Improving Antimicrobial Stewardship in Acute Sore Throat: Comparison of FeverPAIN and McIsaac Scores with Molecular Point of Care Testing Using Abbott ID NOW.

The diagnosis of streptococcal throat infection is an area where current practice results in significant over-diagnosis of bacterial infection, with the resulting implications for antimicrobial use and resistance. The use of molecular point of care testing (POCT) has previously been shown to alter antibiotic prescribing decisions when compared to Centor scoring. This paper explores the impact of the addition of POCT to clinical assessment using the McIsaac and FeverPAIN scoring systems.

Does the Addition of Point-of-Care Testing Alter Antibiotic Prescribing Decisions When Patients Present with Acute Sore Throat to Primary Care? A Prospective Test of Change.

Accurate clinical diagnosis of patients presenting to primary care settings with acute sore throat remains challenging, often resulting in the over-prescribing of antibiotics. Using point-of-care tests (POCTs) to differentiate between respiratory infections is well-accepted, yet evidence on the application within primary care is sparse. We assessed the application of testing patients ( = 160) from three family practices with suspected Streptococcal infections using rapid molecular tests (ID NOW Strep A2, Abbott).