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What Antibiotics Are Given For Strep

Strep Throat Remedies: How Is Strep Throat Treated

How To Get Rid Of Strep Throat Without Antibiotics

Doctors generally treat strep throat with antibiotics. These medicines shorten the time for which you can spread the disease to others. This reduces the risk of spreading the infection to other parts of your body as the infection is contagious. Antibiotics help you feel better quickly.

Most people are not contagious any more 24 hours after they start taking antibiotics. But if you don’t take antibiotics, you may be contagious for up to 3 weeks or even more, even if your strep throat symptoms go away.

What Are The Symptoms Of Gbs Infection In A Baby

There are two forms of GBS infection: early and late onset. In early-onset GBS disease, the infant will become ill within seven days of birth. Of those infants who do develop a severe early-onset GBS infection, approximately 6 percent will die from complications of the infection.43 Full-term babies are less likely to die 2 to 8 percent of them suffer fatal complications.44 Premature infants have mortality rates of 25 to 30 percent.45 Late-onset GBS infection is more complex and has not been convincingly tied to the GBS status of the mother. Late-onset GBS infection in infants occurs between seven days and three months of age.

In newborns, symptoms of early-onset GBS infection can include any of the following: fever or abnormally low body temperature, jaundice , poor feeding, vomiting, seizures, difficulty in breathing, swelling of the abdomen, and bloody stools. Of course, any of the above symptoms can also be a sign of a sick newborn who does not have a bacterial infection. Newborns with any of these symptoms should be immediately evaluated by a medical professional.

Was The Cochrane Review Correct In Saying That There Was No Valid Information From These Studies To Inform Practice

The Cochrane Collaboration is a highly respected organization that conducts meta-analyses on different topics related to healthcare. A meta-analysis is a type of research study when researchers pool statistics from previous studies into one large study, and look at the results.

The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group has a policy that they only do meta-analyses on randomized, controlled trials. So the Cochrane review on GBS only includes three small randomized, controlled trials, and does not look at other types of evidence, such as evidence from large observational studies where some people received antibiotics and others did not.

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What Is The Risk Of Death If The Baby Has An Early Gbs Infection

Researchers have estimated that the death rate from early GBS infection is 2 to 3% for full-term infants. This means of 100 babies who have an actual early GBS infection, 2-3 will die. Death rates from GBS are much higher in infants who are born at less than 33 weeks gestation .

Although the death rate of GBS is relatively low, infants with early GBS infections can have long, expensive stays in the intensive care unit. Researchers have also found that up to 44% of infants who survive GBS with meningitis end up with long-term health problems, including developmental disabilities, paralysis, seizure disorder, hearing loss, vision loss, and small brains. Very little is known about the long-term health risks of infants who have GBS without meningitis, but some may have long-term developmental problems .

Top 10 List Of Common Infections Treated With Antibiotics

Strep Throat
  • Carbapenems
  • Most antibiotics fall into their individual antibiotic classes. An antibiotic class is a grouping of different drugs that have similar chemical and pharmacologic properties. Their chemical structures may look comparable, and drugs within the same class may kill the same or related bacteria.

    However, it is important not to use an antibiotic for an infection unless your doctor specifically prescribes it, even if it’s in the same class as another drug you were previously prescribed. Antibiotics are specific for the kind of bacteria they kill. Plus, you would need a full treatment regimen to effectively cure your infection, so don’t use or give away leftover antibiotics.

    Note: Tables below are not all-inclusive, generics are available for many brands.

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    What Is The Best Medication For Strep Throat

    The best medication for treating strep throat should be discussed with your doctor and will depend on your medical history and current medications you may be taking.

    Best medications for treating strep throat
    Drug name
    300 mg every 6 hours Kills the bacteria causing strep throat Skin problems, yellow appearance of skin, nails, or whites of eyes

    Dosage is determined by your healthcare provider based on your medical condition, response to treatment, age, and weight. Other possible side effects exist. This is not a complete list.

    Strep Throat Treatment Options

    If your strep test comes back positive, your healthcare provider will most likely prescribe an antibiotic treatment. Once treatment starts, you should feel improvement within a day or two. It is very important to finish your antibiotics even if you feel better because strep throat can cause serious complications, such as rheumatic fever or glomerulonephritis , or turn into other serious infections within the streptococcal infection group, such as scarlet fever or impetigo. To manage the symptoms of strep throat there are over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen to reduce fever and pain, and at-home remedies like drinking plenty of water.

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    Is There A Faster Test That Could Be Used In Labor

    Its possible that a rapid-test for GBS during labor may be a better option for some people, and this has been a hot topic for research over the past few years. In the same study mentioned above, researchers compared the 35-36 week culture test and the in-labor rapid test to the gold-standard test .

    The researchers found that the 35-36 week culture test only identified 69% of the pregnant people who actually had GBS during labor. Meanwhile, the in-labor rapid test was much more sensitiveit identified 91% of those with GBS during labor .

