Tonsillitis
| Tonsillitis | |
 | |
|---|---|
| Tonsils showing tonsillitis | |
| ICD-10 | J03, J35.0 |
| ICD-9 | 463 |
| DiseasesDB | 13165 |
| MeSH | D014069 |
|
Tonsillitis Microchapters |
|
Diagnosis |
|---|
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Tonsillitis On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Tonsillitis |
For patient information click here
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Symptoms
Tonsillitis is characterized by red, swollen tonsils. White patches may or may not appear on the tonsils. Other signs and symptoms of tonsillitis include a severe sore throat, painful/difficult swallowing, headache, fever and chills, enlarged and tender lymph nodes, pain in the tonsil area, and loss of voice.
Causes
Treatment
Treatments of tonsillitis consist of pain management medications[1] and lozenges.[2] If the tonsillitis is caused by bacteria,[3] then antibiotics are prescribed.[4] Penicillin is the most commonly used antibiotic.[5]
In many cases of tonsillitis, the pain caused by the inflamed tonsils warrants the prescription of topical anesthetics for temporary relief. Viscous lidocaine solutions are often prescribed for this purpose.
Ibuprofen or other analgesic can help to decrease the edema and inflammation which will ease the pain and allow the patient to swallow liquids sooner.[6]
When tonsillitis is caused by a virus, the length of illness depends on which virus is involved. Usually, a complete recovery is made within one week, however some rare infections may last for up to two weeks.
Chronic cases may indicate tonsillectomy (surgical removal of tonsils) as a choice for treatment.[7]
Also using warm water and salt solution, and gargling may help kill the infection, though it's not a strong treatment.[8]
Natural History, Complications & Prognosis
References
- ↑ Boureau, F. and et al. "Evaluation of Ibuprofen vs Paracetamol Analgesic Activity Using a Sore Throat Pain Model." Clinical Drug Investigation 17 (1999): 1-8. - Boureau studied 113 patients who saw 19 physicians in France. Patients were give Ibuprofen 400mg or Paracetamol 1000mg randomly. Pain intensity, difficulty swallowing, and global pain relief were use to measure in hourly increments until 6 hours after patients first dose. The results showed that Ibuprofen better than Paracetamol in all three categories
- ↑ Praskash, T. and et al. "Koflet lozenges in the Treatment of Sore Throat." The Antiseptic 98 (2001): 124-127 - The efficacy of Koflet Lozenges was evaluated by symptomatic relief of pain. The 48 patients were examined by the Physicians and given a scale rating from 0-3. 0 stating no signs and symptoms and 3 being the worse. The results showed patients with pharyngitis 95% of the patient with positive feedbacks. Tonsillitis patients and patients with both symptoms gave 100% positive feedbacks
- ↑ Touw-Otten, Fransje WMM. and Kristen Staehr Johansen. "Diagnosis, Antibiotic Treatment and Outcome of Acute Tonsillitis: Report of a WHO Regional Office for Europe Study in 17 European Countries." Family Practice 9 (1992): 255-262 - 17 European Countries had a minimum of 10 physicians each that participated in a studied that involved 4094 patients that they had seen from Nov 1989 to May 1990. Sore throat, redness and swelling of tonsils, pus on tonsils, enlarge regional lymph nodes, or fever. Bacterial and serology test were performed to determined antibiotics usage. Antibiotics results had 2334 out of 3646 patient using penicillin. 343 out of the 3646 used amoxicillin and 554 out of 3646 used macrolides
- ↑ Touw-Otten, Fransje WMM. and Kristen Staehr Johansen. "Diagnosis, Antibiotic Treatment and Outcome of Acute Tonsillitis: Report of a WHO Regional Office for Europe Study in 17 European Countries." Family Practice 9 (1992): 255-262 - 17 European Countries had a minimum of 10 physicians each that participated in a studied that involved 4094 patients that they had seen from Nov 1989 to May 1990. Sore throat, redness and swelling of tonsils, pus on tonsils, enlarge regional lymph nodes, or fever. Bacterial and serology test were performed to determined antibiotics usage. Antibiotics results had 2334 out of 3646 patient using penicillin. 343 out of the 3646 used amoxicillin and 554 out of 3646 used macrolides
- ↑ Touw-Otten, Fransje WMM. and Kristen Staehr Johansen. "Diagnosis, Antibiotic Treatment and Outcome of Acute Tonsillitis: Report of a WHO Regional Office for Europe Study in 17 European Countries." Family Practice 9 (1992): 255-262 - 17 European Countries had a minimum of 10 physicians each that participated in a studied that involved 4094 patients that they had seen from Nov 1989 to May 1990. Sore throat, redness and swelling of tonsils, pus on tonsils, enlarge regional lymph nodes, or fever. Bacterial and serology test were performed to determined antibiotics usage. Antibiotics results had 2334 out of 3646 patient using penicillin. 343 out of the 3646 used amoxicillin and 554 out of 3646 used macrolides
- ↑ Boureau, F. and et al. "Evaluation of Ibuprofen vs Paracetamol Analgesic Activity Using a Sore Throat Pain Model." Clinical Drug Investigation 17 (1999): 1-8- Boureau studied 113 patients who saw 19 physicians in France. Patients were give Ibuprofen 400mg or Paracetamol 1000mg randomly. Pain intensity, difficulty swallowing, and global pain relief were use to measure in hourly increments until 6 hours after patients first dose. The results showed that Ibuprofen better than Paracetamol in all three categories
- ↑ Paradise, JL. and et al. "Efficacy of tonsillectomy for recurrent throat infection in severely affected children. Results of parallel randomized and non randomized clinical trials." The New England Journal of Medicine 310 (1984): 674-83 - Paradise studied 187 children with tonsillectomy or tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. 91 children were randomly put in surgical and non-surgical groups. The other 96 were place by parent’s choice. The results favored the surgical group on reoccurrence of throat infections during their initial and second year follow-up where the data was collected. While non-surgical groups did better in the long run. 13 out of the 95 surgical group encountered surgical complications after their second year follow up
- ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tonsillitis/DS00273/DSECTION=10