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Diagnosis and treatment of adenovirus infection
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025

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Adenovirus infection in children requires the most comprehensive treatment, which depends on the severity of the disease and the child's condition. Adenovirus infection is extremely contagious, that is, it has the property of spreading quickly both by airborne droplets and by alimentary (household) means. In addition, due to the large variety of viruses, of which about 30 are known, and type-specific immunity, that is, one that responds only to the invasion of a certain, previously encountered virus, relapses of adenovirus diseases are almost impossible to stop. Sometimes one patient is enough for an outbreak of adenovirus infection to spread throughout a kindergarten or school. Virus incubation lasts from 2 days to several weeks, but most often adenovirus "starts" with symptoms on the second day.
Adenovirus infection can rightfully be considered a "childhood" disease, since more than 75% of all patients with adenovirus are children, and adults, usually with weakened immunity, suffer from it less often. The disease can last from one week to a month, depending on the form, severity of the disease, relapses and complications.
Adenovirus infection in children, the treatment of which can be quite complex, is divided into the following forms in clinical pediatric practice:
- Acute respiratory infection (ARVI).
- An inflammatory process in the mucous tissue of the nasopharynx is rhinopharyngitis.
- Rhinopharyngotonsillitis is an inflammation that spreads from the nasopharynx to the tonsils.
- Rhinopharyngobronchitis is an inflammatory process that moves from the nasopharynx to the upper respiratory tract.
- Pharyngoconjunctivitis is an inflammation that spreads from the nasopharynx to the conjunctiva of the eyes.
- Adenoviral conjunctivitis, keratoconjunctivitis.
- Pneumonia.
Adenovirus infection in children is usually treated on an outpatient basis, most often at home. Of course, a severe course of the disease, accompanied by complications and high fever, is treated in a hospital. However, the basis of therapy for any type of adenovirus is bed rest for the entire time there is hyperthermia. It is also important to choose a diet, it should be gentle and at the same time nutritious enough. Abundant, frequent drinking is indicated, which should be warm, but not hot. Parents should monitor the timely emptying of the child's bladder so that the intoxication is "washed out" of the body as quickly as possible. It should be noted that adenovirus infection in children does not require treatment with antipyretic drugs if the body temperature does not exceed the threshold of 37.5 degrees. It is possible to wipe the child's body with an alcohol solution or water containing vinegar. The lateral areas of the neck (near the lymph nodes), areas under the knees and inside the elbow are moistened, please note - rubbing these areas is unacceptable. Compresses should be changed as they warm up, but if the child’s condition worsens, you should call a doctor, or perhaps an ambulance.
Adenovirus infection in children, treatment for cough, runny nose and eye disease at home:
- A decoction of herbs included in the breast collection (it is possible to use a pharmacy breast collection): take a tablespoon of coltsfoot, chamomile, calendula, linden blossom, brew in one and a half liters of boiling water (boil for 5 minutes), strain, cool to a comfortable temperature. Drink 4-5 times a day, 200-250 milliliters for 5-7 days. The herbal decoction can replace the daily volume of liquid needed by the child.
- Alkaline drink – hot boiled milk with soda (a knife tip of soda per glass of milk). Course – 2-3 times a day, a quarter of a glass for 3-5 days.
- If the child does not accept milk, especially boiled milk, it is possible to use heated alkaline mineral water. The course is 2-4 days, half a glass three times a day.
- A wet cough that is close to productive should be activated with the help of special drugs - ACC or Bronholitin.
- Unproductive dry cough is treated with drugs that reduce irritation, such as Biocalyptol (containing eucalyptus essential oil) or Stoptussin, which has mucolytic properties.
- Persistent unproductive cough can be relieved with drugs containing codeine, but these medications have many contraindications, the main one being age under three years and cardiac diseases.
- Adenoviral eye damage is treated with antibacterial or soothing drops. The choice of ophthalmological agents should be made only by a doctor, self-medication is not allowed. As independent actions, you can take oxolinic eye ointment and wash the sore eyes with a weak decoction of chamomile or tea infusion.
- Adenoviral rhinitis can be stopped by rinsing the nose with a saline solution (half a teaspoon of salt per glass of boiled water). Of the over-the-counter pharmacy products, Pinosol or Nasol drops are effective.
Adenovirus infection, treatment with antibiotics
It should be noted that antibacterial therapy is prescribed only by a pediatrician, independent experiments with such drugs may not only fail to help the child, but also worsen his already serious condition. As a rule, antibiotics can be prescribed if adenovirus is accompanied by a bacterial infection (otitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis), viruses suggest therapy only with antiviral agents. Also, the child can be prescribed immunomodulators that activate the protective functions of the immune system - Lysozyme, Propolis, Anaferon and vitamin therapy - B vitamins and necessarily ascorbic acid.
Children under two years of age suffer adenovirus infections especially hard, the disease often becomes protracted and is accompanied by complications, general intoxication of the body. In such cases, adenovirus infection in children requires treatment in stages:
- All antibiotics are discontinued and replaced with immunoglobulins.
- Detoxification of the body is carried out using colloidal solutions administered intravenously.
- If symptoms of anemia are severe, erythropoietin or red blood cell masses are administered.
- If adenovirus disease is accompanied by diarrhea, the child's body is saturated with amino acids and glucose.
- Dysbacteriosis, which often accompanies the disease, is treated with bifidumbacterin. A diet is recommended that includes fermented milk products - bifidokefir, bioyogurt.
In general, to summarize, we can outline the following treatment regimen for adenovirus infection:
- Bed rest and treatment at home for uncomplicated cases of the disease.
- Inpatient treatment for moderate to severe adenovirus infection.
- A diet that includes vitamin-rich foods with limited protein to reduce the severity of intoxication.
- Use of interferon group of drugs – laferon, immunoglobulin, viferon.
- Antipyretic drugs for temperatures exceeding 37.5-38 degrees.
- Treatment of conjunctivitis with oxolinic ointment, ophthalmic antiviral drops (antibacterial drops are used for concomitant eye infections).
- Rinsing the nose with saline solution, nasal drops, vasoconstrictors - Pinosol, Rinzolin, Vibrocil.
- Expectorants for unproductive cough.
- Antibacterial drugs for inflammatory complications.
- Vitamins.
- Physiotherapy procedures.
Adenovirus infection in children, the treatment of which can be effective if all medical prescriptions are followed, has a favorable prognosis, which can become more severe only in the case of serious complications in the form of pneumonia.
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