PAEDIATRICS

A 2-year-old male child (Weight: 11 kg; Length: 81 cm) had a recent onset of fever. Along 
with the fever, the child had a runny nose and a cough that did not produce phlegm. However, 
the patient had contact with his elder sister, who had a fever and cold. The doctor prescribed 
Paracetamol, which reduced his fever for 5-6 hours and made him more active. The next day, 
the fever returned, and the child became irritable. The initial physical examination showed a 
temperature of 102 ℉, a pulse of 120/min, and a respiratory rate of 30 per min. The child had 
a stuffy nose and throat, but no other issues were found in the ears, chest, or other systems. 
The child coughed, especially when lying down. Upon examination of symptoms, he was 
diagnosed as positive for Coryza.

OPEN-UP

Oxymetazoline is a potent α-adrenoceptor agonist, and the presence of α-adrenoceptors in the human nasal mucosal blood vessels explains its vasoconstrictive effect.