Adenovirus infections

At home, the best thing you can do is relieve your child's symptoms associated with the infection and wait until it passes. Because the infection is caused by a virus, antibiotics don't work.

Traditional treatments for adenovirus infections

• Drinking lots of fluids
  • It essential to keep your child hydrated.
  • Water, formula, breast milk and/or special electrolyte-containing fluids (fluids containing sugars and salts) such as Pedialyte, are good choices.
  • Very young children should not be hydrated with soda, juices or sports drinks.
  • If necessary, we may need to give your child an intravenous (IV) line to give your child fluids and essential electrolytes.
• Medications
  • may be used to open your child's airways
  • often given in an aerosol mist by a mask or through an inhaler
• Supplemental oxygen
  • given through a mask, nasal prongs or an oxygen tent
• Mechanical ventilation
  • If a child becomes very ill, she may need mechanical ventilation or a respirator to assist with breathing for a period of time.

Some children may develop severe enough dehydration to require hospitalization. If this happens, you child may need:

• intravenous (IV) fluids
• nasogastric (NG) tube feedings (a small tube is placed into your child's stomach through her nose so that doctors can give her formula or fluids)
• blood work (to measure your child's electrolyte levels - sugar, salt and other chemicals in the blood)