Upper Respiratory Infection (cont.)
Medical Author:
Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEMDr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Medical Editor:
Mary Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP
Mary Nettleman, MD, MS, MACPMary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University. IN THIS ARTICLE
Medical TreatmentMedicationMedications are usually not prescribed for upper respiratory infections. Antibiotics are not effective in fighting viral infections. However, antibiotics are appropriate if the health care practitioner suspects that a bacterial infection exists, for example in cases of otitis media (ear infections), bacterial sinusitis, and strep throat. In some cases, where there is significant inflammation of the upper airways, for example croup in infants and children, corticosteroid medications such as prednisone (Meticorten, Sterapred, Sterapred DS) or dexamethasone (Decadron, AK-Dex, Ocu-Dex) may be prescribed to decrease that inflammation. Next Page: Must Read Articles Related to Upper Respiratory Infection
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