title: How reliable and useful is the latex agglutination test in diagnosing streptococcal throat infection in general practice?
abstract: A rapid latex agglutination test for diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis in general practice was evaluated on 226 patients with acute throat infection. The test had a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 91% regarding group A beta hemolytic streptococci. The test was fairly simple to perform and the result was available before the patient left the office. The test was supplied as a self-contained kit, was safe to handle and economically acceptable. Even through this test is not a reliable as the traditional microbiological culture, it represents a significant practical and clinical improvement in the daily management of patients with acute throat infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hjortdahl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laerum
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaustad
mesh_terms: D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests / Q000592:standards*; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic