Observation on the Therapeutic Effect of Budesonide Combined with Azithromycin in the Treatment of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia in Children

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether adding budesonide inhalation to the azithromycin anti-infective regimen can enhance the therapeutic effect and ensure the safety of its application in the clinical management of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children. Methods: This study included 120 diagnosed children who were randomly divided into two parallel groups. Among them, 60 children in the reference group received a 3-day course of oral azithromycin (single daily dose of 10 mg/kg); the study group, consisting of 60 children, received an additional twice-daily budesonide suspension inhalation (0.5 mg each time) alongside the same azithromycin treatment. The total treatment period for all children was set at 7 days. This study systematically collected and compared the time spans required for the resolution of core symptoms (body temperature, cough, and pulmonary signs) between the two groups; analyzed changes in the concentrations of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in the blood before and after treatment; evaluated the absorption of inflammatory shadows on chest X-rays at the end of treatment; examined changes in pulmonary ventilation function indicators in some children; and recorded and compared all adverse events that occurred during the treatment phase. Results: The study data indicated that children in the study group experienced faster resolution of fever, cough, and pulmonary signs compared to the reference group, with differences being statistically significant. After the treatment course, the levels of inflammatory markers in the blood of children in the study group decreased more significantly. Imaging assessment showed that the overall effective rate of pulmonary inflammation absorption in the study group reached 96.7%, higher than the 83.3% in the reference group. In terms of pulmonary function improvement, the study group also demonstrated superior results. There was no significant difference in the reported rates of treatment-related adverse events between the two groups. Conclusion: For children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, combining azithromycin for etiological treatment with budesonide inhalation for local anti-inflammatory intervention can accelerate the clinical recovery process, effectively suppress systemic inflammation levels, promote pulmonary lesion repair, and improve pulmonary function.