    Since the Young study, at least two other studies have found that the rapid test identified 100% of people with GBS during labor. . However, one real life study found that the sensitivity of the rapid test was only 86%, and on average, 24% of test swabs were invalid, meaning that a result was not given 24% of the time. More than half of these invalid results were due to improper handling of the test. An additional 2-hour training of hospital staff lowered the invalid rate from an initial high of 55% down to 13%. .

    What Is Proper Medication For Patients With Strep Throat

    Does Strep Need Antibiotics?

    Am Fam Physician. 2010 Jun 1 81:1318.

    Original Article: Diagnosis and Treatment of Streptococcal Pharyngitis

    Issue Date: March 1, 2009

    Available at:

    to the editor: This article provided an excellent overview of the diagnosis and treatment of strep throat. The author indicates that amoxicillin is equally effective and more palatable than using penicillin. I was taught to avoid using ampicillin or amoxicillin to treat strep throat because acute mononucleosis may be the problem, and that it presents much like a strep throat in the acute phase. When patients with mono are given ampicillin or amoxicillin, a generalized red rash often appears. Is this classic advice taught to me in the 1970s out of date?

    JOSEPH E. SCHERGER, MD, MPH

    San Diego, Calif

    E-mail:

    The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines suggest that amoxicillin is equally effective and more palatable than penicillin for treating streptococcal pharyngitis. For children who have acute GABHS pharyngitis, amoxicillin may be a good alternative for those unlikely to comply with penicillin use because of taste, or whose parents prefer to avoid an antibiotic injection. Penicillin and amoxicillin are inexpensive and generic, and GABHS isolates have not developed resistance to these drugs.

    BETH CHOBY, MD

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    What Is The Treatment For Strep Throat

    The treatment for strep throat is antibiotics, which are taken for 10 days. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics for strep throat are amoxicillin or penicillin. Amoxicillin tastes much better, so most healthcare providers will prescribe it instead of penicillin.

    People who are allergic to penicillin can take cephalexin, azithromycin, or clindamycin instead.

    Make sure to take all 10 days of whichever antibiotic you are prescribed, even if you feel better after only a few days. Studies show fewer than 10 days of antibiotics is not enough to completely get rid of the strep bacteria.

    What Is A Sore Throat

    Sore throats can be painful and annoying. But most of the time they go away on their own. It may take a few days or up to a week, depending on the cause.

    Most sore throats are caused by a virus, such as a cold. A bacterial infection can also cause a sore throat.

    If you have a sudden, severe sore throat without coughing, sneezing, or other cold symptoms, you could have strep throat. Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat and tonsils. About 1 out of 10 sore throats in adults is caused by strep throat. This means that 9 out of 10 sore throats aren’t strep.

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    How Is Strep Throat Diagnosed

    If you have a sore throat accompanied by fever for more than two days, you should visit a doctor. At your doctors visit, you may be asked questions such as:

    • How long have you had your symptoms?
    • Have you recently been exposed to strep throat?
    • Does anything relieve your symptoms?
    • Do you have any other medical conditions?

    During the appointment, your doctor will likely examine you by taking your temperature, feeling your neck for swollen lymph nodes, and visually inspecting your throat. Based on this examination, your doctor may run one of two tests to check for sore throat:

    • A rapid antigen test or rapid strep test may be administered if strep throat is suspected. During this test, your doctor will swab the back of your throat for a sample. The antigen test can detect strep bacteria within a few minutes, but it is an imperfect test. If the test comes back negative, but your doctor suspects strep, he or she may perform a throat culture.
    • Throat cultures are done by taking a swab of the back of the throat and then sending it for culture in a laboratory. This test can take up to two days, whereas the rapid antigen test only takes minutes.

    Based on the results of the strep test your doctor may write you a prescription for antibiotics. During this appointment, you should ask any questions you may have, including:

    In 2002 The Cdc Revised Their Guidelines To Recommend The Universal Approach

    It

    This decision was based on an important study published in the New England Journal of Medicine . In this study, researchers used CDC lab results and chart reviews to look at 629,912 live births that took place in the U.S. between the years 1998-1999.The researchers randomly selected 5,144 of these births to study, plus all 314 infants who were born with early GBS. They used hospital records to label people as receiving the universal approach or the risk-based approach .

    The results? There were 0.5 infants born with GBS per every 1,000 pregnant parents. People in both groups received antibiotics about a third of the time. But people whose care providers used the universal approach had a 54% reduction in the risk of early GBS infection compared to people whose care providers used the risk-based approach. This means that the universal approach worked better than the risk-based approach.

    In 2002-2003, the same group of researchers looked at 819,528 births in the U.S. to see whether the revised guidelines had been put into practice. Like the previous study, the researchers picked a random sample of birthing people and infants to analyze, along with the 254 infants who had early GBS infection. Between 1999 and 2002, use of the universal approach rose from about 50% to 85%, and use of antibiotics during labor rose from 27% to 32%.

