...

Acute Pharyngitis (Tonsillitis) Pediatric Care Plan

By K Health
Medically reviewed checkmarkMedically reviewed
December 27, 2020

What is Acute Pharyngitis?

Acute pharyngitis is a throat infection involving the tonsils and/or back of the throat. In children, throat infections are more commonly caused by bacteria like strep. This means that antibiotics don’t help.

Most of the time, your provider can determine if a strep test is needed just by taking your child’s history and doing a basic physical exam. 

Sore throats are common at any age and can be one of the first signs of another illness, like a cold, the flu, or mononucleosis (mono). Other symptoms of acute pharyngitis include:

Acute Pharyngitis Treatment

Since most of the time acute pharyngitis is viral, antibiotics are not needed. Supportive care and time are all that’s needed. Here are some suggestions.

General

  • Make sure your child drinks lots of fluid, eating is not as important
  • Make sure your child rests a lot
  • Tylenol or motrin for general discomfort

Sore Throat

  • Give hard candy or cough drops to relieve sore throat (only for kids older than 6)
  • Sip warm chicken broth. 
  • Some children prefer cold foods such as popsicles or ice cream.
  • Warm salt water gargles
  • Tylenol or motrin dosed appropriately

Nasal Congestion and Cough

  • Decongestant and cough medications have not been proven to be effective and are generally not recommended
  • Run a cool humidifier 
  • Use saline (salt water) nose drops or spray to loosen up the dried mucus. If you don’t have saline, you can use a few drops of bottled water or clean tap water.
  • Run a hot shower to create a steam-filled bathroom where your child can sit to help clear stuffiness
  • For children 8 years of age and older, saline sinus irrigation can provide better relief of congestion.

How Do I Know If It’s Strep?

As a rule, most throat infections are not strep and are usually caused by a virus. Even if your child’s only symptom is sore throat, it’s still most likely a virus.

If your child has cold symptoms along with a sore throat, they should not be tested. If, however, they just have a fever and sore throat or stomach ache with throat redness or pus, they might be tested. 

How Do I Know It’s Not COVID?

The short answer is you can’t for sure. The only way to know for sure is through testing which, usually, your child’s provider can order

When Can My Child Return to School?

  • When they haven’t had a fever for 24 hours without the help of tylenol or motrin
  • When they’re feeling better
  • Your child’s school may require either a symptoms free child and 10 days since the onset of symptoms OR a negative COVID test

See a Doctor In Person If…

  • Your child’s pain becomes severe
  • Symptoms last for more than 5 to 7 days
  • Your child has difficulty swallowing or is drooling excessively
  • You think your child needs to be seen
  • Your child isn’t drinking enough to stay hydrated
K Health articles are all written and reviewed by MDs, PhDs, NPs, or PharmDs and are for informational purposes only. This information does not constitute and should not be relied on for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.

K Health

Reliable, relatable medical information written by hundreds of board-certified clinicians, updated regularly to ensure accuracy.

Related articles

Checklist for Healthy Kids 2022

As a teaching attending in pediatrics, I learn a lot from my medical students and residents. One such pearl was an acronym that a resident inserted into a patient presentation that I have since adopted and utilize in my own practice. GEEDDSS. It’s memorable perhaps because it’s non-sensical and stands for the key components of […]

Read more

Expert tips on returning to school amidst the Delta variant

Millions of kids are returning to the classroom for in-person learning. However, there are still growing concerns about the COVID-19 delta variant from parents and teachers. The delta variant is 200% more transmissible and 1000% higher in viral load. This means more kids could potentially contract the virus, will test positive quicker after exposure, and […]

Read more

COVID And The Recurrence of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

Recent data reveals 23 million children globally missed out on routine vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles and polio. Exacerbated by the diversion of resources to combat COVID-19, there is a real concern that these diseases may re-emerge as herd immunity thresholds are breached.

Read more

Precordial Catch Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

Precordial catch syndrome (PCS) causes sudden, sharp chest pain, usually in the upper left-hand side of the chest. The pains are not accompanied by any other symptoms and usually affect children, teenagers, and young adults who are otherwise quite healthy. Fortunately, though it can be scary, PCS is not serious and will resolve on its […]

Read more

Nursemaid’s Elbow: Signs, Symptoms, Treatments & When to See a Doctor

Nursemaid’s elbow—also referred to as pulled elbow, slipped elbow, and toddler elbow—is a common injury of early childhood. In fact, it represents more than 20% of upper-extremity injuries in young children.  As a child grows, their bones and muscles develop and become much stronger. But for young children, even slight jerks or pulls to the […]

Read more

Acne in Toddlers: When to Call a Doctor

Many people associate acne with adolescence. And the truth is, most teenagers and young adults experience at least one breakout at some point in their lives. But teens aren’t the only ones who develop acne. Up to 50 million Americans deal with the skin condition every year—and that includes some infants and young children. If […]

Read more

When to Call a Doctor for Your Child’s Fever

All children get fevers from time to time. Although this can be concerning for a parent, in most cases, kids feel better within a few days. Still, fevers should be monitored closely because they can be a symptom of an underlying illness or infection. It is important to remember that in almost all cases, a […]

Read more

Everything You Need to Know About the Flu in Kids

Chances are you have heard of the flu or even had it yourself. But when your child or a child in your care has the flu, it is important to understand how the virus can affect them differently. Luckily, you have come to the right place.  The flu results in 9-45 million illnesses in adults […]

Read more