Current Issues of the Diagnosis of Infections Caused by Group A Streptococci | CMAC

Current Issues of the Diagnosis of Infections Caused by Group A Streptococci

Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2011; 13(3):223-230

Type
Journal article

Abstract

Currently, culture remains a standard diagnostic method for streptococcal infections. However, over the last decade, rapid diagnostic tests, which are based on direct detection of a streptococcal antigen in tonsil and/or throat swabs, are more increasingly used over in patients with the most common clinical presentation of streptococcal infection (i.e. tonsillopharyngitis). The use of those rapid tests is a routine outpatient practice in many European countries, whereas is very rare in Russia. The tests rapidly diagnose streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis and significantly reduce unreasonable antibiotic prescriptions in patients with infections caused by other pathogens. New generation rapid tests based on immune chromatography provide results for 5-6 minutes and have high sensitivity and specificity (>95% of each). Perspectives of the use of those tests in Russia are considered in this paper.

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