Aetiologic agents of septic sore throat in Thai children

Abstract

A bacteriological study of children with respiratory infections in Bangkok during January to November 1976 revealed that 37% of the patients had symptoms and sign of bacterial pharyngotonsillitis. 26% of these children harboured Streptococcus pyogenes in their throats. The numbers of streptococci other than Group A and S. aureus were increased in the children with respiratory infections. However, S. aureus was found as the sole organism in children with exudate more often than in the children with only URI. The possible role of S. aureus in bacterial pharyngitis should not be ignored. Penicillin remains the drug of choice for the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis. If penicillin is contraindicated, erythromycin should be preferred over lincomycin as a second choice of drug in order to avoid treatment failure if lincomycin resistant streptococci are present.