infectious diseases
Infectious Mononucleosis
Treatment of Infectious Mononucleosis
Supportive care Corticosteroids possibly helpful for severe disease Treatment of infectious mononucleosis is supportive. Patients are encouraged to rest during the acute phase but can resume activity when fever, pharyngitis, and malaise abate. To prevent splenic rupture, patients should avoid heavy lifting and contact sports for 1 month after presentation and until splenomegaly (which can be monitored by ultrasonography) resolves. Although corticosteroids hasten defervescence and relieve pharyngitis, they generally should not be used in uncomplicated disease. Corticosteroids can be helpful for complications such as impending airway obstruction, severe thrombocytopenia, and hemolytic anemia. Although oral or IVacyclovirdecreases oropharyngeal shedding of EBV, there is no convincing evidence to warrant its clinical use in EBV mononucleosis. 