Streptococcal Pharyngitis Diagnosis and Management
Key Points
Key Points
Although acute pharyngitis is one of the most frequent illnesses for which pediatricians and other primary care physicians are consulted, with an estimated 15 million visits per year in the U.S., only a relatively small percentage of patients with acute pharyngitis (20%-30% in children, fewer in adults) are infected by GAS pharyngitis.
Moreover, the signs and symptoms of GAS and nonstreptococcal pharyngitis overlap so broadly that accurate diagnosis on clinical grounds alone is usually impossible.
Accurate diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis followed by appropriate antimicrobial therapy is important:
- To prevent acute rheumatic fever with and without carditis
- To prevent suppurative complications (e.g., peritonsillar abscess, cervical lymphadenitis, mastoiditis and possibly other invasive infections)
- To improve clinical symptoms and signs
- For rapid decrease in contagiousness
- To reduce transmission of GAS to family members, classmates, and other close contacts of the patient
- To allow for the rapid resumption of usual activities
- To minimize potential adverse effects of inappropriate antimicrobial therapy.
With the exception of very rare infections by certain other bacterial pharyngeal pathogens (e.g., Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) (Table 2), antimicrobial therapy is of no proven benefit as treatment for acute pharyngitis due to organisms other than Group A streptococci.
a Unless reaction to a penicillin was anaphylactic.
Diagnosis
...ren and adolescents, negative RADT tests should...
...tive RADTs do not necessitate a bac...
Routine use of back up throat cultures for those...
...eptococcal antibody titers are not recommended in...
...ing for GAS pharyngitis usually is not recommen...
...gnostic studies for GAS pharyngitis ar...
...cted children < 3 years old who have other ri...
...-treatment throat culture or RADT is not rec...
...ting or empiric treatment of asymptomatic househo...
...miologic and Clinical Features of Group...
.... Microbial Etiology of Acute Phar...
Treatment
...acute GAS pharyngitis should be treated with an...
...ed on their narrow spectrum of activit...
...reatment of GAS pharyngitis in penicillin-allerg...
...use of an analgesic/antipyretic agent such...
... should be avoided in children. (SR,...
...djunctive therapy with a corticoster...
...recommends that clinicians caring for patients wi...
...e IDSA recommends that identifying GAS carri...
...e IDSA does NOT recommend tonsillectomy sole...
...re 1. Group A Stretococcal Pharyn...
...tic Regimens Recommended for Group A Strepto...
...V generic, oral (SR, H)Dose: Children: 2...
...in generic, oral (SR, H)Dose: 50...
...ne penicillin G generic, IM (SR, H)Do...
...illin-Allergic Individuals Cephalexin Keflex®...
...adroxila Duricef®, Ultracef® PO (SR,...
...leocin® PO (SR, M)Dose: 7 mg/...
...omycinb Zithromax® PO (SR, M)Dose: ...
...arithromycinb Biaxin® PO (SR, M)Dose: 7.5...
...nt Regimens for Chronic GAS Carriers...
...Clindamycin Cleocin® (SR, H)Dose:...
...icillin and Rifampin Rifadin®, Rim...
...illin-clavulanic acid Augmentin® (SR, M)Dos...
...M & Oral Benzathine penicillin G PLUS Rifampin...