title: Testing for group a streptococci.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laboratory diagnosis of group A streptococcal pharyngitis in physician office and small-hospital laboratories.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize laboratory practices for the diagnosis of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and to identify opportunities for improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Voluntary self-assessment questionnaire, used to assess the laboratory practices of 790 laboratories subscribing to the College of American Pathologists Excel Microbiology Proficiency Testing Program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed discrepancies between self-reported and recommended specimen collection and laboratory testing practices for some laboratories. The most notable discrepancies were failing to provide a written specimen-collection procedure (17.8%), sampling the tongue and oral mucosa (2%), failing to always perform back-up cultures when rapid antigen test results were negative (57.5%), and finalizing culture reports within 24 hours or less (34.0%). Additionally, among those respondents who used the bacitracin disk, 57.9% (277 respondents) applied the disk directly onto a primary plate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Opportunities exist to improve testing practices for the diagnosis of group A streptococcal pharyngitis for some physician office and small-hospital laboratories.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn 55905, USA. dale.jane@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Jane C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Higgens
authors.forename: Elmer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wahl
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards*; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D011786:Quality Control; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification*