Caution Needed: Molecular Diagnosis of Pediatric Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis. (27th April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tanz, Robert R; Zheng, Xiaotian T; Carter, Donna M; Steele, Molly C; Shulman, Stanford T
• Is Part Of: Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. Volume 7:Number 3(2018:Sep.)
• Page Start: e145
• Page End: e147
• Publication Date: 2018-04-27
• Subjects: diagnostic testing -- group A streptococci -- loop-mediated isothermal amplification -- molecular test -- pharyngitis; Communicable diseases in children -- Periodicals; Children -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.929
• DOI: 10.1093/jpids/pix086
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2048-7193

Abstract

Abstract: Among throat swabs processed in the microbiology laboratory as back-up for negative rapid antigen detection test results, we found a significant increase in the proportion that tested positive for group A streptococci after changing from throat culture to a molecular test. For group A streptococcus testing, our hospital laboratory replaced throat cultures with a stand-alone molecular diagnostic test that takes no more than 1 hour to perform. The prevalence of positive laboratory test results increased significantly ( P < .0001) after the change to molecular testing, probably because of the extreme sensitivity of the molecular test.