Association between bacterial finding, antibiotic treatment and clinical course in patients with pharyngotonsillitis : a registry-based study in primary healthcare in Sweden
(2021) In BMC Infectious Diseases 21(1).- Abstract
Background: The role of non-group A streptococci and Fusobacterium necrophorum in pharyngotonsillitis has been disputed and few prospective studies have evaluated the effect of antibiotic treatment. This study uses registry data to investigate the relation between antibiotic prescription for pharyngotonsillitis in primary healthcare and return visits for pharyngotonsillitis, complications, and tonsillectomy. Methods: Retrospective data were extracted from the regional electronic medical record system in Kronoberg County, Sweden, for all patients diagnosed with pharyngotonsillitis between 2012 and 2016. From these data, two cohorts were formed: one based on rapid antigen detection tests (RADT) for group A streptococci (GAS) and one based... (More)
Background: The role of non-group A streptococci and Fusobacterium necrophorum in pharyngotonsillitis has been disputed and few prospective studies have evaluated the effect of antibiotic treatment. This study uses registry data to investigate the relation between antibiotic prescription for pharyngotonsillitis in primary healthcare and return visits for pharyngotonsillitis, complications, and tonsillectomy. Methods: Retrospective data were extracted from the regional electronic medical record system in Kronoberg County, Sweden, for all patients diagnosed with pharyngotonsillitis between 2012 and 2016. From these data, two cohorts were formed: one based on rapid antigen detection tests (RADT) for group A streptococci (GAS) and one based on routine throat cultures for β-haemolytic streptococci and F. necrophorum. The 90 days following the inclusion visit were assessed for new visits for pharyngotonsillitis, complications, and tonsillectomy, and related to bacterial aetiology and antibiotic prescriptions given at inclusion. Results: In the RADT cohort (n = 13,781), antibiotic prescription for patients with a positive RADT for GAS was associated with fewer return visits for pharyngotonsillitis within 30 days compared with no prescription (8.7% vs. 12%; p = 0.02), but not with the complication rate within 30 days (1.5% vs. 1.8%; p = 0.7) or with the tonsillectomy rate within 90 days (0.27% vs. 0.26%; p = 1). In contrast, antibiotic prescription for patients with a negative RADT was associated with more return visits for pharyngotonsillitis within 30 days (9.7% vs. 7.0%; p = 0.01). In the culture cohort (n = 1 370), antibiotic prescription for patients with Streptococcus dysgalactiae ssp. equisimilis was associated with fewer return visits for pharyngotonsillitis within 30 days compared with no prescription (15% vs. 29%; p = 0.03). Conclusions: Antibiotic prescription was associated with fewer return visits for pharyngotonsillitis in patients with a positive RADT for GAS but with more return visits in patients with a negative RADT for GAS. There were no differences in purulent complications related to antibiotic prescription.
(Less)
- author
- Pallon, Jon LU ; Sundqvist, Martin ; Rööst, Mattias LU and Hedin, Katarina LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Aetiology, Fusobacterium necrophorum, Group A streptococci, Pharyngotonsillitis, Primary healthcare, Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis
- in
- BMC Infectious Diseases
- volume
- 21
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 779
- publisher
- BioMed Central (BMC)
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:34372771
- scopus:85112238672
- ISSN
- 1471-2334
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12879-021-06511-y
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- d5843198-ecfa-4964-be3d-ba57ab2aa7f2
- date added to LUP
- 2021-09-06 10:44:08
- date last changed
- 2024-06-01 15:06:00
@article{d5843198-ecfa-4964-be3d-ba57ab2aa7f2,
abstract = {{<p>Background: The role of non-group A streptococci and Fusobacterium necrophorum in pharyngotonsillitis has been disputed and few prospective studies have evaluated the effect of antibiotic treatment. This study uses registry data to investigate the relation between antibiotic prescription for pharyngotonsillitis in primary healthcare and return visits for pharyngotonsillitis, complications, and tonsillectomy. Methods: Retrospective data were extracted from the regional electronic medical record system in Kronoberg County, Sweden, for all patients diagnosed with pharyngotonsillitis between 2012 and 2016. From these data, two cohorts were formed: one based on rapid antigen detection tests (RADT) for group A streptococci (GAS) and one based on routine throat cultures for β-haemolytic streptococci and F. necrophorum. The 90 days following the inclusion visit were assessed for new visits for pharyngotonsillitis, complications, and tonsillectomy, and related to bacterial aetiology and antibiotic prescriptions given at inclusion. Results: In the RADT cohort (n = 13,781), antibiotic prescription for patients with a positive RADT for GAS was associated with fewer return visits for pharyngotonsillitis within 30 days compared with no prescription (8.7% vs. 12%; p = 0.02), but not with the complication rate within 30 days (1.5% vs. 1.8%; p = 0.7) or with the tonsillectomy rate within 90 days (0.27% vs. 0.26%; p = 1). In contrast, antibiotic prescription for patients with a negative RADT was associated with more return visits for pharyngotonsillitis within 30 days (9.7% vs. 7.0%; p = 0.01). In the culture cohort (n = 1 370), antibiotic prescription for patients with Streptococcus dysgalactiae ssp. equisimilis was associated with fewer return visits for pharyngotonsillitis within 30 days compared with no prescription (15% vs. 29%; p = 0.03). Conclusions: Antibiotic prescription was associated with fewer return visits for pharyngotonsillitis in patients with a positive RADT for GAS but with more return visits in patients with a negative RADT for GAS. There were no differences in purulent complications related to antibiotic prescription.</p>}},
author = {{Pallon, Jon and Sundqvist, Martin and Rööst, Mattias and Hedin, Katarina}},
issn = {{1471-2334}},
keywords = {{Aetiology; Fusobacterium necrophorum; Group A streptococci; Pharyngotonsillitis; Primary healthcare; Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
series = {{BMC Infectious Diseases}},
title = {{Association between bacterial finding, antibiotic treatment and clinical course in patients with pharyngotonsillitis : a registry-based study in primary healthcare in Sweden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12879-021-06511-y}},
doi = {{10.1186/s12879-021-06511-y}},
volume = {{21}},
year = {{2021}},
}