Angina or tonsillitis is an acute or chronic disease that affects the tissues of the pharynx and tonsils, most often the palatines. The disease occurs frequently among children and is accompanied by symptoms such as reddening of the throat, swelling, inflammation of the jaw lymph nodes, increased body temperature, deterioration of the general condition. But its main danger is not in this - some time after the temperature has normalized, and the state of health has improved, the baby can show unpleasant complications - pyelonephritis, rheumatism, infectious arthritis and so on. In this regard, the correct treatment of tonsillitis is extremely important.
Antibiotics for angina in children
More often for the treatment of angina in children, antibiotics are prescribed. Many parents are frightened by the mere mention of this group of drugs, complaining that they are not useful for a child's body. Indeed, the misdirected and uncontrolled administration of antibiotics to treat children is only harmful. Therefore, in no case should not engage in self-medication and give the child such strong drugs without consulting a doctor.
It is important to understand which causative agent was the cause of the disease, otherwise the treatment will be at least useless, or even worse can aggravate the situation. Angina can be caused by three groups of microorganisms:
- bacteria (most commonly streptococcus);
- viruses (eg, herpes);
- mushrooms.
Antibiotics will be effective only if the angina is bacterial. But, nevertheless, they can be used in other forms, but after the end of the main course of treatment - for the prevention and treatment of complications of an autoimmune nature.
It is impossible to determine which pathogen caused the disease in a particular case, but the doctors are guided by the presence of the following signs:
- plaque on the throat and tonsils;
- an increase in lymph nodes and their soreness in palpation;
- body temperature above 38⁰, which lasts longer than 3 days;
- absence of other symptoms of respiratory diseases - cough and cold.
If there are 3 and 4 symptoms, the doctor immediately without any doubt will prescribe an antibiotic for treating the throat in children. If there are only 1 and 2 signs, then it is necessary to conduct a microbiological study to accurately identify the causative agent of the disease and to prescribe the correct treatment.
It is also important to note that the course of streptococcal angina is similar to the onset of such a serious childhood illness as scarlet fever , which, in addition to sore throat and temperature, is accompanied by eruptions on the body. If there is a suspicion of the presence of this disease, the child is also prescribed antibiotic therapy.
What antibiotic is prescribed for children with angina?
Begin treatment with antibiotics, usually with the appointment of the simplest drugs of the penicillin series, for example, amoxicillin or ampicillin. They are convenient in that they have a lot of analogs and are produced in a wide variety of dosage forms: tablets, capsules, suspensions, so you can easily select the one that fits a particular child.
If penicillin is ineffective due to insensitivity to the causative agent of the disease, or it can not be used because the child is allergic to penicillin drugs, a macrolide drug is prescribed - low-toxic drugs that can kill various bacteria.
Features of taking antibiotics
Typically, the course of such drugs is designed for 5 days, but according to the indications it can be extended to 7 and even 10 days. Important
Particular attention should be paid when prescribing antibiotics for children under one year. They can cause significant harm to the body due to insufficiently formed immunity, so it is important to combine them with the intake of probiotics, which will strengthen it and protect the microflora.