Antibiotics For Tonsillitis - A List Of Antibiotics For Adults And Children

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Antibiotics for tonsillitis

Antibiotics for tonsillitis are prescribed when the disease is caused by bacterial flora, accompanied by a high body temperature and signs of intoxication.

Bacterial tonsillitis is dangerous for its complications, therefore antibiotic therapy is 100% justified. Taking medications helps prevent the development of rheumatism, pyelonephritis, inflammation of the joints.

Standard pharyngoscopy is not enough to determine which bacteria caused tonsillitis. Therefore, doctors prescribe broad-spectrum drugs to patients, which are detrimental to the most common bacterial agents.

Content:

• Treating tonsillitis without using antibiotics
• List of antibiotics for tonsillitis for adults
• Antibiotics for the treatment of tonsillitis in children
• Antibiotic names for tonsillitis

Most often, tonsillitis is provoked by streptococci. Typical symptoms of infection are sore throat and inflammation of the tonsils with no cough or runny nose. However, if the course of the disease has any non-specific symptoms, collecting mucus from the tonsils for bacterial culture is an extremely desirable measure. After the type of pathogen is determined, you can prescribe an antibacterial drug that "hits right on target."

Provided that a person has a history of rheumatism, the appointment of antibiotics for tonsillitis should be immediate. In some cases, doctors decide on a cardinal step and strongly recommend removing the tonsils. You should not refuse this procedure when chronic tonsillitis worsens more often 5 times a year. If the tonsils are simply large, then there is no need for surgery.

Treating tonsillitis without using antibiotics

Tonsillitis can be primary, or it can develop as a result of other diseases, for example, diphtheria, measles, herpes. The risks of tonsillitis increase, provided that a person lives in a densely populated area, in cities with an abundance of industrial enterprises and road transport. The more polluted the air, the more often people are faced with inflammation of the tonsils. This problem is especially relevant for those whose nasal breathing is difficult due to chronic sinusitis or curvature of the nasal septum.

After the bacterium enters the mucous membrane of the tonsils, it begins to actively multiply. This leads to intoxication of the body, which is trying to cope with the pathogenic agent, increasing the body temperature.

If a person develops catarrhal tonsillitis, then only the upper shell of the tonsils will be involved in the inflammation process. At the same time, there is no jump in body temperature, it remains at the level of subfebrile values. In parallel, the person experiences a sore throat and chills. Such tonsillitis can be caused by viruses, therefore, does not require the appointment of antibacterial drugs. After a few days, the disease will go away on its own. It will be enough to carry out auxiliary therapy - frequent rinsing of the throat, irrigation of the mucous membrane of the tonsils with antiseptic solutions and plenty of drinking.

It should be borne in mind that catarrhal tonsillitis is not synonymous with the diagnosis of viral tonsillitis. The catarrhal form can also be caused by bacteria, but it is mild and resembles the symptoms of SARS. Carelessness of a person, as well as the lack of antibacterial treatment in this case, will lead to the fact that the disease will turn into a chronic form that is difficult to treat. Therefore, any inflammation of the tonsils is a reason to see a doctor.

If a person experiences general weakness and he has painful sensations in the region of the heart, then most often this indicates lacunar tonsillitis. Lacunae are deep folds in the tonsils. It is in them that a large number of bacteria and pus accumulate. A lacunar sore throat is indicated by a filmy whitish coating on the tonsils and in their folds.

Follicular tonsillitis is characterized by a severe course, in which the follicles become inflamed and rise above the surface of the tonsils.

Prescribing antibiotics does not mean that there is no need to gargle during treatment. This event helps to cleanse the tonsils from bacteria and their waste products, which means it speeds up recovery. For gargling, you can use sage decoction, boric acid solution, salt and soda solution.

If you ignore the disease, then it threatens the development of serious complications, including purulent lymphadenitis, sinusitis, otitis media, rheumatism, pyelonephritis, arthritis. But taking antibacterial drugs is associated with a number of problems, therefore, it requires the appointment of prebiotics, which prevents the development of dysbiosis. If necessary, antiallergenic agents are recommended to the patient.

