All About Pneumococcal Disease
What are the Treatment Options for Pneumococcal Disease?
Despite early and adequate treatment, there can still be serious and potentially life-threatening complications arising from pneumococcal infection.
Otitis media
May need to be treated with antibiotics.
Bacterial pneumonia
Needs to be treated with antibiotics.
Invasive pneumococcal infections
Doctors will usually prescribe antibiotics for invasive pneumococcal infections. If the infection is mild the patient will take oral antibiotics. Serious infections will require intravenous administration - a solution containing antibiotics will be administered directly into the venous circulation via a syringe or intravenous catheter (tube).
Doctors may recommend administering a combination of different antibiotics, in case the S. pneumoniae has developed resistance. The emergence of resistant pneumococcal strains over the last few years is making treatment more difficult, extending the period of many hospitalizations, as well as increasing the likelihood of more expensive alternative therapy.
Patients with very serious infection will be hospitalized so that they can be supported.
Experts say that the growing problem of antibiotic resistance places further emphasis on the need for preventing pneumococcal disease through vaccination.
This Pneumococcal Disease information section was written by Christian Nordqvist for Medical News Today, and may not be re-produced in any way without the permission of Medical News Today. Additional materials provided by Wyeth.
Sources of information:
Further information
Disclaimer: The Pneumococcal Disease section on Medical News Today is funded by an educational grant from Wyeth. This guide is provided for general information purposes only. The materials contained within this guide do not constitute medical or pharmaceutical advice, which should be sought from qualified medical and pharmaceutical advisers. Full disclaimer.
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