Group A Streptococcal Infections

The most common group A streptococcal (GAS) infection is acute pharyngotonsillitis (pharyngitis), which manifests as sore throat with tonsillar inflammation and often tender anterior cervical lymphadenopathy, palatal petechiae, or a strawberry tongue. Purulent complications of pharyngitis include peritonsillar or retropharyngeal abscesses, suppurative cervical adenitis, and rarely, sinusitis and otitis media. Nonsuppurative complications include acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and acute glomerulonephritis (AGN). The goal of antimicrobial therapy for GAS pharyngitis is to reduce acute morbidity, suppurative and nonsuppurative (ARF) complications, and transmission to close contacts. Antimicrobial therapy to prevent AGN after pyoderma or pharyngitis is not effective.

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