In addition to taking medications, a person should get enough fluids and eat properly. When the body temperature returns to normal, you can begin to carry out physiotherapy treatment in the form of warming up and UHF.

The tonsils are not just tissue growths in the oropharynx. They perform a number of important functions, namely, immune, hematopoietic and receptor. Tonsillocardial syndrome is one of the complications of tonsillitis, which is expressed in one or another non-rheumatic disease of the heart muscle.

Chronic tonsillitis can worsen against the background of hypothermia, or with a decrease in immunity.

In addition to staphylococci and streptococci, acute tonsillitis can provoke fungi of the genus Candida, rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, influenza viruses. Sometimes tonsillitis is the result of diphtheria or typhoid.

So, antibiotics for tonsillitis are needed in the case when the disease is caused by bacterial flora and has a severe course. Only a doctor can determine this.

List of antibiotics for tonsillitis for adults

To determine what kind of drug is needed for the treatment of tonsillitis, you should consult a doctor and donate mucus from the tonsils for bacterial culture. The drug that is harmful to one pathogenic flora may be absolutely useless for the irradiation of bacteria of another species. And with viral tonsillitis, antibiotics are not needed at all.

Amoxicillin

The drug of choice for the treatment of tonsillitis in adult patients is Amoxicillin.

Amoxicillin is an antibacterial agent belonging to the group of unprotected penicillins.

Its indisputable advantages are:

• Rapid absorption in the intestine;
• Targeted action on most of the bacteria that cause tonsillitis;
• Almost complete absence of a negative effect on the normal intestinal flora;
• Low drug price;
• Variety of release forms;
• The possibility of treating amoxicillin not only for adult patients, but also for children, including infants.

It is worth considering that Amoxicillin has some disadvantages:

• Requires careful prescription for the treatment of pregnant women;
• Causes side effects and has a number of contraindications;
• Amoxicillin, like other drugs of the penicillin group, requires careful use in the treatment of tonsillitis in patients with impaired renal function;
• Does not work in the treatment of tonsillitis caused by beta-lactamase-producing bacteria.

Despite all the advantages of Amoxicillin, only a doctor can prescribe it. Depending on the severity of the disease and the age of the patient, the doctor will select the most appropriate dose. Most often, adults and children over the age of 10 are prescribed 0.5 g of the drug 3 times a day.

Protected penicillins

Sometimes it happens that Amoxicillin does not allow achieving the desired effect in the treatment of tonsillitis. This is due to the fact that bacteria produce a group of enzymes that are aimed at fighting antibiotics. As a result, the inflammation on the tonsils continues to progress, as the pathogenic flora that is resistant to the action of drugs multiplies on them.

Antibacterial drugs from the group of protected penicillins can come to the rescue. In addition to the main active ingredient, they contain clavulanic acid. Therefore, if after 24-36 hours from the start of treatment with Amoxicillin there is no improvement in the condition, it is replaced with protected drugs made on its basis. Among those: Flemoxin Solutab, Augmentin, Amoxiclav, Ranoxil, Ekoklav, Panklav, Baktoklav. Each of them has been successfully used to treat purulent lacunar or follicular tonsillitis. These drugs can be used to provide therapy for different age groups of patients.

Clavulanic acid itself does not have a pronounced antibacterial activity, but in combination with penicillins it allows you to fight resistant strains of bacteria. Moreover, the addition of clavulanic acid to penicillin antibiotics does not increase their toxicity, which makes them relatively safe to take. As for the disadvantages of protected penicillins, this is their high price compared to Amoxicillin. It becomes almost 5 times higher.

The widespread availability of penicillins and their irrational use are increasingly leading to the fact that microorganisms acquire resistance to them. This statement is already becoming true even for drugs protected by clavulanic acid.

The more often a patient takes an antibiotic, the higher the risk of developing an allergy to the drug. This is forcing scientists to develop new types of antibiotics.

Cephalosporins for the treatment of acute tonsillitis

Even if protected penicillins do not give an effect in the treatment of tonsillitis, or the patient is allergic to them, it is possible to use drugs from other groups, for example, cephalosporin antibiotics.

