Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection Associated With a Severe Asthma Exacerbation in a Five-Year-Old Child: A Case Report

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a recognized respiratory pathogen in children and may act as a trigger for acute asthma exacerbations.We report the case of a five-year-old child with known asthma and Down syndrome who was admitted with a severe asthma exacerbation associated with marked respiratory distress and hypoxemia.Initial treatment included inhaled salbutamol, systemic corticosteroids, oxygen support, and empirical antibiotic therapy with amoxicillin, but the clinical response was slow, with persistent fever and hypoxemia.Multiplex respiratory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of a nasopharyngeal sample identified M. pneumoniae.A macrolide was subsequently introduced, and clinical improvement was observed thereafter, alongside continued standard asthma therapy, with resolution of respiratory distress, normalization of pulmonary auscultation, and recovery of oxygen saturation on room air.The present case highlights the importance of considering M. pneumoniae in severe or unusually prolonged asthma exacerbations, particularly when fever and hypoxemia persist despite standard asthma management.