CARI  Symptoms may be more severe in

infants and young children, and may

(Control of Acute Respiratory include fever
Infection)

 Complications
 This is also known as Acute Viral
Nasopharyngitis or Acute Coryza  opportunistic coinfections or
superinfections
 In lay man’s term, it is otherwise known
as common cold
 acute bronchitis,
 Commonly caused by picornviruses,
rhinoviruses, coronaviruses  bronchiolitis,

 It is common in children age under five  pneumonia,

(5)
 sinusitis,
 The agents primarily attack the UPPER
RESPIRATORY TRACK  otitis media,

 Common symptoms are as follows:  strep throat.

o Sore throat
 People with chronic lung diseases
o Runny nose such as

o Nasal congestion o asthma

o Sneezing o COPD

o Coughing o Colds may cause acute

o Pink eye exacerbations of

o Muscle aches o asthma,

o Fever o emphysema or

o Exhaustion o chronic bronchitis.

o Loss of appetite Prevention

Transmission
The common cold virus is transmitted
between people by one of two mechanisms:
• In aerosol form generated by
coughing, sneezing.
• From contact with the saliva or nasal
secretions of an infected person,
either directly or from contaminated
surfaces.
 The symptoms of a cold usually resolve
after about one week, but can last up to
14 days.
 The best way to avoid a cold is to avoid
close contact with existing sufferers;
 to wash hands thoroughly and regularly;
 to avoid touching the mouth and face
 The common cold is caused by a
large variety of viruses, which
mutate quite frequently during
reproduction, resulting in
constantly changing virus strains.
Thus, successful immunization is
highly improbable.
  The common cold is self-limiting, and was so small its clinical usefulness is
the host's immune system effectively doubtful.
deals with the infection.
 Therapeutic trials of high doses of
 Within a few days, the body's immune vitamin C starting after the onset of
response begins producing specific symptoms, showed no consistent effect
antibodies that can prevent the virus on either duration or severity of
from infecting cells. symptoms.

 Additionally, as part of the cell-mediated  More therapeutic trials are necessary to

immune response,
 leukocytes destroy the virus through
phagocytosis and destroy infected cells
to prevent further viral replication.
settle the question, especially in
children who have not entered these
trials.

 In healthy, immunocompetent
individuals, the common cold resolves in
seven days on average
DISEASE CLASSIFICATION
 Antibiotics, targeted primarily to
microorganisms like bacteria and The Child’s Age is 2 months up to 5 years
fungus, do not have any beneficial
effect against the common cold.
 Antibiotics have no effect on viruses. VERY SEVERE

Over-the-counter symptom medicines A child with any danger sign is classified

as having VERY SEVERE DISEASE.
• analgesics such as aspirin or The danger signs are:
paracetamol (acetaminophen), as well
as localized versions targeting the
throat (often delivered in lozenge form)  Not able to drink
• nasal decongestants such as
pseudoephedrine or oxymetazoline  Convulsions
which reduce the inflammation in the
nasal passages by constricting dilated
 Abnormally sleepy or difficult to
local blood vessels
• cough suppressants such as wake
dextromethorphan which suppress the
cough reflex.
 Stridor in calm child
• first-generation anti-histamines such as
brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine,
diphenhydramine and clemastine (which  Severe undernutrition
reduce mucus gland secretion and thus
combat blocked/runny noses but also
may make the user drowsy).
• Second-generation anti-histamines do
not have a useful effect on colds.[31]

Vitamin C

 Prophylactic use of vitamin C has no The Young Infant

effect on common cold incidence but
reduces the duration and severity of (Age Less than 2 months)
common cold symptoms slightly,
although the magnitude of the effect
VERY SEVERE
 SEVERE CHEST INDRAWING or DANGER
SIGNS, is classified as having NO
A young infant with any danger sign is
PNEUMONIA: COUGH OR COLD
classified as having VERY SEVERE DISEASE.
The danger signs are as follows:  Young infants classified as having NO
PNEUMONIA: COUGH OR COLD should
 Stopped feeding well
not be given antibiotics
 Convulsions

 Abnormally sleepy or difficult to wake

 Stridor or Wheezing

 Fever of low body temperature

 If the infant has the signs and

symptoms, refer it urgently to the
nearest hospital to prevent death

SEVERE

 A young infant who breathes 60

times per minute or more has fast
breathing

 A young infant who has fast

breathing or severe chest
indrawing is classified as having
SEVERE PNEUMONIA

 The young infant classified as

having SEVERE PNEUMONIA
should be referred urgently to a
hospital
NO PNEUMONIA: COUGH OR

 A young infant who is breathing less

than 60 times per minute, and has NO