The goals of treatment for pharyngitis are to;
· Improve clinical signs and symptoms,
· minimize adverse drug reactions,
· prevent transmission to close contacts, and
· prevent acute rheumatic fever and suppurative complications, such as peritonsillar abscess, cervical lymphadenitis, and mastoiditis
Monitoring of Pharyngitis Therapy
· Most pharyngitis cases are self-limited; however, antibiotics hasten resolution when given early for proven cases of GAS pharyngitis.
· Generally, fever and other symptoms resolve within 3 or 4 days of onset without antibiotics; however, symptoms will improve 16 hours to 2 days earlier with antibiotic therapy.
· Follow-up testing is generally not necessary for index cases or in asymptomatic contacts of the index patient.
· However, for patients who remain symptomatic or when symptoms recur despite completion of treatment, posttreatment throat cultures 2 to 7 days after completion of antibiotics should be done.
References
Wells BG, DiPiro J, Schwinghammer T (2013), Pharmacotherapy Handbook (6th Ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
DiPiro JT, Talbert RL, Yee GC, Matzke GR, Wells BG, Posey ML, (2008): Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach (7th ed): New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Katz M D., Matthias KR., Chisholm-Burns M A., Pharmacotherapy(2011) Principles & Practice Study Guide: A Case-Based Care Plan Approach: New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Schwinghammer TL, Koehler JM (2009) Pharmacotherapy Casebook: A Patient-Focused Approach (7th ed): New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
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