title: Influence of antibiotic treatment on the isolation rate of group A streptococci from peritonsillar abscesses.
abstract: In a prospective one-year study, group A streptococci were cultured from pus specimens from 13 of 71 patients (18%) with peritonsillar abscesses. The isolation rate was significantly lower (7/57 = 12%) in patients who had received antibiotic treatment before specimen collection than in patients who had not received such treatment (6/12 = 50%). Group A streptococcus antigen detection tests on pus, using a commercially available diagnostic kit, had a low sensitivity (5/13 = 38%). It was concluded that in patients treated with antibiotics prior to collection of specimens, the absence of group A streptococcus on culture does not rule out that this organism could have been the principal etiologic agent.
authors.affiliation: Streptococcus Department, Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vimpel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D000039:Peritonsillar Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013492:Suppuration / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial