Comparison of Alere i Strep A Rapid Molecular Assay With Rapid Antigen Testing and Culture in a Pediatric Outpatient Setting.
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 29931106.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1093/ajcp/aqy038.
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Abstract
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is the most common bacterial cause of pediatric acute pharyngitis, and its quick identification is important for subsequent treatment. We sought to determine whether molecular GAS-based testing can successfully replace GAS antigen testing and subsequent culture in a pediatric urgent care center. We tested 160 patient oropharyngeal samples by a rapid antigen GAS test, the Alere i Strep A test, and throat culture in a pediatric urgent care setting and calculated basic statistical metrics. The sensitivity and specificity of the molecular test were 98% and 100%, respectively, compared with culture. There was a 9% false-positive rate with the rapid antigen-based testing. The Alere test is sufficiently sensitive and specific for definitive GAS testing in a pediatric urgent care setting. This implementation has enabled us to provide definitive patient results at the time of each patient encounter.