EVALUATION OF THE THERAPY FOR STREPTOCOCCAL PHARYNGITIS USING ABBOTT-TEST-PACK(R)-STREP-A

A total of 953 children (511 boys and 442 girls) with streptococcal ph aryngitis diagnose with Abbott Test Pack(R) Strep A (ATPSA) or throat cultures were analyzed. ATPSA specimens were repeatedly obtained until ATPSA turned negative during or after the treatment. The percentage o f positive ATPSA specimens reached the lowest value (9.2%) on the four th day of the course of the treatment, which indicates the acquisition from an infected individual is probably uncommon after the initial tr eatment. Bacteriological treatment failure (positive ATPSA after 14 da ys of treatment) occurred in 4.1% of the children. Out of 953 subjects studied, 216 (22.7%) had recurrent infections. More than 30% of the r ecurrent infections occurred within 2 months after initial infection. ATPSA is useful for establishing a rapid diagnosis and confirming the bacteriological success of the treatment.