title: Approach to a child with sore throat.
abstract: Sore throat is one of the common reasons for outpatient and emergency visits among children. It could be because of several etiologies; of these bacterial pharyngitis is the most important. Major challenge for the clinician is to diagnose group A beta hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) pharyngitis and diphtheria, which are associated with serious complications. Throat swab smear with culture and rapid antigen tests are useful for making the diagnosis but the later may not be available in resource poor settings. Many clinical scores have been devised to diagnose GABHS with variable success but usually clinical features, epidemiological criteria and expert clinical judgment with or without supportive investigations indicate need for antibiotics. A child with sore throat and toxic look may have diphtheria or parapharyngeal/retropharyngeal abscess, and therefore should be hospitalized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Advanced Pediatrics Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India.
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: Sunit C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Singhi
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D010808:Physical Examination; D013048:Specimen Handling
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents