Strep throat treatment can be shortened.

Most people recover within a week without treatment, regardless of the cause of the infection — but it's important to watch out for signs of serious infection early, says Maria Forberg, an infectious disease physician and investigator at the Swedish Medicines Agency in one of the studies. Press release on new recommendations.

The recommendations also state that if patients develop signs of serious infection, or symptoms such as general effects, difficulties breathing or swallowing, or diarrhea or vomiting, they should be referred urgently to hospital.

For other patients who meet at least three central criteria (fever above 38.5°C, swollen or painful lymph nodes in the angles of the jaw, absence of cough and deposits on the tonsils), a rapid test for group A streptococcus (GAS) can be used. If the test is positive, the MMA recommends antibiotic treatment.

“If the healthcare system deems it necessary to treat, our recommendation is to offer the patient five to ten days of treatment,” says Maria Forberg, an infectious disease physician and investigator at the Swedish Medicines Agency, in the press release.

The new treatment recommendation from the Swedish Medicines Agency applies in the normal situation. However, the situation at the moment is special, as there are an unusually high number of infections caused by group A streptococcus (GAS). The Public Health Agency approved this summer Supplementary recommendationswhich still needs to be implemented. They stress that early detection is especially important at the present time, because there are unusually many cases of strep throat.

Lakartidningen.se 2024-08-28