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Treatments for Cold sores
Treatment list for Cold sores:
The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Cold sores includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
- Topical creams
- Acyclovir (Zovirax)
Treatments of Cold sores: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the treatments of Cold sores.
Genital herpes:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Acyclovir has proved to be an effective treatment for genital herpes. I.V. administration may be required for patients who are hospitalized with severe genital herpes or for those who are immunocompromised and have a potentially life-threatening herpes infection. Oral acyclovir may be prescribed for the patient with a first-time infection or recurrent outbreak. Other agents include famciclovir, valacyclovir, and penciclovir; these drugs suppress symptoms but don’t cure the infection. Daily prophylaxis with acyclovir reduces the frequency of recurrences by at least 50%, but this is only appropriate for a patient with frequent outbreaks and may not decrease transmission rate of the disease.
Foscavir, a powerful antiviral agent, is the treatment of choice for herpes strains that are severe in nature or have become resistant to acyclovir and similar drugs. Administered I.V., foscavir can have several toxic effects, such as reversible impairment of kidney function or induction of sei-zures. As with other antiviral drugs, this drug doesn’t cure herpes.
Herpes simplex:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
No cure for herpes exists; however, recurrences tend to be milder and of shorter duration than the primary infection. Symptomatic and supportive therapy is essential. Generalized primary infection usually requires an analgesic-antipyretic to reduce fever and relieve pain. Anesthetic mouthwashes, such as viscous lidocaine, may reduce the pain of gingivostomatitis, enabling the patient to eat and preventing dehydration. (Avoid alcohol-based mouthwashes.) Drying agents, such as calamine lotion, ease the pain of labial or skin lesions. Avoid petroleum-based ointments, which promote viral spread and slow healing.
Refer patients with eye infections to an ophthalmologist. Topical corticosteroids are contraindicated in active infection, but idoxuridine, trifluridine, and vidarabine are effective.
Oral acyclovir may bring relief to patients with genital herpes. Frequent prophylactic use of acyclovir in immunosuppressed transplant patients prevents disseminated disease.Foscarnet can be used to treat HVH that’s resistant to acyclovir. Anti-viral agents similar to acyclovir are valacyclovir and famciclovir. These agents are more active than acyclovir.
Cold injuries:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
In a localized cold injury, treatment consists of rewarming the injured part, supportive measures and, sometimes, a fasciotomy to increase circulation by lowering edematous tissue pressure. However, if gangrene occurs, amputation may be necessary. In hypothermia, therapy consists of immediate resuscitative measures, careful monitoring, and gradual rewarming of the body. If cold injuries in children suggest neglect or abuse, a thorough history should be performed.
Treat localized cold injuries as follows:
❑ Remove constrictive clothing and jewelry and slowly rewarm the affected part in tepid water (1007 to 1087 F [37.87 to 42.27 C]). Give the patient warm fluids to drink. Never rub the injured area — this aggravates tissue damage.
❑ When the affected part begins to rewarm, the patient will feel pain, so give analgesics as ordered. Check for a pulse. Be careful not to rupture any blebs. If the injury is on the foot, place cotton or gauze sponges between the toes to prevent maceration. Instruct the patient not to walk.
❑ If the injury has caused an open skin wound, give antibiotics and tetanus prophylaxis as ordered.
❑ If a pulse fails to return, the patient may develop compartment syndrome and need a fasciotomy to restore circulation. (See Recognizing compartment syndrome, page 304.) If gangrene occurs, prepare the patient for amputation.
❑ Before discharge, teach the patient about possible long-term effects: increased sensitivity to cold, burning and tingling, and increased sweating. Warn him against smoking, which causes vasoconstriction and slows healing.
Systemic hypothermia is treated as follows:
❑ If you detect no pulse or respiration, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately and, if necessary, continue it for 2 to 3 hours. (Remember that hypothermia helps protect the brain from anoxia, which normally accompanies prolonged cardiopulmonary arrest. Therefore, even after the patient has been unresponsive for a long time, resuscitation may be possible, especially after cold-water near drownings.) Perform CPR until the patient is adequately rewarmed.
❑ Move the patient to a warm area, remove wet clothing, and keep him dry. If he’s conscious, give warm fluids with a high sugar content such as tea with sugar. If the patient’s core temperature is above 89.67 F (327 C), use external warming techniques. Bathe him in water that is 1047 F (407 C), cover him with a heating blanket set at 97.97 to 99.97 F (36.67 to 37.77 C), and cautiously apply hot water bottles at 1047 F to the groin and axillae, guarding against burns.
❑ If the patient’s core temperature is below 89.67 F (327 C), use internal and external warming methods. Rewarm his body core and surface 17 to 27 F (–0.57 to –1.17 C) per hour concurrently. (If you rewarm the surface first, rewarming shock could cause potentially fatal ventricular fibrillation.) To warm inhalations, provide oxygen heated to 107.67 to 114.87 F (427 to 467 C). Infuse I.V. solutions that have been warmed to 98.67 F (377 C) and perform nasogastric lavage with normal saline solution that has been warmed to the same temperature. Assist with peritoneal lavage, using normal saline solution (full or half-strength) warmed to 1047 to 1137 F (407 to 457 C); in severe hypothermia, assist with heart and lung bypass at controlled temperatures and thoracotomy with direct cardiac warm saline bath.
