The prevalence of potential pathogenic bacteria in nasopharyngeal samples from individuals with a respiratory tract infection and a sore throat--implications for the diagnosis of pharyngotonsillitis

• BACKGROUND: Treatment failure in patients with pharyngotonsillitis after a traditional course of penicillin V is a common finding. Several factors have been proposed to explain the failure rate, but the presence of aetiological agents other than group A beta-haemolytic streptococci has attracted little attention. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to investigate if a nasopharyngeal sample could suggest the aetiology of a sore throat in patients with a respiratory tract infection. METHODS: The prevalence of potentially pathogenic bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis) in nasopharyngeal samples from 618 healthy individuals was compared with that from 108 patients with a respiratory tract infection and a sore throat. RESULTS: The prevalence of H.influenzae was higher in patients with a sore throat than in healthy individuals of the same age. For the adult patients with a sore throat, the prevalence was 27.5% compared with 2.7% for the healthy carriers (P < 10(-7)). The corresponding figures for schoolchildren were 31.3% versus 6.1% (P = 0.004) and for pre-school children 37.8% versus 13.2% (P = 0.0003). CONCLUSIONS: If H.influenzae is found in a nasopharyngeal sample from a patient with a respiratory tract infection and a sore throat, it might be the aetiological agent.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Infektionsmedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Infectious Medicine (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Allmänmedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- General Practice (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Adolescent

Adult

Bacteriological Techniques

Carrier State/epidemiology/*microbiology

Case-Control Studies

Child

Child

Preschool

Haemophilus Infections/epidemiology/*microbiology

*Haemophilus influenzae

Humans

*Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis

Nasopharynx/*microbiology

Neisseriaceae Infections/epidemiology/*microbiology

Pharyngitis/epidemiology/*microbiology

Prevalence

Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology/*microbiology

Streptococcal Infections/epidemiology/*microbiology

*Streptococcus pneumoniae

Sweden/epidemiology

Tonsillitis/epidemiology/*microbiology

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)