Appropriate use of antibiotics for URIs in children: Part II. Cough, pharyngitis and the common cold. The Pediatric URI Consensus Team

This article summarizes the principles of judicious antimicrobial therapy for three of the five conditions--cough, pharyngitis, the common cold--that account for most of the outpatient use of these drugs in the United States. The principles governing the other two conditions, otitis media and acute sinusitis, were presented in the previous issue. This article summarizes evidence against the use of antibiotic treatment for illness with cough or bronchitis in children, unless the cough is prolonged. Although empiric treatment may be started in patients with pharyngitis when streptococcal infection is suspected, the authors recommend withholding antibiotic treatment until antigen testing or culture is positive. There is never any indication for antibiotic treatment of the common cold; it is important to understand the natural history of colds, because symptoms such as mucopurulent rhinitis or cough, even when they persist for up to two weeks, do not necessarily indicate bacterial infection.     

Cough. A comprehensive review

An understanding of the anatomic, physiologic, and pathophysiologic aspects of cough is necessary to appropriately diagnose and treat patients with cough. In the majority of persons, cough that is acute and self-limiting is usually secondary to a viral upper respiratory tract infection; cough that is chronic and persistent is usually due to chronic bronchitis or postnasal drip. In the remaining persons, to determine the cause of cough, it is necessary to systematically consider anatomic locations were receptors and afferent nervous pathways are located. Definitive treatment of cough depends on determining its precise cause and then initiating specific therapy for the underlying disorder. Only when the cause of cough remains unknown or when cough performs no useful function and its complications represent a potential hazard to the patient, should symptomatic treatment be considered. Combination cough preparations should not be prescribed.     

Management of streptococcal pharyngitis

Severe hemobilia after blunt hepatic trauma is one of the limits for a conservative medical treatment. Urgent percutaneous highly selective embolization of the bleeding vessel is the treatment of choice today. Failures of radiological treatment require surgery. Primary direct ligation of the bleeding vessel carries a risk of recurrence and prevents subsequent embolization. Under these conditions, when the surgeon prefers a conservative approach, preoperative embolization using permanent material can be performed as reported in our case study.     

Reflux oesophagitis

This article summarises the current position concerning the pathogenesis, clinical picture, diagnosis and management of reflux oesophagitis. It is aimed at the practising clinician who forms part of the team including primary care and specialist-based diagnostic services.     

Five-day cefdinir treatment for streptococcal pharyngitis. Cefdinir Pharyngitis Study Group

A multicenter, randomized, controlled, investigator-blind study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral cefdinir versus oral penicillin V for the treatment of pharyngitis due to group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (GABHS). Patients 13 years of age and older were randomized to receive either oral cefdinir (300 mg twice a day) for 5 days followed by placebo for 5 days or oral penicillin V (250 mg four times a day) for 10 days. Throat cultures were obtained, and signs and symptoms of pharyngitis were recorded at study admission and follow-up visits on study days 11 to 15, 16 to 20, and 25 to 31. Patients kept a diary to record medication intake and their assessment of throat pain at admission and at each day of study treatment. Five hundred fifty-eight patients were enrolled, of whom 432 (77.4%) were clinically and microbiologically evaluable. The GABHS eradication rates 5 to 10 days after completion of therapy were 193 of 218 (88.5%) in the cefdinir group and 176 of 214 (82.2%) in the penicillin group (P = 0.053). Clinical cure rates were 89.0 and 84.6%, respectively (P = 0.80). By the time of the long-term follow-up visit, 2 to 3 weeks after completion of treatment, 156 of 191 (81.7%) of the assessable cefdinir patients and 152 of 195 (77.9%) of the penicillin patients remained free of GABHS. Both treatments were well tolerated, with adverse reaction rates of 18.3% in the cefdinir study arm and 15.0% in the penicillin study arm (P = 0.278). Five-day treatment with cefdinir is safe and effective therapy for GABHS pharyngitis. Based on its twice-a-day dosage and shorter course of therapy, leading to potentially greater patient compliance, cefdinir may be considered for use in the treatment of pharyngitis caused by GABHS.     

Acute pharyngitis, tonsillitis and tonsillectomy

Respiratory infections are the most common group of diseases experienced in the community and treated by doctors. Tonsillitis and pharyngitis, sometimes referred to together as acute sore throat, are among the most common of the individual respiratory infections.     

Reflux, lung and heart

The connections between gastroesophageal reflux, nonallergic asthma and angina pectoris are critically reviewed. Although there is no convincing evidence of a widespread pathophysiological link, such interaction may play a role in selected cases.     

