<s>[INST] hi my 3 year old daughter has this fever for almost an week, and very dry cough, her throat is itching she said thats why she coughed every now and then.  i gave her a mucolytic, then she has taken an antibiotic already, at first cough wasnt that persistent but lately it worsen...pls help [/INST] Child Chat Doctor.  Generally it lasts for 5-10 days irrespective of the use of antibiotics which are only effective in case there is a secondary bacterial infection. But since you have begun the course of antibiotics, you should complete the full course to avoid development of antibiotic resistance. You have done the right thing by giving a bucolic. Give some antiallergic like cetirizine along as that should relieve the allergic component that often remains associated. Giving steam inhalation should also help. Water in the form of vapor would reach deep into the lungs and help in diluting the cough. </s>