Diagnosis of Streptococcal Pharyngitis In Children Under Five Years Clinical Prediction Versus Throat Culture and Rapid Antigen Detection

Abstract

Acute pharyngitis is one of the most common problems encountered by the practicing pediatrician. Streptococci are among the most common causes of bacteri<JI infection in inf<Jncy <Jnd childhood. It is important to distinguish betwee11 those children with viral pharyngitis and those with group A beta­ hepolytic streptococcal (GABI-Is) pharyngitis.

This study was carried out on I 00 patients with <Jcute pharyngitis in out patients clinic in the Pediatrics Department, EI-Minia University Hospital. •The age of patients ranged between 4-60 months, 58 males ancl42 females. Careful history taking and clinical examinat'ion for presence of nine specific pharyngeal

findings (pharyngeal erythema, palatal petechiae palatal erythema, tonsillar erythema <Jnd enlargement uvular erythema, uvuler oedenma, lonsiller exuci<Jte (white or yellow) and enlarged lender cervical lymph nodes in addition to fever (axillary temp, above 38.5 °C).

Laboratory investigations including throat swab culture, antigen detection test, anti-streptolysin 0 titer and C-reactive protein were clone for all patients.

The aim of this study is approach to diagnose group A, 13 hemolytic ' streptococcal pharyngitis based on clinical scoring system and try to prove it by

labor<Jtorv investigations ;md differentiate it li•onl other causes of pharyngitis.

P< tients were classified into two groups according to the results of throat swab culture as ltJIIowing:

Groups 1: positive swab culture, were 45 patients

Grmip II: negative swab culture were 55 patients.