Pharyngitis epidemiology

Antimicrobial therapy should be limited to those who have clinical and epidemiologic features of Group A streptococcal pharyngitis with a positive laboratory test. 

Antimicrobial treatment should be limited to those who have clinical and epidemiologic features of group A streptococcal pharyngitis with a positive laboratory test. Penicillin is the drug of choice in the treatment of group A streptococcal pharyngitis (Table 107-8). It has the narrowest spectrum of activity, and it is effective, safe, and inexpensive. The only controlled studies that have demonstrated that antimicrobial therapy prevents rheumatic fever were done with procaine penicillin, which was later replaced with benzathine penicillin. " ... 

---