This is how you should handle a positive Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibody

Pneumonia is an extremely serious disease for children and must be treated immediately once it is discovered. Some children test positive for Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies. In fact, there is no need to be particularly afraid of this situation. If the baby does not have a fever or respiratory abnormalities, no special treatment is required for the time being. However, if there is a fever, etc., it must be dealt with in a timely manner.

1. Does a positive Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibody require treatment?

First, if the child has no fever or respiratory symptoms, and the parents request or the doctor's routine screening for Mycoplasma pneumoniae is positive, then no treatment is needed for the time being.

Secondly, there are recent symptoms of respiratory tract infection accompanied by fever, excluding viral upper respiratory tract infection, seasonal influenza, etc. Combined with positive IgM antibody to Mycoplasma pneumoniae, the titer is ≥1:160, or the MP-IgM or IgG antibody titer in the recovery and acute phases increases or decreases by 4 times or more. Clinically diagnosed with mycoplasma infection of the upper respiratory tract or bronchial infection can be treated with oral azithromycin. If pneumonia is present, progresses rapidly, or there are extrapulmonary complications, the patient should be hospitalized promptly for treatment.

2. What are the functions of mycoplasma antibodies?

Mycoplasma antibodies generally lurk in the human immune system, and their existence time usually ranges from a few months to a few years, and some even last for ten to several decades. When our body is invaded by mycoplasma again, mycoplasma antibodies will appear to eliminate the mycoplasma, thereby protecting our body from invasion. However, mycoplasma antibodies are not omnipotent. If the mycoplasma invasion exceeds the therapeutic range of mycoplasma antibodies, people will suffer from symptoms of mycoplasma infection again.

3. Diseases related to mycoplasma antibodies

So why do many clinics and hospitals treat people with positive mycoplasma antibodies? This is because some studies have shown that mycoplasma is related to sexually transmitted diseases such as non-gonococcal urethritis and epididymitis, and is also related to reproductive and urinary system diseases such as prostatitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Therefore, many hospitals have carried out testing and treatment for mycoplasma. With the improvement of inspection technology, the sensitivity of inspection methods has also increased, and the positive detection rate of mycoplasma has increased accordingly.