Close contacts of a person with a streptococcal infection should be checked for the bacteria if they have symptoms or have ever had complications due to streptococcal infection. Doctors cannot tell just by looking whether a sore throat is caused by a streptococcal infection or a virus. Cellulitis and impetigo can often be diagnosed based on symptoms, although culture of a sample taken from impetigo sores can often help doctors identify other microorganisms that may be the cause, such as Staphylococcus aureus.
To diagnose necrotizing fasciitis, doctors frequently use x-rays, computed tomography CT , or magnetic resonance imaging MRI and culture. Exploratory surgery is often required to confirm the diagnosis.
Antibiotics shorten the duration of symptoms in young children but have only a modest effect on symptoms in adolescents and adults. Nevertheless, antibiotics are given to help prevent the spread of the infection to the middle ear, sinuses, and mastoid bone, as well as to prevent spread to other people.
Antibiotic therapy also helps prevent rheumatic fever, although it may not prevent kidney inflammation glomerulonephritis. Usually, antibiotics do not need to be started immediately. Waiting 1 to 2 days for culture results before starting antibiotics does not increase the risk of rheumatic fever. An exception is when a family member has or has had rheumatic fever. Then, every streptococcal infection in any family member should be treated as soon as possible.
Usually, penicillin or amoxicillin is given by mouth for 10 days. One injection of a long-lasting penicillin benzathine can be given instead. People who cannot take penicillin can be given erythromycin , clarithromycin , or clindamycin by mouth for 10 days or azithromycin for 5 days.
The bacteria that cause strep throat have never been resistant to penicillin. Fever, headache, and sore throat can be treated with acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs , which reduce pain and fever.
However, children should not be given aspirin because it increases the risk of Reye syndrome Reye Syndrome Reye syndrome is a very rare but life-threatening disorder that causes inflammation and swelling of the brain and impairment and loss of function of the liver.
The cause of Reye syndrome is Prompt treatment with antibiotics can prevent streptococcal infection from spreading rapidly and reaching the blood and internal organs. Consequently, cellulitis is often treated without doing a culture to identify the bacteria that are causing it. In such cases, doctors use antibiotics that are effective against both streptococci and staphylococci such as dicloxacillin or cephalexin.
Serious streptococcal infections such as necrotizing fasciitis, endocarditis, and severe cellulitis require penicillin, given intravenously, sometimes with other antibiotics. People with necrotizing fasciitis are treated in an intensive care unit ICU Types of units People who need specific types of care may be put in special care units.
Intensive care units ICUs are for people who are seriously ill. These people include those who have had a sudden, general In necrotizing fasciitis, dead, infected tissue must be surgically removed.
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Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Symptoms of group A streptococcal infection Diagnosis of group A streptococcal infection Person-to-person contact spreads group A streptococcal bacteria Treatment for group A streptococcal infection Children with group A streptococcal infection The infectious period for group A streptococcal infection Where to get help.
Symptoms of group A streptococcal infection Streptococcal sore throat pharyngitis Typical symptoms include of streptococcal sore throat include: a sore, red throat with thick pus-like fluid around the tonsils fever and chills enlarged and tender lymph nodes in and around the neck vomiting and abdominal complaints, particularly in children. Scarlet fever The symptoms of scarlet fever include: inflammation of the throat a pink-red rash spreading across the abdomen, side of the chest and in the skin folds.
Symptoms of impetigo include: blisters, typically around the nose and mouth and the legs fever and swollen lymph nodes in severe cases. Diagnosis of group A streptococcal infection For cases of pharyngitis and scarlet fever, the routine method of diagnosis is identification of the organism from a throat swab. Person-to-person contact spreads group A streptococcal bacteria You can contract group A streptococcal infection after contact with infected persons.
Antibiotics are used to treat strep infections. Start Here. Diagnosis and Tests. Prevention and Risk Factors. Related Issues. Clinical Trials. Article: Seasonal variations in use and outcome of rapid antigen detection tests Staphylococcal infections are a group of infections caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus.
Infection causes a range of symptoms, from skin conditions to food poisoning. If you have any other comments or suggestions, please let us know at comment yourgenome. Can you spare minutes to tell us what you think of this website? Open survey. In: Facts Targeting Disease. There are many different types of Streptococci and infections vary in severity from mild throat infections to pneumonia. Streptococcal infections are primarily treated with antibiotics.
Many strains live naturally in humans causing no symptoms.
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