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Sore throat is among the top complaints presenting to urgent care, and determining the best options for treatment is essential to avoid unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, according to a study recently published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. In a small sample of 200 urgent care patients with acute pharyngitis or fever—including pediatric and higher-risk adult populations—researchers evaluated a rapid multiplex nucleic acid amplification test that detects 14 bacterial and viral pathogens. At least 1 pathogen was identified in 74.5% of patients in the study, with detection rates significantly higher in children than adults (84.6% vs 60.2%; p<0.001). Group A Streptococcus (22.5%) and influenza A (21.5%) were the most frequently detected pathogens, and children were more likely to have multiple pathogens identified. Treatable pathogens were detected in 51.5% of participants overall, and antibiotics were prescribed for 95.1% of patients with a treatable bacterial pathogen. Yet, antibiotics were also prescribed in 7% of cases when a virus was detected.
Targeted treatment: The authors concluded that the rapid multiplex molecular test studied in this report—the SPOTFIRE Sore Throat panel from BIOFIRE—may improve identification of pathogens causing sore throat and support more targeted antimicrobial prescribing, although they note that larger studies and assessment of cost-effectiveness are needed. It’s a CLIA-waived point-of-care test.