Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Pharyngitis screening
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Routine screening for pharyngitis is not recommended. Testing for etiologic agents of pharyngitis should only be done in symptomatic patients.
Screening
Screening
Screening for etiologic agents of pharyngitis should only be done in symptomatic patients especially populations at risk. Anyone during the winter months is at risk of pharyngitis, especially those aged 5 to 15 years. Screening can be performed using rapid antigen detection test (RADT) or throat culture[1]
Screening of asymptomatic carriers can be considered in the following cases:
- Recurrent group A streptococcal pharyngitis among family members
- During an outbreak of rheumatic fever
- In patients with a personal history of acute rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease
References
References
- ↑ Gerber MA, Baltimore RS, Eaton CB, Gewitz M, Rowley AH, Shulman ST et al. (2009) Prevention of rheumatic fever and diagnosis and treatment of acute Streptococcal pharyngitis: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, the Interdisciplinary Council on Functional Genomics and Translational Biology, and the Interdisciplinary Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research: endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Circulation 119 (11):1541-51. DOI:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.191959 PMID: 19246689
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Venkata Sivakrishna Kumar Pulivarthi M.B.B.S [2]