Prevalence of pathogenic bacteria in patients with sore throat.
From 361 females and 452 males (527 primary care out-patients and 286 in-patients) a total of 813 throat swabs were examined for bacterial pathogens by conventional bacteriological techniques. Beta-haemolytic streptococci were grouped by the coagglutination method. Throat swabs from 14% of males and 15.6% of females were positive for bacterial pathogens; 75 (64% specimens grew BHS group A. All age groups of both sexes yielded a similar proportion of organisms. All pathogens were sensitive to penicillin, erythromycin and cephradine.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification