Effectiveness of clinical guidelines for the presumptive treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis in Egyptian children

Abstract

The WHO ARI clinical guideline has a high specificity but low sensitivity that limits the unnecessary use of antibiotics, but does not treat 88% of children with a positive streptococcal throat culture who are at risk of acute rheumatic fever. A modified guideline may be more useful in this population. Prospective studies of treatment guidelines from many regions are needed to assess their use since the frequency of pharyngitis varies.