Group A Strep: The Stray Dog of Bacterias (Addendum)

In Medical Concepts by Brent Thoma9 Comments

Well consider me embarrassed! Last week I made a post on Group A Strep. As with most of my posts, it was intended to be an overview of a common topic discussing primarily discussing its pathophysiology. However, I definitely should have taken a little more time to delve into the efficacy and necessity of treatment with antibiotics. A huge thank you to Dr. Lars Peterson (@LarsKristofer), an EM resident from Rochester, NY, who …

Group A Strep: The Stray Dog of Bacterias

In Medical Concepts by Brent Thoma2 Comments

Sore throat. Group A Strep. It’s a presenting complaint we see almost daily that certainly doesn’t get anyone’s heart racing. I feel comfortable identifying the “sick” child, have a well-practiced “it’s a virus” speech, am adept in the art of the parent-facilitated tonsil swab, and generally think I diagnose and manage these patients fairly well. For a discussion of the Modified Centor Score and helpful PV card, see Academic Life in the EM. …