Current challenges and treatment options for upper respiratory tract infections in children
Authors:   G.N.Gabrichevsky Research Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russian Federation, Ruzhentsova Т.А. ,   Medical University "Reaviz", Moscow, Russian Federation, Babachenko I.V. ,   Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation,   Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, Odinaeva N.D. ,   Research Clinical Institute of Childhood of the Ministry of Health of the Moscow region, Moscow, Russian Federation,   M.F.Vladimirsky Moscow Regional Research and Clinical Institute, Moscow Russian Federation, Panova L.D. ,   Bashkir State Medical University, Ufa, Russian Federation, Gurov A.V. ,   N.I.Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation,   L.I.Sverzhevsky Clinical Research Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Moscow Russian Federation, Soboleva N.G. ,   G8 Centre, Krasnodar, Russian Federation, Migacheva N.B. ,   Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russian Federation, Filippova G.M. ,   Ministry of Health of the Altai Territory, Barnaul, Russian Federation, Khaliullina S.V. ,   Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Russian Federation, Kogut Т.А. ,   Yaroslavl State Medical University, Yaroslavl, Russian Federation, Shpakova Е.А. ,   Irkutsk State Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Irkutsk, Russian Federation
Published: March 2024

This article presents the resolution and materials of the Expert Council meeting held in Saint Petersburg on May 24, 2023. The meeting was devoted to topical issues of treatment of oropharyngeal infections in children. Leading infectious disease specialists, pediatricians and immunologists from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, and other cities of Russia took part in the discussion. According to the resolution, today in the Russian Federation there is a high incidence of acute respiratory infections among children with a high frequency of complications, and fatal outcomes are registered. Numerous cases of active herpesvirus infections are recorded, especially among frequently ill children. The current clinical guidelines for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections lack algorithms for differentiated therapeutic approaches that reduce disease duration, prevent the development of complications and recurrent episodes of respiratory infections. In clinical practice, there is excessive, often unjustified prescription of antimicrobial therapy, which aggravates intestinal disorders, reducing colonization and immune resistance, and provokes oral infections and inflammations caused by opportunistic pathogens. Based on the presented data, it is necessary to correct clinical recommendations for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections in children with the introduction of indications for prescribing benzydamine in cases of tonsillitis, pharyngitis (tonsillopharyngitis) and stomatitis as a first-choice medication for sore mouth and throat. It also seems necessary to include data on the efficacy of inosine pranobex in symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections of various etiologies, including COVID-19 and active herpesvirus infections. Key words: benzydamine, herpesvirus infections, inosine pranobex, microbiome, acute respiratory viral infections, ARI, tonsillitis, tonsillopharyngitis, pharyngitis, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2