Strep throat

What is strep throat?

Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat and tonsils. It is most common in school-aged children, but can happen in younger children as well. Younger children are more likely to get strep throat if they have an older sibling or parent/caregiver with strep throat. Your child may show signs of strep throat from one to three days after being exposed.

What are the symptoms of strep throat?

The most common symptoms are:

• Fever (usually higher than 101 degrees F).
• Sore throat.
• Headache.
• Abdominal pain.
• Swollen glands in the neck.
• Decreased appetite.
• Not wanting to swallow or drooling.
• Decreased energy or fatigue.

Most sore throats are caused by viruses and not strep. Unfortunately it can be very difficult to tell the difference without testing. Often, children who have runny noses and a cough along with their sore throat do not have strep. If you are wondering if your child has strep throat ,you can come in to clinic for an evaluation and throat swab.

How is strep throat diagnosed?

We will swab your child's throat with two cotton-tipped swabs to check for strep throat. The first swab will be used to run a rapid strep test. The results of the rapid test are available in 10-15 minutes. The rapid test is positive in approximately 95 percent of cases of strep throat. If the rapid test is negative, the second swab is used for a throat culture. The culture takes 48 hours to grow and catches the remaining 5 percent of strep cases not diagnosed by the rapid test. We will read your child's throat culture each day for two days and call if it becomes positive.

How is strep throat treated?

Strep throat is treated with an antibiotic. It is important to take all of the medication, even if your child is feeling better after the first couple of days. If your child does not take all of the medication, the infection can come back.

It also is important to treat the symptoms of strep throat:

• Ibuprofen or Tylenol will help with pain and fever.
• Cool liquids, popsicles and ice cream will be easier for your child to swallow while their throat is still sore.

Your child will need to stay home from school until they have been on antibiotics for 24 hours. To keep strep from spreading throughout the house, it is important for other family members to wash hands frequently and avoid sharing cups and eating utensils. If any of the other family members start to develop fever and a sore throat you should bring them in to clinic for a strep test. You also should replace your child's toothbrush one to two days after starting the antibiotic.

How long does it last?

Your child should start feeling better one to three days after starting the antibiotic, but it is still important to complete the full course of the medication.

Are there any complications?

There are two major complications of strep throat, Rheumatic Fever and Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis.

• The symptoms of Rheumatic Fever include pain and swelling of the joints, fever, rash, uncontrollable arm and leg movements and nodules under the skin. There also can be damage to one of the heart valves. These symptoms occur from two to five weeks after strep throat begins. This is prevented by taking antibiotics.
• Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis is a problem involving the kidneys. Symptoms of Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis include dark coca-cola colored urine and mild swelling of the hands, feet and eyes. These symptoms may be seen around 10 days after strep throat begins. Taking antibiotics does not prevent this.

What to watch for:

Call the clinic if your child:

• Is not feeling better after 48 to 72 hours of antibiotics.
• Has any of the symptoms of Rheumatic Fever or Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis.
• Has symptoms of dehydration such as no urination for eight to 12 hours, sunken eyes, dry mouth, no tears when crying, or cool hands and feet.

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