Point of Care Streptococcal Pharyngitis Testing
Pharyngitis Acute
About this trial
This is an interventional diagnostic trial for Pharyngitis Acute focused on measuring Pediatrics, Emergency Department, Point of Care Testing, Group A Strep
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Children 3-17 years of age who seek care in a ED with sore throat, and in whom the ED clinician is considering a throat swab for culture for suspected GAS pharyngitis. In addition, only English speaking families will be recruited.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients younger than 3 and older than 17 years of age will be excluded. In addition, patients who had a throat swab completed and/or were treated with antibiotics prior to presenting to the ED for the current illness, and patients with underlying cardiorespiratory illness will be excluded.
Sites / Locations
- BC Children's Hospital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Active Comparator
Point of Care Testing
Standard Care
Point of care testing using the Alere i™ Strep A assay for patients randomized to this study arm when presenting with suspected streptococcal pharyngitis and having their throat swabbed. If test is positive, patients will be started on antibiotics prior to discharge from the ED. If test is negative, patients will not be started on antibiotics. At home, the patient family will be asked to complete an online survey and/or keep a written diary daily detailing their clinical course following discharge from the ED.
Conventional testing using a standard bacterial throat culture for patients randomized to this study arm when presenting with suspected streptococcal pharyngitis and having their throat swabbed. Patients will be discharged with a post-dated prescription and will be contacted in approximately 3 days if their culture results are positive to fill/take the antibiotics. At home, the patient family will be asked to complete an online survey and/or keep a written diary daily detailing their clinical course following discharge from the ED.