Michael Kim This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Lehigh Valley Hospital

   www.lvhhn.org/cwo/Being_Health - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/8/2004   Last Visited: 2/8/2004

   According to the latest guidelines, says Michael Kim, M.D., your child probably needs a tonsillectomy if he or she has had:
   ...
   "The symptoms can be similar at first," says Michael Kim, M.D., ear/nose/throat specialist at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.
   ...
   "A throat culture is the only sure way to diagnose streptococcus," Kim says. Using a swab, the doctor takes a mucus sample and sends it to a lab for testing. "It takes several days, but we usually start treatment right away if the symptoms are present," he says. A newer "quick strep" test yields faster results, but it's expensive and less accurate.
   
   The most common antibiotics for strep are penicillin or amoxicillin. If the strep is a resistant type, the doctor will prescribe something stronger. "The preferred treatment is 10 full days," Kim says, "to keep the infection from recurring."