Document Detail


Clinical scoring system in the evaluation of adult pharyngitis.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  8435167     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To compare results of a clinical scoring system for diagnosis of group A streptococcal pharyngitis with microbiologic results, when several different pharyngeal pathogens were tested simultaneously. DESIGN: Evaluation of clinical manifestations of 106 adult patients with pharyngitis of different microbial origin. SETTING: General private practice; Health Center Pulssi, Turku, Finland. PATIENTS: Adult patients whose chief complaints were sore throats. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: A symptom score that was assigned to each patient according to the total number of certain signs and symptoms that are postulated to increase the probability of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and blood measurements for infection. RESULTS: The highest symptom scores, 3 and 4, were found in 21 patients. These patients had pharyngitis due to group A streptococcus (four patients), group C streptococcus (four patients), group G streptococcus (two patients), group F streptococcus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, herpes simplex type 1 virus (two patients), and coxsackie B4 virus. No pathogen could be identified from three of the 21 patients. The C-reactive protein values and the leukocyte counts were raised significantly more often in streptococcal infections than in infections of other origin; the P values were .00016 and .028, respectively. CONCLUSION: Use of a clinical scoring system alone for diagnosis of pharyngitis may lead to improper use of anti-microbial agents. There is a need for accurate microbiologic diagnostic procedures in general practice to determine proper treatment of pharyngitis as well as to test the effect of antibacterial and, in the future, antiviral treatment in respiratory tract infections.
Authors:
H Sepp?l?; R Lahtonen; T Ziegler; O Meurman; K Hakkarainen; A Miettinen; P Arstila; J Eskola; P Saikku; P Huovinen
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Archives of otolaryngology--head & neck surgery     Volume:  119     ISSN:  0886-4470     ISO Abbreviation:  Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg.     Publication Date:  1993 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1993-03-25     Completed Date:  1993-03-25     Revised Date:  2010-03-24    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8603209     Medline TA:  Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  288-91     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Antimicrobial Research Laboratory, National Public Health Institute, Turku, Finland.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
C-Reactive Protein / analysis
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Female
Humans
Leukocyte Count
Male
Middle Aged
Pharyngitis / blood,  diagnosis*,  microbiology
Predictive Value of Tests
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / diagnosis
Streptococcal Infections / blood,  diagnosis*
Streptococcus pyogenes*
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
9007-41-4/C-Reactive Protein

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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