Common cold:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The primary treatments — aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen, fluids, and rest — are purely symptomatic because the common cold has no cure. Aspirin eases myalgia and headache; fluids help loosen accumulated respiratory secretions and maintain hydration; and rest combats fatigue and weakness. In a child with a fever, acetaminophen is the drug of choice.
Decongestants can relieve congestion, and throat lozenges relieve soreness. Steam encourages expectoration. Nasal douching, sinus drainage, and antibiotics aren't necessary except in complications or chronic illness. Pure antitussives relieve severe coughs but are contraindicated in productive coughs, when cough suppression is harmful. The role of vitamin C remains controversial. In infants, saline nose drops and mucus aspiration with a bulb syringe may be beneficial.
Stomatitis and other oral infections:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
For acute herpetic stomatitis, treatment is conservative. For local symptoms, supportive measures include warm salt-water mouth rinses (antiseptic mouthwashes are contraindicated because they are irritating) and a topical anesthetic to relieve mouth ulcer pain. Topical antihistamines, antacids, or corticosteroids may also be recommended. Supplementary treatment includes a bland or liquid diet and, in severe cases, I.V. fluids and bed rest.
For aphthous stomatitis, primary treatment is application of a topical anesthetic. Effective long-term treatment requires alleviation or prevention of precipitating factors.
Mouth lesions:
Patient counseling
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Instruct the patient to avoid irritants, such as highly seasoned foods, citrus fruits, foods that contain salt or vinegar, alcohol, and tobacco. For mouth care, warn against using lemon-glycerin swabs because these can dry and irritate the lesions.
As appropriate, teach the patient proper oral hygiene. If toothbrushing is contraindicated, instruct him to use a mouth rinse, such as normal saline solution or half-strength hydrogen peroxide, and to avoid commercial mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Stress the importance of frequently changing to a new toothbrush. If the patient uses an inhaled steroid, instruct him to rinse his mouth after each use. Also, tell him to report mouth lesions that don’t heal within 2 weeks.
Cold intolerance:
Patient counseling
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Allow the patient to openly express his concerns about body image changes related to his cold intolerance. Instruct him and his family to adapt the patient’s environment to meet his needs. After the cause of cold intolerance is known, explain the disease process to the patient and his family to help alleviate their anxiety. Also explain that, with proper treatment, he can expect relief from his symptoms.
Herpes simplex:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
Symptomatic and supportive therapy is essential. Generalized primary infection usually requires an analgesic-antipyretic to reduce fever and relieve pain. Anesthetic mouthwashes, such as viscous lidocaine, may reduce the pain of gingivostomatitis, enabling the patient to eat and preventing dehydration. Drying agents, such as calamine lotion, make labial lesions less painful.
Refer patients with eye infections to an ophthalmologist. Topical cortico-steroids are contraindicated in active infection, but idoxuridine, trifluridine, and vidarabine are effective.
A 5% acyclovir ointment may bring relief to patients with genital herpes or to immunosuppressed patients with HVH skin infections. I.V. acyclovir helps treat more severe infections. (See Treating and preventing herpes simplex.)
Cold injuries:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
With a localized cold injury, treatment consists of rewarming the injured part, supportive measures and, in severe cases, a fasciotomy to increase circulation by lowering edematous tissue pressure. However, if gangrene occurs, amputation may be necessary.
With hypothermia, therapy consists of immediate resuscitative measures, careful monitoring, and gradual rewarming of the body.
Frostbite
❑ Remove constrictive clothing and jewelry. Slowly rewarm the affected part in tepid water (about 100° to 108° F [37.8° to 42.2° C]). Give the patient warm fluids to drink.
❑ When the affected part begins to rewarm, the patient will feel pain, so administer an analgesic. Check for a pulse. If the injury is on the foot, place cotton or gauze sponges between the toes to prevent maceration. Instruct the patient not to walk.
Clinical tip When treating a patient with frostbite, never rub the injured area. This aggravates tissue damage. Also, be careful not to rupture any blebs.
❑ If the injury has caused an open skin wound, give an antibiotic and tetanus prophylaxis.
❑ Early surgical intervention isn’t indicated unless wet gangrene or severe infection of the eschar develops.
Clinical tip Prevent refreezing of thawed tissues because significant tissue damage may occur. Also, it’s impossible to assess the depth of frostbite injury in the early stages.
Hypothermia
❑ If the patient has no pulse or respirations, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately and, if necessary, continue it for 2 to 3 hours. (Remember: Hypothermia helps protect the brain from anoxia, which normally accompanies prolonged cardiopulmonary arrest. Therefore, even after the patient has been unresponsive for a long time, resuscitation may be possible, especially after cold-water near-drownings.) Perform CPR until the patient is adequately rewarmed.