Reflux disease: drug treatment

Reflux disease of the esophagus is characterized by a high prevalence and by high relapse rates. Upper endoscopy is the key procedure for diagnosis of the disease as well as for follow up, since treatment is determined by disease intensity as judged by endoscopy. High activity of disease is associated with an increased risk of complications, in the worst case development of adenocarcinoma. General recommandations (weight reduction, change of eating habits) constitute the start of each treatment regimen, and may add to improvement of symptoms, sometimes in combination with antacids. Prokinetics and H2-receptor antagonists are effective in mild reflux disease (grade O, I), but even in these situations proton pump inhibitors (PPI) exhibit better relief of symptoms and more rapid healing. PPI are the drugs of first choice for higher disease activity, often in larger than standard daily doses. The treatment period for acute disease may be as long as 12 weeks. Long term prophylaxis is only effective with PPIs, mostly in the standard daily dose. Duration of long term treatment is determined by disease activity and tendency of the lesions to heal. Today, in case of treatment failure and of high grade lesions antireflux surgery is increasingly being reconsidered, particularly since minimally invasive methods are available.     

The relationship between SIgA and chronic granular pharyngitis

Between 1980 and 1990, we have diagnosed fourteen cases of cholelithiasis in children at our hospital. Abdominal pain was the most common symptom. Diagnosis was made by abdominal ultrasonography in all of the cases. Risk factors were found in 4 children. Family history was present in four patients. The treatments performed included cholecystectomy in five cases, extracorporeal lithotripsy in one case and a dietary regimen with regular clinical reviews in eight patients.     

Tularemia: an unappreciated cause of exudative pharyngitis

A boy with a persistent febrile illness accompanied by exudative pharyngitis found to be due to tularemia is described. The role of tularemia as a cause of exudative pharyngitis is discussed.     

The role of macrolides in Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to compare functional results, complications, preoperative durations of disease, and rates of dysplasia and neoplasia between older and younger chronic ulcerative colitis patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) with mucosectomy. METHODS: A total of 392 patients with a preoperative diagnosis of chronic ulcerative colitis underwent elective RPC with mucosection and handsewn ileoanal anastomosis. Pathologic reports were reviewed, with specific reference to findings of dysplasia or cancer. Functional results concerning the number of bowel movements per 24 hour period and the incidence of fecal soilage were obtained by direct or telephone patient interview. FINDINGS: Group I consisted of 326 patients aged 5 to 49 (mean, 30.9) years and 160 women. Group II comprised 66 patients aged 50 to 74 (mean, 56.9) years and 29 women. Duration of disease was significantly longer in the older group (6.2 vs. 15.6 years; P < 0.001). The older group had significantly higher rates of dysplasia (29/326 vs. 19/66; P < 0.0001) and malignancy (14/326 vs. 9/66; P = 0.003). Rates of complication, hospital days following RPC, and total hospital days for all causes were comparable between groups. Perfect day-time continence was observed in 81.6 percent of Group I and 80 percent of Group II patients (213/261 vs. 40/50; P = 0.79). Perfect continence during sleep was observed in 65.1 percent of Group I and 62 percent of Group II patients (170/261 vs. 31/50; P = 0.67). Mean number of bowel movements per 24 hour period for Group I was 6.3 +/- 0.2 and for Group II was 7.4 +/- 0.5. Mean difference, one movement per 24 hours, was not significant (95 percent confidence interval, -0.02 to 2.1; t = 1.95, P = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that patients older than 50 years are suitable candidates for RPC with mucosectomy. Functional results and complication rates are similar to those observed among younger patients. Patients older than 50 years have a significantly higher rate of concurrent dysplasia and malignant degeneration than younger patients, most probably because of a longer duration of disease. RPC with mucosal excision potentially lowers this risk by elimination of all colorectal mucosa.     

小儿慢性咳嗽的临床诊断

探讨不明原冈小儿慢性咳嗽的临床诊断，并评价治疗在病冈诊断中的作用。     

Macrolides in the management of streptococcal pharyngitis/tonsillitis

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the hearing changes in the long term after vestibular neurectomy, endolymphatic mastoid shunt, and medical treatment in classic Meniere's disease. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective case review was conducted based on audiologic follow-up between 5 and 21 years. SETTING: The study was performed at two centers in Bari University Hospital, one performing vestibular neurectomy as the first surgical procedure for Meinere's disease and the other, endolymphatic mastoid shunt. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Of 68 patients with intractable idiopathic Meniere's disease, 29 underwent middle fossa vestibular neurectomy, and 17 had endolymphatic mastoid shunt; 22 were offered surgery but declined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures were puretone average (PTA), speech reception threshold, and speech discrimination score before and after treatment. RESULTS: PTA declined by an average of 9.3 dB in neurectomy patients, 13.3 dB in patients undergoing endolymphatic mastoid shunt, and 18.1 dB in patients who were offered surgery but declined. Patients were subdivided into two cohorts based on their preoperative or initial PTA. In the patients who had PTA scores worse than 50 dB initially, the PTA declined an average of 4.3 dB in the vestibular neurectomy group, 11.5 dB in the endolymphatic sac group, and 4 dB in the nonsurgical group. In the patients with PTA > or = 50 dB initially, the PTA declined an average of of 25.3 dB in the vestibular neurectomy group, 16.1 in the endolymphatic sac group, and 26.2 dB in the nonsurgical group. Although shunt patients with good hearing initially deteriorated less than neurectomy patients and less than patients who declined surgery, the difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that patients with poor hearing stabilized, while patients with good hearing continued to deteriorate. The same conditions were observed in the patients who had surgery and those who were offered surgery but declined.