Streptococcal Pharyngitis Diagnosis and Management

Publication Date: September 9, 2012

Key Points

Key Points

Group A ß-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) is the most common bacterial cause of acute pharyngitis, responsible for 5%-15% of sore throat visits in adults and 20%-30% in children.

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.
Penicillin or amoxicillin remains the treatment of choice, and azithromycin, clarithromycin, clindamycin or a 1st generation cephalosporina for the penicillin-allergic patient.

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.
Therefore, it is extremely important that physicians confirm the diagnosis of GAS pharyngitis to prevent inappropriate administration of antimicrobials to large numbers of patients with non-streptococcal pharyngitis.


a Unless reaction to a penicillin was anaphylactic.

Diagnosis

...agnosis...

...children and adolescents, negative RADT tests sh...

...ive RADTs do not necessitate a back-...


Routine use of back up throat cultures for...


...nti-streptococcal antibody titers are not recommen...


...pharyngitis usually is not recommended for chi...


...ostic studies for GAS pharyngitis are not indic...


...ed children < 3 years old who have ot...


...st-treatment throat culture or RADT is not r...


Diagnostic testing or empiric treatment...


...1. Epidemiologic and Clinical Features of Group...


...al Etiology of Acute PharyngitisHa...


Treatment

Treatme...

...acute GAS pharyngitis should be treated with an ap...


...heir narrow spectrum of activity, infreq...


...ent of GAS pharyngitis in penicillin-a...


..., use of an analgesic/antipyretic agent suc...

...rin should be avoided in children. (SR, M)2...

...therapy with a corticosteroid is NOT recommended....


...nds that clinicians caring for patients with rec...


...SA recommends that identifying GAS carriers is no...


...OT recommend tonsillectomy solely to reduce...


...re 1. Group A Stretococcal Pharyngitis...


...Antibiotic Regimens Recommended for Group A St...

Penicillin V generic, oral (SR, H)Dose...

...neric, oral (SR, H)Dose: 50 mg/k...

...ine penicillin G generic, IM (SR,...

...nicillin-Allergic Individuals Cephalexin Kefl...

...Duricef®, Ultracef® PO (SR, H)Dose...

...mycin Cleocin® PO (SR, M)Dose: 7 mg/k...

...romycinb Zithromax® PO (SR, M)Dose: 12...

...thromycinb Biaxin® PO (SR, M)Dose:...


.... Treatment Regimens for Chronic GAS Carrie...


...cin Cleocin® (SR, H)Dose: 20-30 mg/...

...and Rifampin Rifadin®, Rimactane® (SR, H)Dos...

...ulanic acid Augmentin® (SR, M)Dose:...

...hine penicillin G PLUS Rifampin (SR, H)Penicilli...