The first generation of cephalosporins includes Cefadroxil. Already 1.5 hours after its introduction into the body, the maximum concentration of the main active substance is observed, which is its undoubted advantage. It is enough to take the drug for the treatment of tonsillitis once a day in a dosage of 1-2 g, which depends on the severity of the course of the disease. The course of treatment can be 10-12 days.

Another advantage of Cefadroxil is that it is able to destroy bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics from the penicillin group.

As for the disadvantages of cephalosporins, these include:

• The presence of side effects that occur quite often are insomnia, rash, vaginal candidiasis, dizziness, colitis, tremors and cramps in the limbs;
• The high price of drugs. For example, to undergo a ten-day course of treatment, a patient will have to pay about 1,000 rubles;
• The drugs cannot be combined with aminoglycosides and polymyxin-b, as this will lead to impaired renal function;
• Cephalosporins should not be used to treat tonsillitis in pregnant and lactating women.

A similar drug from the group of first generation cephalosporins is Cephalexin. It is prescribed for the treatment of chronic and acute tonsillitis. The therapeutic course is 7 days, you need to take the drug every 6 hours for 1-4 g. The doctor selects a more accurate dosage.

Before prescribing first-generation cephalosporins, it is necessary to make sure that the patient is not allergic to them, since taking these drugs is associated with a high risk of allergic rashes.

Antibiotics for the treatment of tonsillitis in children

Tonsillitis is a disease that is often diagnosed during childhood. Moreover, the most vulnerable to infection are those children who attend preschool educational institutions, but even among schoolchildren, such a diagnosis is not uncommon.

Inflammation of the tonsils provokes a sore throat in a child, causes an increase in body temperature, makes regional lymph nodes painful. Naturally, the disease cannot be ignored. The child must be shown to the pediatrician. After all, untreated tonsillitis in childhood threatens with complications such as sinusitis, sinusitis, otitis media, rheumatism. The transition of the disease to a chronic form is also possible.

Most often, it is bacterial tonsillitis that is diagnosed in children, which requires the appointment of antibacterial drugs. Children may be shown taking medications from the group of penicillins, macrolides or cephalosporins.

Oxacillin for the treatment of tonsillitis in a child

Oxacillin is a penicillin antibiotic. It causes bacteria cells to dissolve and die. The drug begins to act very quickly, already 30 minutes after its administration, the maximum concentration of the main active substance is observed in the blood. The dosage is chosen by the doctor, the drug is taken every 4-6 hours. The average dose of the drug per dose is 0.25-0.5 g, depending on the severity of the disease. In severe infections, the daily dose may be increased to 6 g.

For children, Oxacillin is prescribed in the following dosage:

• Newborns - 90-150 mg / kg / day.
• Up to 3 months - 200 mg / kg / day.
• Up to 2 years - 1 g / kg / day.
• From 2 to 6 years old - 2 g / kg / day.

The course of treatment for tonsillitis lasts 7-10 days.

Oxacillin has all the advantages and disadvantages of penicillin drugs. It is harmful to bacteria that produce penicillinase, but weakly affects almost all gram-negative bacteria.

The drug is available not only in the form of injections, but also in the form of tablets. Oxacillin can be used in combination with Ampicillin, which broadens the spectrum of antibacterial activity.

The disadvantages of the drug include the fact that it can cause side effects, among which the most common are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, oral candidiasis, enterocolitis, vaginal candidiasis. It is also possible to develop an allergic reaction in the form of urticaria and itching.

Tonsillitis in childhood is always associated with high body temperature and sore throat. To alleviate the child's condition, in addition to antibiotic therapy, symptomatic treatment must be carried out. The drug Tantum Verde copes well with a sore throat. It can be used as a spray or as a lozenge. During the acute stage of tonsillitis, Tantum Verde is injected into the throat every 2 hours.

Macrolides

The drug of choice from the macrolide group is Erythromycin. It is effective for treating streptococcal and staphylococcal tonsillitis, but does not affect some other common bacteria. Therefore, before starting treatment, it is necessary to clarify the type of pathogen.

