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Forum Name: Other infections

Question: white pus/swollen tonsils part 2

clairebear9898 - Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:54 pm

Thank you Dr. Lowe for your promptness and helpfulness. In response to your questions, a strep culture was done and it came out positive. I was prescribed Amoxicillin, which made me feel a whole lot better, but I continued to have the sore throat. I took that for 7 days and called my doctor when things weren't getting better in my mouth. She then switched me to Cephalexin, which I have been on for 24 hours. My throat no longer hurts, but I still have the white stuff on my tonsils. The Amoxicillin did not give me a rash, which you said would possibly mean mono. If the pus does not go away by the time I finish my medicine, I will go get tested for mono. If I test positive, is there any medicine I can take to get rid of the exudate or is it just something I have to wait out. It does not physically bother me....it's just gross-looking.

Dr. Safaa Mahmoud - Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:52 pm

Hello, As Dr. Lowe explained before, exudative pharyngitis due to EBV is usually confusing with group A streptococcal pharyngitis, to add more difficulty in the diagnosis concomitant infection of both agents occurs in 30% of people. Sore throat, perhaps a strep throat that doesn't get better with Antibiotics is mostly due to EBV infection. However other physical and clinical signs are characteristic to EBV infection would help the physician to differentiate between these two causes. Moreover, specific serological tests,(detection of antigens and or antibodies to a specific antigen from the infecting agent like as the monospot and heterophile antibody tests can help in the diagnosis of CMV infections. Viral induced sore throat usually subsides in a week with rest and plenty fluid intake. A 10-day course of Antibiotic pills are usually sufficient to treat to cases with A streptococcal pharyngitis but longer Antibiotic duration may be recommended in complicated cases. Keep us updated. Best regards.

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