Title: Should Routine Throat Cultures Be Done in Hospital Personnel Complaining of a Sore Throat?
Abstract: Abstract In a 750-bed community-teaching hospital with 3,200 employees, throat cultures were routinely done in hospital personnel complaining of a sore throat. During a 3-month period, 323 employees had throat cultures; only 20 (6.2%) of these throat cultures grew group A streptococcus. The prevalence of positive throat cultures was similarly low in employees (6.2%) and adult patients (7.3%). There was no evidence that employees either had higher prevalence of group A streptococcal pharyngitis or that they spread the infection to patients. It is concluded that routine throat cultures are not warranted in employees complaining of a sore throat, and that throat cultures should be done only selectively in hospital personnel with a high probability of group A streptococcal pharyngitis.
Publication Year: 1985
Publication Date: 1985-05-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 8
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