections in children

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are responsible for 19% of all deaths in children younger than five years of age, mainly in low-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In high-income countries ARTIs are among the most frequent illnesses, leading to 20% of medical consultations, 30% of days lost from work and 75% of antibiotic ...

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus which commonly causes lung infections in infants and children. Although cases in most children are not severe, children with cystic fibrosis (CF) may be at higher risk for severe RSV lung infections. Children with CF are more likely to require hospitalisation and experience deterioration in lung function ...

Acute bacterial meningitis is an infection of the meninges (the system of membranes which envelops the brain and spinal cord) that often causes hearing loss and is fatal in 5% to 40% of children and 20% to 50% of adults despite treatment with adequate antibiotics. It is caused by bacteria that usually spread from an ear or respiratory infection and ...

Acute otitis media is a common disease of childhood, involving inflammation of the space behind the eardrum (the middle ear cleft). Episodes typically involve a fever and a build up of pus that stretches the eardrum causing severe pain. The drum may then rupture, relieving the pain, and a discharge of pus enters the ear canal. A small proportion of ...

This review assessed how useful the varicella (also known as chickenpox) vaccine is in preventing chickenpox when given to children or adults who have never been immunised or had chickenpox before, but who receive the vaccine within a short time following exposure to a person with chickenpox. Varicella is a highly contagious viral infection characterised ...

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is a bacterial infection often responsible for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in children. The infection can present in a number of different ways and the most common respiratory manifestations are acute bronchitis, pneumonia or wheezing. The illness is generally self-limiting with symptoms that can ...

Acute otitis media (AOM, infection in the middle ear space) is common in children, causing pain and deafness. Most children experience at least one episode and some children suffer recurrent AOM (more than three episodes in six months or four episodes in 12 months), and some progress to eardrum perforation. Interventions (antibiotics, vaccines or reduced ...

Streptococcal throat infection is very common. A 10-day course of penicillin is prescribed mainly to protect against the complication of acute rheumatic fever, which occurs approximately 20 days after streptococcal throat or scarlet fever, and causes damage to the heart valves. Cases of acute rheumatic fever have dropped dramatically in high-income ...

Acute otitis media (AOM) is common in children, causing pain and deafness. Though AOM usually resolves without treatment, it is often treated with antibiotics. This review found that antibiotics are not very useful for most children with AOM. Antibiotics marginally decreased the number of children with pain at 24 hours (when most children were better), ...

Pneumonia is a major cause of mortality in children under five years of age. Treatment of pneumonia requires the use of an effective antibiotic in adequate doses for an appropriate duration. In most cases, treatment ranges between 7 and 14 days, but this is not based on any empirical evidence. Shorter duration of therapy, if found to be effective, would ...