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Table 4 Aetiological test results and antibiotic choice in relation to outcomes

From: Association between bacterial finding, antibiotic treatment and clinical course in patients with pharyngotonsillitis: a registry-based study in primary healthcare in Sweden

Aetiological test

Antibiotics1

Pharyngotonsillitis

Complication

Peritonsillitis2

Tonsillectomy

30 d

30 d

60 d

30 d

60 d

90 d

RADT for GAS

       

 Positive

PcV

652/7685 (8.5%)

108/7685 (1.4%)

169/7504 (2.3%)

23/7685 (0.30%)

27/7504 (0.36%)

16/7358 (0.22%)

Clindamycin

37/333 (11%)

10/333 (3.0%)

14/331 (4.2%)

4/333 (1.2%)

4/331 (1.2%)

3/328 (0.91%)

Cefadroxil

31/340 (9.1%)

5/340 (1.5%)

7/335 (2.1%)

2/340 (0.59%)

2/335 (0.60%)

1/331 (0.30%)

p

0.2

0.07†

0.06

0.02†

0.04†

0.04†

 Negative

PcV

145/1604 (9.0%)

25/1604 (1.6%)

33/1582 (2.1%)

10/1604 (0.62%)

13/1582 (0.82%)

3/1564 (0.19%)

Clindamycin

25/178 (14%)

5/178 (2.8%)

6/176 (3.4%)

5/178 (2.8%)

5/176 (2.8%)

2/174 (1.1%)

Cefadroxil

13/115 (11%)

1/115 (0.87%)

2/115 (1.7%)

0/115

0/115

1/115 (0.87%)

p

0.08

0.4†

0.4†

0.02†

0.046†

0.052†

Throat culture3

       

 S. pyogenes

PcV

15/101 (15%)

1/101 (0.99%)

1/100 (1.0%)

1/101 (0.99%)

1/100 (1.0%)

0/98

Clindamycin

3/19 (16%)

0/19

0/19

0/19

0/19

0/19

Cefadroxil

3/19 (16%)

0/19

1/19 (5.3%)

0/19

0/19

0/19

p

1†

1†

0.5†

1†

1†

-

 S. dysgalactiae ssp. equisimilis4

PcV

10/64 (16%)

2/64 (3.1%)

2/63 (3.2%)

2/64 (3.1%)

2/63 (3.2%)

0/62

Clindamycin

3/13 (23%)

0/13

0/13

0/13

0/13

0/13

Cefadroxil

0/8

0/8

0/8

0/8

0/8

0/8

p

0.5†

1†

1†

1†

1†

-

 F. necrophorum5

PcV

7/25 (28%)

1/25 (4.0%)

2/25 (8.0%)

0/25

1/25 (4.0%)

1/22 (4.5%)

Clindamycin

4/15 (27%)

2/15 (13%)

2/15 (13%)

2/15 (13%)

2/15 (13%)

0/15

Cefadroxil

0/0

0/0

0/0

0/0

0/0

0/0

p

1†

0.6†

0.6†

0.1†

0.6†

1†

 Negative

PcV

83/318 (26%)

20/318 (6.3%)

23/311 (7.4%)

17/318 (5.3%)

18/311 (5.8%)

4/307 (1.3%)

Clindamycin

17/70 (24%)

6/70 (8.6%)

7/70 (10%)

6/70 (8.6%)

6/70 (8.6%)

2/69 (2.9%)

Cefadroxil

9/24 (38%)

0/24

0/24

0/24

0/24

0/23

p

0.4

0.4†

0.3†

0.3†

0.4†

0.5†

  1. Fisher’s exact test; RADT Rapid Antigen Detection Test; GAS Group A Streptococci
  2. 1Antibiotics prescribed on the same day as the index visit. In Sweden, PcV is the recommended antibiotic for pharyngotonsillitis and Clindamycin and Cefadroxil are alternatives. All antibiotics are recommended for ten days of treatment
  3. 2All cases with peritonsillitis are also included in “Complication”
  4. 3Refers to findings of single pathogens within seven days of the index visit
  5. 4Before 2013, S. dysgalactiae ssp. equisimilis was reported as either group C or G streptococci, which is detailed in the Methods section
  6. 5To detect F. necrophorum, an extended culture was needed (see Methods section). In total, 625/1 370 (46%) of the patients had an extended culture