Evaluation of a rapid antigen detection test in the diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis in children and its impact on antibiotic prescription.
OBJECTIVE
To study the performance of the Becton-Dickinson Link 2 Strep A Rapid Test, a rapid antigen detection test (RADT) for diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis in children presenting to private offices and to the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic of a university hospital, in relation to clinical criteria (fever, tender anterior cervical lymph nodes, tonsillar exudate and absence of cough), and its impact on antibiotic prescription.


METHODS
Children were enrolled in Group A (enrolment by private-practice paediatricians; diagnosis by clinical picture only), Group B (enrolment by private-practice paediatricians; diagnosis by RADT and culture) or Group C (enrolment by hospital-affiliated paediatricians in the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic; diagnosis by RADT and culture).


RESULTS
During a 2 year period, 820 children were enrolled [369 (45%) in Group A, 270 (33%) in Group B and 181 (22%) in Group C]. Streptococcal pharyngitis was diagnosed by RADT and culture in 146 (32.4%) of the 451 tested children. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of the RADT were 83.1%, 93.3%, 82.4% and 93.6%, respectively. A stepwise increase in the sensitivity of the RADT was noted among children with one, two, three or four clinical criteria (60.9% to 95.8%). Paediatricians without access to laboratory tests were more likely to prescribe antibiotics compared with paediatricians with access to tests (72.2% versus 28.2%, P < 0.001). Private-practice paediatricians prescribed antibiotics more frequently compared with hospital-affiliated paediatricians (55.7% versus 19.9%, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support screening of all children with pharyngitis for Centor criteria and subsequently performing an RADT to guide decision for antibiotic administration. Such a strategy has an important impact on limiting throat culture testing and is associated with reduced antibiotic prescription.
Maltezou
Helen C
HC
Office for Nosocomial Infections, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Rational Use of Antibiotics, Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece.
Tsagris
Vasilios
V
Antoniadou
Anastasia
A
Galani
Labrini
L
Douros
Constantinos
C
Katsarolis
Ioannis
I
Maragos
Antonios
A
Raftopoulos
Vasilios
V
Biskini
Panagiota
P
Kanellakopoulou
Kyriaki
K
Fretzayas
Andreas
A
Papadimitriou
Theodoros
T
Nicolaidou
Polyxeni
P
Giamarellou
Helen
H
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007159:Immunologic Tests / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial