Evaluation of the fluorescent test for office-based detection of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci infection.

Primary care physicians are frequently called upon to diagnose and treat streptococcal illness. Group A beta-hemolytic species have been associated with serious complications, making accurate diagnosis important to the clinician. This study was designed to compare a new test using a fluorescent tag with the traditional blood agar-bacitracin disc method and the capillary precipitin test. The fluorescent test for group A beta-hemolytic streptococci has been shown to be rapid and simple to perform. More important, the sensitivity and specificity appear to be equal to the capillary precipitin test and superior to the commonly used blood agar-bacitracin disc method.