❑ Move the patient to a warm area, remove wet clothing, and keep him dry. If he’s conscious, give warm fluids with high sugar content, such as tea with sugar. If the patient’s core temperature is above 89.6° F (32° C), use external warming techniques. Bathe him in water that’s 104° F (40° C), cover him with a heating blanket set at 97.9° to 99.9° F (36.6° to 37.7° C), and cautiously apply hot water bottles at 104° F (40° C) to groin and axillae, guarding against burns.
❑ If the patient’s core temperature is below 89.6° F (32° C), use internal and external warming methods. Rewarm his body core and surface 1° to 2° F (0.5° to 1.1° C) per hour concurrently. (If you rewarm the surface first, rewarming shock could cause potentially fatal ventricular fibrillation.)
❑ To warm inhalations, provide oxygen heated to 107.6° to 114.8° F (42° to 46° C). Infuse I.V. solutions that have been warmed to 98.6° F (37° C), and perform nasogastric lavage with normal saline solution that has been warmed to the same temperature.
❑ The patient may need peritoneal lavage, using normal saline solution (full or half strength) warmed to 104° to 113° F (40° to 45° C). If the patient has severe hypothermia, he may need heart and lung bypass at controlled temperatures and thoracotomy with a direct cardiac warm-saline bath. Avoid using central venous catheters in patients with severe hypothermia to prevent arrhythmias.
Clinical tip Consider administering antibodies if sepsis is the suspected cause of the hypothermia. Consider giving a steroid only if adrenal suppression or insufficiency is suspected to be the precipitating cause of the hypothermia.
Common cold:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
The primary treatment — aspirin or acetaminophen, fluids, and rest — is purely symptomatic because the common cold has no cure. Aspirin eases myalgia and headache; fluids help loosen accumulated respiratory secretions and maintain hydration; and rest combats fatigue and weakness. For a child with a fever, acetaminophen is the drug of choice.
Decongestants can relieve congestion. Throat lozenges relieve soreness. Steam encourages expectoration. In infants, saline nose drops and mucus aspiration with a bulb syringe may be beneficial.
Nasal douching, sinus drainage, and antibiotics aren’t necessary except if there are complications or if the patient has a chronic illness. Pure antitussives relieve severe coughs but are contraindicated with productive coughs, when cough suppression is harmful. The role of vitamin C and zinc remain controversial.
Although no known measure can prevent the common cold, vitamin therapy, interferon administration, and ultraviolet irradiation are under investigation.
Stomatitis and other oral infections:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
For acute herpetic stomatitis, treatment is conservative. For local symptoms, management includes warm-water mouth rinses (antiseptic mouthwashes are contraindicated because they’re irritating) and a topical anesthetic to relieve mouth ulcer pain.
CLINICAL TIP: A course of acyclovir (200 to 800 mg, five times daily for 7 to 14 days) may shorten the course and reduce postherpetic pain.
Supplementary treatment includes bland or liquid diet and, in severe cases, I.V. fluids to maintain hydration, and bed rest. After the gums are less tender, a dentist should scale and polish the teeth and emphasize good oral hygiene.
For aphthous stomatitis, primary treatment is application of a topical anesthetic. Effective long-term treatment requires alleviation or prevention of precipitating factors.
Mouth lesions:
Patient counseling
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Instruct the patient to avoid irritants, such as highly seasoned foods, citrus fruits, alcohol, tobacco, and foods that contain salt or vinegar. For mouth care, warn against using lemon-glycerin swabs because these can dry and irritate the lesions.
As appropriate, teach the patient proper oral hygiene. If toothbrushing is contraindicated, instruct him to use a mouth rinse, such as normal saline solution or half-strength hydrogen peroxide, and to avoid commercial mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Stress the importance of frequently changing to a new toothbrush. If the patient uses an inhaled steroid, instruct him to rinse his mouth after each use. Also tell him to report any mouth lesions that don’t heal within 2 weeks.
Mouth lesions:
Nursing considerations
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
▪ If the patient's mouth ulcers are painful, provide a topical anesthetic such as lidocaine.
▪ Encourage or provide regular oral hygiene.
Patient teaching
▪ Tell the patient which irritants he should avoid.
▪ Teach proper mouth care and oral hygiene.
▪ Review any prescribed medications.
Medications used to treat Cold sores:
Note:You must always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
Some of the different medications used in the treatment of Cold sores include:
- Acyclovir
- Zovirax
- Famciclovir
- Famvir
- Penciclovir
- Denavir
- Avirax
- Acifur
- Alti-Acyclovir
- Apo-Acyclovir
- Gen-Acyclovir
- NuAcyclovir
- Ratio-Acyclovir
- Cicloferon
- Isavir
- Laciken
- Ophthavir
- Camphor and Phenol
- Campho-Phenique
- Tetracaine
- AK-T-Caine
- Pontocaine
- Idoxuridine
- Stoxil
- Virasolve
Medical news summaries about treatments for Cold sores:
The following medical news items are relevant to treatment of Cold sores:
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