New treatment and preventive options for acute respiratory infections in children

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the issue of acute respiratory infections in children. Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are the most common infectious diseases among both adults and children. The article presents data on the 2020/2021 ARVI and influenza epidemic season in the Russian Federation, which was characterized by an earlier beginning of the rise in the incidence of ARVI and influenza, a wide geographic spread, the highest rates of respiratory infections in children aged 1–2 and 3–6 years, high intensity of the epidemic process, the predominant circulation of influenza A (H3N2) viruses, and the low incidence, absence of severe disease and low mortality among vaccinated against the flu. Modern options for specific prevention of ARI (vaccination against influenza and other infections as part of the national and regional schedules) and non-specific prevention (implementation of the healthy lifestyle principles, including a day regimen, age-adequate nutrition, environmental control, cold exposure training and therapeutic exercise, avoidance of second-hand smoking, vitamin therapy, reduction of potential exposure to sources of infection, use of anti-epidemic measures in the site of infection, regular ventilation and moist mopping, hand washing, elimination therapy, barrier protective devices, use of systemic bacterial lysates, synthetic molecules) are discussed. The principles of rational ARI therapy are provided. The use of essential oil combinations with a composition of oils at certain proportions is one of the promising directions for therapy and prevention of acute respiratory infections. The results of numerous studies assessing the efficacy and safety of the inhalation administration of natural essential oil compositions as part of the combination therapy and prevention of acute respiratory infections in children are provided, good tolerance and high efficacy of essential oil inhalations are observed.