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
...Dia...
...children and adolescents, negative RADT...
...o not necessitate a back-up cultur...
...of back up throat cultures for those w...
...reptococcal antibody titers are not recomme...
...esting for GAS pharyngitis usually is not...
...stic studies for GAS pharyngitis are not indica...
...ren < 3 years old who have other risk fac...
...t-treatment throat culture or RADT i...
...ting or empiric treatment of asymptom...
...Epidemiologic and Clinical Features of Group...
.... Microbial Etiology of Acute Pharyng...
Treatment
...Trea...
...with acute GAS pharyngitis should be treated wi...
Based on their narrow spectrum of activity, infreq...
Treatment of GAS pharyngitis in penicillin-alle...
...arranted, use of an analgesic/antipyretic age...
...pirin should be avoided in children. (SR, M)2...
...e therapy with a corticosteroid is NOT rec...
...ecommends that clinicians caring f...
...mends that identifying GAS carriers is not...
...NOT recommend tonsillectomy solely to r...
.... Group A Stretococcal Pharyngitis
...Antibiotic Regimens Recommended for Group A Str...
...n V generic, oral (SR, H)Dose: Chi...
...n generic, oral (SR, H)Dose: ...
...illin G generic, IM (SR, H)Dose: < 27...
...nicillin-Allergic Individuals Cephalexi...
...uricef®, Ultracef® PO (SR, H)Dose: 30 m...
...lindamycin Cleocin® PO (SR, M)Dos...
Azithromycinb Zithromax® PO (SR, M)Dose: 12...
...omycinb Biaxin® PO (SR, M)Dose: 7.5 mg/kg/d...
...reatment Regimens for Chronic GAS Car...
...cin Cleocin® (SR, H)Dose: 20-30 m...
... Rifampin Rifadin®, Rimactane® (SR, H...
...moxicillin-clavulanic acid Augmenti...
...zathine penicillin G PLUS Rifampin (SR, H)P...