7.1 Rhinitis / Common cold
| Type of Infection | First Line (with Dosage and Duration) |
Alternative First Line (with dosage and Duration) |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncomplicated - Viral Rhinitis (mostly at OPDs) | Symptomatic therapy including paracetamol, nasal saline drops, rest, oral fluids, humidification (as indicated) | Some cases might need oral and nasal decongestants and antitussives such as dextromethorphan/ codeine and nasal irrigation. | |
| Influenza-like symptoms (lab confirmed or outbreak situation or in high-risk persons) | Oseltamivir 75mg q12h for 5-7 days. [Antivirals may be considered for Cat B1, B2 and C as per ABC guidelines for influenza7] | In patients with influenza: when Oseltamivir is started within 48 hours of onset, duration of symptoms reduces by 1 day, there is a decrease in viral shedding/ infectiousness and it may reduce the risk of development of complications. Consider Empiric therapy of Oseltamivir in: patients with influenza like illness during an ongoing outbreak, who are at high risk of complications such as pregnant women, those with co-morbidities and immunocompromised. |
For common etiological agents of Rhinitis / Common cold, see Annexure B.7.1
Additional Information
- Antimicrobial therapy is not indicated for viral rhinitis. The patients should be warned about symptoms which indicate complications like breathing difficulty, persistent fever beyond 4-5 days or ear pain.
References
1. Bhardwaj N, Mathur P, Behera B, Mathur K, Kapil A, Misra MC. Antimicrobial resistance in beta- haemolytic streptococci in India: A four-year study. Indian J Med Res. 2018 Jan;147(1):81-87. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1517_16. PMID: 29749365; PMCID: PMC5967222.
2. Kim K, Jung S, Kim M, Park S, Yang HJ, Lee E. Global Trends in the Proportion of Macrolide- Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jul 1;5(7):e2220949. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.20949. PMID: 35816304; PMCID: PMC9274321.
3. Muthanna A, Shamsuddin NH, Abdul Rashid A, Ghazali SS, Hamat RA, Mawardi M, Salim HS, Zakariah SZ. Diagnostic Accuracy of Centor Score for Diagnosis of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis among Adults in Primary Care Clinics in Malaysia. Malays J Med Sci. 2022 Aug;29(4):88-97. doi: 10.21315/mjms2022.29.4.9. Epub 2022 Aug 29. PMID: 36101529; PMCID: PMC9438850.