Specimen:

Throat Swab

Comments:

Collect: Two throat Swabs
Send one throat Swab and requisition for Group A Strep Culture to 
Microbiology.  Send second throat swab and requisition for Group A 
Rapid Strep Screen to Specimen Control.

The panel includes culture confirmation of negative Group A 
Streptococcal (GAS) rapid antigen tests.  The GAS culture will not be 
performed in the rapid test is postive.

This panel is available only in Epic.

For children and adolescents, a negative rapid GAS antigen detection 
test should be confirmed with a throat culture.  A negative rapid 
antigen test without culture confirmation is considered an acceptable 
practice for adults because of the lower incidence of GAS pharyngitis 
and minimal risk of rheumatic fever.  Practice guidelines for the 
diagnosis of GAS pharyngitis are available at Infectious Diseases 
Society of America (IDSA) (Clin Infect Dis 2002; 35:113-25) and 
Circulation (Circulation 2009; 119:1541-1551).