A Prospective Study of Nonsuppurative Complications of Streptococcal Pharyngitis

Year 2016, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 8 - 11, 01.03.2016

Mesut Yılmaz

https://doi.org/10.5799/jmid.328760

Abstract

Objective: Group A Streptococci (GAS) are the most important bacterial cause of pharyngitis. Antibiotic therapy can
be prescribed and failure to treat it is associated with suppurative and nonsuppurative complications. Nonsuppurative
complications occur after a latency period of a few weeks and include acute rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, streptococcal
toxic shock syndrome, acute glomerulonephritis, and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with
group A streptococci. The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency of nonsuppurative complications in properly
treated children with GAS pharyngitis.
Methods: We investigated the frequency of nonsuppurative complications in 1030 proven GAS pharyngitis patients between
5 and 15 years old, who were properly treated by a prospective observational study. All patients diagnosed with
GAS pharyngitis were followed up prospectively using a standard form for six months made by monthly phone calls.
Results: All the isolates recovered from the patients were susceptible to penicillin. Twentyseven (2.6%) patients developed
scarlet fever. No other nonsuppurative complications occured in our patient cohort.
Conclusions: Penicillin remains the drug of choice for treatment of GAS pharyngitis. The rate of nonsuppurative co

Keywords

Group A Streptococci, nonsuppurative complications, scarlet fever

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