Diagnosis and management of children with streptococcal pharyngitis.

Physicians must be aware that rheumatic fever can no longer be considered a disease of the past and be prepared to diagnose and treat promptly children with streptococcal pharyngitis. Although the rapid diagnostic kits for detecting Group A streptococci in pharyngeal swabs are not perfect, they can be useful to the practitioner if positive because the specificity of the test is excellent. Thus, a child with pharyngitis who has a positive rapid test should be treated immediately to shorten the period of morbidity and to reduce the risk of nonsuppurative sequelae. Upon completion of a 10-day treatment course there is usually no reason to reculture the pharynx if the child is asymptomatic. Recurrence of symptoms is an indication to perform another culture and to retreat with either benzathine penicillin G or erythromycin depending on compliance of the patient and the agent used initially for therapy. Eradication of Group A streptococci from the pharynx of children who are carriers is usually a difficult and unnecessary task. When eradication is indicated, such as when the carrier has had contact with a person who had rheumatic fever, rifampin should be added to the penicillin regimen (Table 4).