Conventional Treatment A throat culture provides the only conclusive diagnosis of streptococcus infection. Using a swab, the physician gently removes mucus from the back of the throat for examination. In a modern laboratory, a culture can be done very quickly, and the results can be in your doctors hands within twenty-four hours. A chemically based test, known as quick-strep, can give a tentative answer in fifteen to twenty minutes. This test is only 85- to 90-percent accurate, however, and will miss a few cases. A quick-strep test should therefore always be backed up with a regular throat culture, especially when the initial results are negative. A newer test, called Strep OIA, also gives a result in fifteen minutes, but is more sensitive.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 10:05:09 +0000
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