Are antibiotics needed if the fever is not subsiding after two doses of Ibuprofen?

Question

Hello doctor,

My 62-year-old husband has hypertension and high cholesterol and is under regular medication. His height is 5'5", and his weight is 150 lbs. He took two tablets of Ibuprofen every six-hour for his fever, but he is still sick. I think he needs an antibiotic, but he cannot see a doctor because of the COVID. So, kindly prescribe him some good medications.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for the query. I can understand your concern. According to your statement, your husband has been suffering from fever, and you think he needs antibiotics. Before starting any antibiotic, your husband should undergo investigations like CBC (complete blood count), Widal test, urine test, and chest x-ray to find out the exact cause for his fever and then treat them accordingly.

If your husband's fever is due to the bacterial reason, then antibiotics are required. But if this fever is due to viral cause, then there is no role of antibiotics. But, antibiotics can be used in viral infections to prevent any secondary infections. So, your husband should undergo the investigations mentioned above before starting antibiotics for his fever. But, if he wants to start antibiotics before undergoing the investigations mentioned above, he can start taking capsule Cefixime (400 mg) twice daily for 14 days.

Take care.

Are antibiotics needed if the fever is not subsiding after two doses of Ibuprofen?

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