Further Outpatient Care
- Supportive therapy
- Bed rest
- Scrotal support
- Analgesics
- Hot or cold packs for analgesia: Elevation of the scrotum and placement of ice on the affected testis are specific comfort measures that should be recommended to the patient with orchitis. The patient should put a small pillow or a towel between the legs to elevate the scrotum and place ice on the affected testis for 10-15 minutes, 4 times a day, until pain resolves.
- Patients with a suspected sexually transmitted disease should be referred to their private physician or local health department for HIV testing.
Complications
- Up to 60% of affected testes demonstrate some degree of testicular atrophy.
- Impaired fertility is reported at a rate of 7-13%.
- Sterility is rare in cases of unilateral orchitis.
- An associated hydrocele or pyocele may require surgical drainage to relieve pressure from the tunica.
Prognosis
- Most cases of mumps orchitis resolve spontaneously in 3-10 days.
- With appropriate antibiotic coverage, most cases of bacterial orchitis resolve without complication.
Patient Education
- Patients with a suspected sexually transmitted disease should be counseled on safe sex practices.
- For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Men's Health Center, Bacterial and Viral Infections Center, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education articles Inflammation of the Testicle (Orchitis), Mumps, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
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