Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis and Penicillin G

Group A streptococcal pharyngitis

The group A Streptococcus is the most common bacterial cause of pharyngitis. Although most cases of streptococcal pharyngitis are managed by primary care providers, the otolaryngologist is often consulted to assist in the management of patients with persistent sore throat, chronic streptococcal carriage, recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis, or complications of streptococcal infection. This arti...

Treatment strategies for group A streptococcal pharyngitis.

In the recent, nicely done study by Needham et al. (2) concerning the impact of a rapid group A streptococcal antigen assay on physician usage of appropriate antibiotics, there are two areas of concern. (i) In the abstract, the authors state that if the rapid antigen test alone had guided therapeutic choice, an appropriate course of antibiotics would have been prescribed for 95% of the patients...

Optimal Diagnosis and Treatment of Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis

Group A streptococcus (GAS), or Streptococcus pyogenes, is the most common pathogen responsible for bacterial pharyngitis, which has the following characteristic clinical manifestations: fever, tender cervical lymphadenopathy, exudative pharyngeal discharge, and absence of common cold symptoms (cough, coryza, rhinorrhea, diarrhea, oral ulcer) [1, 2]. In addition to these Centor criteria, GAS ph...

Identifying and treating group A streptococcal pharyngitis in children.

Management of Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis.

Bacteria are responsible for approximately 5 to 10 percent of pharyngitis cases, with group A beta-hemolytic streptococci being the most common bacterial etiology. A positive rapid antigen detection test may be considered definitive evidence for treatment; a negative test should be followed by a confirmatory throat culture when streptococcal pharyngitis is strongly suspected. Treatment goals in...