Streptococcal Pharyngitis in Children: A Tertiary Pediatric Hospital in Bucharest, Romania

Children experience several episodes of acute pharyngitis until adulthood. Although most of them are of viral etiology, up to 30% of cases are due to Streptococcus pyogenes also known as group A streptococcus (GAS).[1] However, over 60% of children with acute pharyngitis receive antibiotics.[2] Differentiating between the viral and bacterial etiology of acute pharyngitis is often difficult to make, so the Society of Infectious Diseases of America recommends that the diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis should not be based solely on clinical criteria.[3] It is recommended to use rapid antigen detection test (RADT) or throat cultures to confirm the streptococcal etiology.[3] For their rational use of them, clinical scores were developed (modified Centor score/McIsaac and feverPAIN)[4,5] which facilitate an efficient selection of children who need testing to identify GAS. In the emergency department (ED), the use of RADT is preferred for a quick result and an immediate therapeutic decision.