Pharyngitis, cough, cold Flashcards
What is pharyngitis usually caused by?
Group A streptococcus (GAS)
Strep pyogenes
What might GAS cause
Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis
Acute rheumatic fever (rare in US)
What are the characteristics of GAS pharyngitis throat pain?
Usually severe
Worse on 1 side
What is the recommended initial tx of of GAS pharyngitis?
Amoxicillin
What is the dosing of amoxicillin for GAS pharyngitis?
20 mg/kg/dose (max 500 mg/dose) BID x 10 days
What medication do you avoid as first line for GAS pharyngitis and why? What is an exception?
Azithromycin
Strep rapidly develops resistance to macrolides
Consider if PCN allergic
What is a newly recognized cause of pharyngitis?
Fusobacterium necophorum pharyngitis (FNP)
What age groups is FNP endemic to?
Adolescents
Young adults
What % of pharyngitis does FNP cause in the specified age groups?
10%
What could FNP develop and what is the risk with it?
Lemierre syndrome
Life threatening -> mortality rates of 5%
Sign that it is FNP
Lack of cough
What do you treat FNP with?
Clindamycin
Penicillin + metronidazole
What is the rule with cough suppression?
Don’t suppress indiscriminately
Do you suppress a productive cough?
No
When do you suppress a cough?
If tiring or sleep limiting
What do you prescribe for non-productive coughs?
Antitussives = cough suppressants
What do you prescribe for a productive cough?
Expectorants
Mucolytics
How should your pt ingest the antitussive benzonatate?
Caps and softgels should be swallowed w/o chewing
What is a common antitussive?
Dextromethorphan (robutussin)
What is dextromethorphan?
D isomer of codeine analog of levorphanol