Acute pharyngitis
Pharyngotonsillitis is the infection of the tonsils and pharynx. The tonsils are two rounded structures that are located on both sides of the tongue and are part of the body's defenses.
Cause
They are produced by the infection of a virus or a bacterium. In children under two years of age, virus infections are more common, and in older children they can be viruses or bacteria. The viruses that most frequently cause infection are.
Tonsillitis can appear at any time of the year although they are more frequent in the winter months. The viral tonsillitis are very contagious the first 2 to 4 days after infection. Bacterial tonsillitis they only infect up to 24 hours later starting antibiotic treatment.
Symptoms
The most frequent symptoms are fever and pain when swallowing. In many cases it is also accompanied by headache and belly pain. In younger children there is rejection of food, irritability and even vomiting and diarrhea. They may also have cold symptoms: cough and runny nose.
On the side of the neck you can palpate lymphadenopathy ().
The diagnosis is made by the pediatrician by examining the throat and look for symptoms of inflammation and infection: redness, exudates or "plaques" (not always appear), ulcers or sores and enlargement of the tonsils.
There are some pharyngotonsillar infection It causes spots on the skin that can be key in the diagnosis, such as scarlet fever or infectious mononucleosis.
Treatment
In children under two years of age, as most pharyngotonsillitis are viral, they do not need antibiotic treatment, only medicines to treat fever and pain should be given. Must be offer lots of fluids the child to keep him well hydrated.
In older children, the Pediatrician should assess, depending on the child's condition and physical examination, whether or not it is necessary. administration of antibiotics.
Warning signs
Special attention should be paid to complications and you should consult with the pediatrician if the child presents:
- Very severe pain
- Difficulty swallowing and excessive drooling
- Torticollis and difficulty turning the neck
- Difficulty closing your mouth
There are children with large tonsils and recurrent infections. The decision to operate on a child and remove the tonsils depends not only on the number of infections but on whether they cause difficulty swallowing and breathing. It is observed if the child makes breathing pauses (apnea) or snoring at night.
(Updated at Apr 14 / 2024)