Facial symptoms that continue after antibiotic therapy

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Facial symptoms that continue after antibiotic therapy

Symptoms of infection that continue or become worse after several days of antibiotics may mean that the treatment was not successful. If symptoms return once the antibiotic treatment has finished, this also may mean the treatment was not effective.

If antibiotic treatment is not effective, call you health professional. A change in medication or a change in the dose may be needed. A longer course of antibiotic treatment may be needed to stop the infection. Treatment may not be effective if your symptoms:

• Become worse after the first two doses of antibiotic treatment.
• Become worse within the first 24 hours of antibiotic treatment.
• Do not improve after 48 hours of antibiotic treatment.

Antibiotics may cause side effects such as diarrhea or nausea. If these symptoms develop and are bothersome, call your health professional. It is important to take the medication as prescribed and for the full treatment course—even if you start to feel better—to treat an infection successfully.

Antibiotics also may cause allergic reactions such as a skin rash. Call your health professional if a skin rash develops while you are taking antibiotics.

Credits

Last updated:	May 15, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer