Diagnosis and Management of Adults with Pharyngitis
Authors: Stuart Cohen, Robert Centor
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2004)

Letters4 May 2004Diagnosis and Management of Adults with PharyngitisStuart Cohen, MD and Robert Centor, MDStuart Cohen, MDFrom University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-3407.Search for more papers by this author and Robert Centor, MDFrom University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-3407.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-140-9-200405040-00022 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Neuner and colleagues' cost-effectiveness analysis on the diagnosis and management of adults with pharyngitis (1) concluded that observation, culture, and rapid antigen test strategies for possible group A β-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis have similar effectiveness. They also concluded that empirical treatment was not the best strategy, regardless of prevalence.This result assumes that the adverse consequences of antibiotic therapy exceed the derived treatment benefit. The rationale for treating group A β-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis includes the prevention of suppurative complications (peritonsillar abscess) and nonsuppurative complications (acute rheumatic fever) as well decreasing contagion and relieving symptoms. Neuner and colleagues appropriately ...References1. Neuner JM, Hamel MB, Phillips RS, Bona K, Aronson MD. Diagnosis and management of adults with pharyngitis. A cost-effectiveness analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2003;139:113-22. [PMID: 12859161] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Hillner BE, Centor RM. What a difference a day makes: a decision analysis of adult streptococcal pharyngitis. J Gen Intern Med. 1987;2:244-50. [PMID: 3302145] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Herman JM. Patients' willingness to take risks in the management of pharyngitis. J Fam Pract. 1984;19:767-72. [PMID: 6502081] MedlineGoogle Scholar4. Tengs TO, Wallace A. One thousand health-related quality-of-life estimates. Med Care. 2000;38:583-637. [PMID: 10843310] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Rousculp M. Clinical management of adults with group A-beta hemolytic streptococci-suspected pharyngitis: a cost-effectiveness analysis [Dissertation]. Birmingham, AL: University of Alabama at Birmingham; 2002. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Stuart Cohen, MD; Robert Centor, MDAffiliations: From University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-3407. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoDiagnosis and Management of Adults with Pharyngitis: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Joan M. Neuner , Mary Beth Hamel , Russell S. Phillips , Kira Bona , and Mark D. Aronson Diagnosis and Management of Adults with Pharyngitis Joan Neuner and Mark D. Aronson Diagnosis and Management of Adults with Pharyngitis Norman D. Corwin Metrics 4 May 2004Volume 140, Issue 9Page: 763KeywordsAntibioticsAntigensDiarrheaPeritonsillar abscessesPharyngitisRheumatic feverStreptococcal pharyngitis ePublished: 4 May 2004 Issue Published: 4 May 2004 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2004 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...