Acute tonsillitis in a pediatrician’s practice

Abstract

Acute tonsillopharyngitis (ATP) is a common infectious disease in paediatric practice. Throat pain, as the main symptom of acute tonsillopharyngitis, is the most common cause of seeking outpatient care. ATP is a polyethyological disease and requires a clarification of the etiological factor. Viral tonsillitis is the most common in children’s practice. Among bacterial pathogens, the beta hemolytic streptococcus group A (BHSA Streptococcus pyogenes) is of particular importance. This pathogen is associated with 5 to 15% of cases of acute tonsillopharyngitis in adults and 20- 30% in children [5]. Suspicion of BHSA in ATP requires the mandatory prescription of systemic antibiotic therapy. Currently, there are no reliable criteria for differential diagnosis of viral and bacterial ATP. As a result, the choice of ATP treatment tactics is an important task. On the one hand, this pathology is most often associated with unnecessary and unjustified prescription of systemic antibiotic therapy, and on the other hand, the rejection of antibiotics can contribute to the development of serious complications. Given the high frequency of viral ATP, an important area of pediatric practice is the use of local antiseptic and anti-inflammatory drugs. Topical drugs can be used both as monotherapy and, if necessary, in combination therapy of ATP. Timely etiological diagnostics and rational therapy of ATP are an important part of the effectiveness of ATP treatment in children and prevention of antibiotic resistance of microorganisms.

Keywords

• acute tonsillopharyngitis
• diagnostics
• beta hemolytic streptococcus group a
• antibacterial therapy
• local therapy