Primary Prevention of Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease With Penicillin in South African Children With Pharyngitis

Abstract

Treating all children presenting with pharyngitis in urban primary care clinics in South Africa with intramuscular penicillin is the least costly. A strategy of using a clinical decision rule without culturing is overall the preferred strategy. A strategy of culturing all children may be prohibitively expensive.