IDSA releases new guidelines for diagnosing strep throat

The Infectious Diseases Society of America released new guidelines  on diagnosing strep throat, or group A streptococcal pharyngitis. The guidelines recommend using a clinical scoring system to determine which patients should be tested for strep.

Testing for strep throat is common, and the frequent use of diagnostic tests can be costly to patients and providers. Additionally, false positives can lead to inappropriate and unnecessary antibiotic use. The new guidelines recommend a standardized scoring system as part of the evaluation of all patients with pharyngitis to better identify “low-risk” patients who are unlikely to benefit from testing or treatment for GAS pharyngitis.

“These new guidelines are intended to improve diagnostic accuracy. The majority of people coming in with a sore throat do not have strep,” said Miriam Barshak, MD, FIDSA, associate professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and senior author of the guidelines. “A scoring system can help clinicians determine which patients should be tested in order to make the diagnosis of strep throat and recommend an effective course of treatment.”

These guidelines include discussion, evidence and considerations for incorporating a scoring system in the evaluation of all patients with pharyngitis to identify candidates for further testing.

These new guidelines serve as an update to previous guidelines on managing and treating GAS pharyngitis. This is the first in a planned series of guidelines on GAS pharyngitis. 

In addition to Dr. Barshak, guideline authors include Jennifer Dien Bard, PhD, FIDSA; Jeffrey Linder, MD, MPH, FACP; Brian Mochon, PhD; Michael Watson, MD, PhD; Athena Kourtis, MD, PhD, MPH; Danielle Carter, MD; Guliz Erdem, MD, FIDSA; Judith Martin, MD; Daniel Shapiro, MD; Michael Wessels, MD, FIDSA; Adam Cohen, MD, MPH; Ryan Stevens, PharmD, BCIDP; Chris Gregory, MD, MPH; and Dipleen Kaur, BDS, MPH.  

 
About IDSA
The Infectious Diseases Society of America is a global community of 13,000 clinicians, scientists and public health experts working together to solve humanity’s smallest and greatest challenges, from tiny microbes to global outbreaks. Rooted in science, committed to health equity and driven by curiosity, our compassionate and knowledgeable members safeguard the health of individuals, our communities and the world by advancing the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Visit idsociety.org to learn more.