Therapeutic targets
- Elimination of the pathogens
- Avoidance of complications
Therapy recommendations
- Antibiosis (antibiotic therapy):
- Cephalosporins are used for life-threatening infections
- If there is no danger to life, the active ingredient ampicillin is the drug of choice.
- Symptomatic therapy (if necessary antipyretics / drugs that reduce fever).
- See also under “Further therapy”
- Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) [see below].
- See also under “Further therapy“.
Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP)
Post-exposure prophylaxis is the provision of medication to prevent disease in individuals who are not protected against a particular disease by vaccination but have been exposed to it.
Indications (areas of application)
- Persons with close (“face to face”) contact with a diseased person, ie:
- All household members from the age of 1 month, provided that there is an unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated child up to the age of 4 years, or else a person with relevant immunodeficiency or suppression (immunodeficiency).
- Unvaccinated children up to 4 years in community settings.
Implementation
- Persons with close (“face to face”) contact with a sick person:
- Chemoprophylaxis – rifampicin (antibiotic).
- From 1 month: 20 mg/kg/day (maximum 600 mg) in 1 ED for 4 days.
- Adults: 600 mg p.o. in 1 ED for 4 days.
- In pregnant women, the administration of rifampicin is contraindicated (prohibited)! Here, instead of rifampicin ceftriaxone, also an antibiotic, is prescribed.
- Chemoprophylaxis – rifampicin (antibiotic).
Prophylaxis (prevention) should be given at the earliest possible time, no later than 7 days after the onset of the index case (first documented case of disease).