Erythromycin is prescribed for children who are allergic to antibiotics of the penicillin group. In combination with erythromycin sulfonamides, its effect will be enhanced. A single dose for children is 0.25 g. The drug should be taken every 4 hours, 40-60 minutes before meals. If the child is less than 7 years old, then the dose is calculated based on the formula 20 mg / kg.

Taking Erythromycin is associated with the development of side effects, among which nausea and diarrhea are most common. It is indigestion that is the main side effect of taking macrolides in general and Erythromycin in particular. The main active ingredient turns out to be detrimental not only for pathogenic flora, but also for beneficial bacteria that live in the intestines.

It is worth noting such a disadvantage of Erythromycin, as its high cost compared to the drugs of the penicillin series.

Erythromycin is also prescribed in the case when the patient has bacterial resistance to penicillin drugs. The effect of taking Erythromycin is quite high, so the therapeutic course lasts no more than 7 days.

Antibiotic names for tonsillitis

In the treatment of tonsillitis, penicillin antibacterial drugs should be preferred. It is possible to use drugs such as benzylpenicillin and phenoxymethylpenicillin. These penicillins are the drugs of choice, provided that it is not possible to use Amoxicillin for any reason.

It should be noted that they are less effective than Amoxicillin, since their bioavailability is much lower. The human body assimilates both Benzylpenicillin and Phenoxymethylpenicillin worse, because they were invented much earlier. Side effects from their use are similar to side effects from any other drugs of the penicillin group.

These antibiotics are rarely used in modern medical practice. The use of Benzylpenicillin and Phenoxymethylpenicillin is justified only in those conditions when it is not possible to offer the patient a more modern drug. Now they are used to treat prisoners in order to quickly prevent the spread of infection among large numbers of people.

Benzylpenicillin is administered either intramuscularly or intravenously. The effect of the drug is enhanced when combined with cephalosporins and aminoglycosides. The drug is recommended to be taken simultaneously with B vitamins, especially if the patient is to be treated for a long time.

Before starting therapy, it should be taken into account that incorrect dose calculation or too early discontinuation of treatment can lead to the formation of resistant strains of bacteria.

Another disadvantage of this drug is that it is only available in injectable form. Of course, it is quite difficult to maintain a course of 60 injections. This number of injections is necessary in order to constantly maintain the concentration of the main active substance in the patient's blood. However, when there are no other options, you should be patient.

If tonsillitis has a course of moderate severity, then the daily dose of the drug is 2.5-5 million units, which must be divided by 4 times. The drug is administered intramuscularly.

Phenoxymethylpenicillin is a penicillin antibiotic that inhibits the synthesis of bacterial cell walls. Its significant drawback is that it is not able to rid a person of tonsillitis caused by gram-negative bacteria, as well as microorganisms that produce penicillinase.

The drug is available in the form of tablets, which must be taken 30-60 minutes before meals. The dosage for adults and children over the age of 12 is 500-1000 mg, the drug is taken 3-4 times a day. If it is established that the infection is provoked by beta-hemolytic streptococcus, then therapy should continue for at least 7-10 days. In other cases, a 5-7 day course is sufficient.

Taking Phenoxymethylpenicillin is associated with the risk of developing allergic reactions and dyspeptic disorders.

Re-prescribing the drug or using it for too long is fraught with the occurrence of superinfection, which will be caused by resistant bacteria.

So, there are many antibacterial drugs for the treatment of tonsillitis. The initial choice of doctors always falls on Amoxicillin, but, unfortunately, this antibiotic is not always effective enough. Therefore, if the doctor prescribes a "harmful and dangerous" (according to the patient) drug, treatment should not be abandoned. This means that the doctor has good reasons for this, and the benefits of the treatment being carried out exceed all possible risks. In addition, if there is any doubt, it is necessary to insist on conducting a bacteriological study.

The author of the article: Lazarev Oleg Vladimirovich | ENT

Education: In 2009, he received a diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" at the Petrozavodsk State University. After completing an internship at the Murmansk Regional Clinical Hospital, he received a diploma in Otorhinolaryngology (2010)