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    How Can I Prevent Strep Throat Spreading

    Do the following to help stop infections spreading or coming back:

    • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough.
    • Avoid close physical contact such as kissing when you are sick, and dont share eating or drinking utensils .
    • Try to create space between your children when they sleep, to limit the chance of germs being spread through coughs and sneezes.

    Strep Throat Home Care

    Until the antibiotics start to work, these home treatments can help you or your child feel better:

    • Over-the-counter pain relievers: Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to bring down a fever and ease the sore throat. Don’t give aspirin to children and teens. It can cause a rare but serious condition called Reyeâs syndrome.
    • Rest: Stay home from school or work. You need extra rest to help your body fight off the infection.
    • Gargling: Rinse with a mixture of a quarter-teaspoon of salt and 8 ounces of warm water to relieve a scratchy throat.
    • Lozenges and hard candy: Older kids can suck on these to feel better. Avoid giving small pieces of candy to children 4 and younger.
    • Lots of fluids: Do this especially if you have a fever. Water and warm liquids such as soup or tea soothe the throat and keep you hydrated. If cold feels better on your throat, suck on a frozen pop or ice chips. Avoid orange juice, lemonade, and other drinks that are high in acid. These can burn your throat.
    • Soft foods: Examples include yogurt, applesauce, or frozen yogurt. They’re easier to swallow.
    • Cool-mist humidifier or saline nasal spray: Moisture can help make your throat feel better.

    Steer clear of anything that might bother your throat, like cigarette smoke, paint fumes, or cleaning products.

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    Can I Still Have Strep Throat If The Rapid Test Is Negative

    Most healthcare providers use a rapid strep test in the office to diagnose strep throat. Sometimes the rapid test is negative, but the person actually has strep throat this is called a false negative.

    If the rapid test is negative, the healthcare provider will send the sample to be cultured. A culture takes 2 or 3 days to come back.

    Sending a culture is especially important for kids. Kids are more at risk for complications from strep throat, so its important that they get treatment if they have strep.

    When To Use Antibiotics

    Cure Strep Throat Without Antibiotics

    Antibiotics are specific for the type of bacteria being treated and, in general, cannot be interchanged from one infection to another. When antibiotics are used correctly, they are usually safe with few side effects. Health care providers are able to assess each patient individually to determine the correct antibiotic, dose and length of treatment.

    However, as with most drugs, antibiotics can lead to side effects that may range from being a nuisance to serious or life-threatening. In infants and the elderly, in patients with kidney or liver disease, in pregnant or breastfeeding women, and in many other patient groups, antibiotic doses may need to be adjusted based upon the individual patient. Drug interactions can also be common with antibiotics.

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    What Is A Strep Test

    A strep test looks for Streptococcus bacteria in the throat. The test is painless and takes very little time. The tip of a cotton swab is used to wipe the back of the throat. The swab is then tested.

    The rapid strep test takes approximately 20 minutes. If the test is positive , the patient has strep throat. If the test is negative , the doctor may send the throat swab to a laboratory to double-check the results. Some doctors may not do a rapid strep test and instead just send the throat swab to the laboratory.

    A Simple Test Gives Fast Results

    Only a rapid strep test or throat culture can determine if group A strep is the cause. A doctor cannot tell if someone has strep throat just by looking at his or her throat.

    A rapid strep test involves swabbing the throat and running a test on the swab. The test quickly shows if group A strep is causing the illness. If the test is positive, doctors can prescribe antibiotics. If the test is negative, but a doctor still suspects strep throat, then the doctor can take a throat culture swab. A throat culture takes time to see if group A strep bacteria grow from the swab. While it takes more time, a throat culture sometimes finds infections that the rapid strep test misses. Culture is important to use in children and teens since they can get rheumatic fever from an untreated strep throat infection. For adults, it is usually not necessary to do a throat culture following a negative rapid strep test. Adults are generally not at risk of getting rheumatic fever following a strep throat infection.

    Someone with strep throat should start feeling better in just a day or two after starting antibiotics. Call the doctor if you or your child are not feeling better after taking antibiotics for 48 hours.

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    How Is Strep Throat Treated

    Strep throat is treated using antibiotics. An antibiotic is a type of medicine that kills the bacteria that cause the infection.

    Antibiotics are often taken as pills or given as a shot. Penicillin and amoxicillin are common antibiotics used to treat strep throat. Other antibiotics are ordered for people who are allergic to penicillin.

    Your healthcare provider may give your child a shot or prescribe an antibiotic in either pill or liquid form. The pills or liquid are usually taken for 10 days. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions. Your child should take all of the medication, even if he or she feels better. The bacteria can still be alive even if your child feels okay.

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