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DETECTION OF GROUP A STREPTOCOCCAL ANTIGEN FROM THROAT SWABS BY USE OF A LATEX AGGLUTINATION TEST KIT IN GENERAL PRACTICE
Author(s) -
Hoffmann STEEN,
Henrichsen JØRGEN
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica series b: microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0108-0180
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1987.tb03093.x
Subject(s) - bacitracin , latex fixation test , throat , throat culture , medicine , predictive value , antigen , pharyngitis , group a , streptococcus , streptococcus pyogenes , group b , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , staphylococcus aureus , surgery , biology , antibiotics , antibody , bacteria , genetics
In 11 general practice offices, with a total of 29 general practitioners, throat swabs from 468 patients with acute pharyngotonsillitis were assayed for group A streptococci with a commercial antigen detection test kit (Culturette Brand Ten‐Minute Group A Strep ID; Marion Scientific, Div. of Marion Laboratories, Inc., Kansas City. MO 64114, USA). Compared to aerobic cultures carried out in our laboratory, the sensitivity of the antigen detection test was 73%; the specificity, 98%; the positive predictive value, 96%; the negative predictive value, 84%; and the overall agreement with laboratory findings, 88%. The prevalence of group A streptococci was 42%. Tests performed by assistants were significantly less sensitive (52%) than tests carried out by the physicians themselves (77%). The sensitivity of office cultures was 83% for blood agar plates supplemented with bacitracin discs, and 77% for Streptocult. We conclude that antigen detection tests should not presently be substituted for office cultures in the diagnosis of group A streptococcal throat infections.