The impact of rapid antigen detection test (RADT) for group A streptococcus on the antibiotic prescription: an observational study from a primary care setting in Lisbon

Autores

  • Rita Azevedo USF do Parque
  • Leonardo Vinagre Unidade de Cuidados de Saúde Personalizados Sete Rios, Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5489-982X
  • Diana Marques Unidade de Saúde Familiar (USF) do Parque, Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8194-7380
  • Catarina Damásio Unidade de Cuidados de Saúde Personalizados Sete Rios, Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7370-9067
  • Regina Sá Unidade de Saúde Pública, Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde Baixo Vouga, Aveiro, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9978-2716
  • Leonor Jorge Unidade de Saúde Familiar (USF) do Parque, Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3563-1737
  • Margarida Magalhães Unidade de Saúde Familiar (USF) do Parque, Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3253-7622
  • Inês Mendes Unidade de Saúde Familiar (USF) do Parque, Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6051-0190
  • Joana Ortiz Unidade de Saúde Familiar (USF) do Parque, Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde Lisboa Norte, Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5670-4205
  • Vasco Maria Instituto de Medicina Preventiva e Saúde Pública, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4378-0265

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v39i2.13468

Palavras-chave:

Point of care testing, Pharyngitis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Antibiotics, Primary health care

Resumo

Introduction: Acute pharyngitis is a common diagnosis in primary care. Although viruses are the most common aetiology, antibiotic therapy is frequently prescribed. The inappropriate antibiotic prescription should be avoided to prevent antibiotic resistance. Many national and international guidelines recommend testing for group A streptococcus (GAS) before antibiotic treatment when clinical presentation suggests GAS infection.

Aim: This study aims to describe the feasibility of the implementation of the rapid antigen detection test (RADT) in a primary care setting and its impact on antibiotic prescription.  Secondary goals include the evaluation of possible associations between symptoms and RADT results.

Methods: From October 2019 to March 2020, patients presenting with acute pharyngitis at USF do Parque were eligible. A questionnaire was applied to divide the individuals into four different groups (clearly viral, probably viral, diagnostic doubt, and probably bacterial), and to assess the previous intention to prescribe antibiotics. We applied 136 questionnaires and performed 133 RADT. Nursing staff classified the specimen collection process and result from interpretation according to its difficulty. The proportion of antibiotics avoided was estimated as the number of times physicians changed their intended antibiotic prescription following a negative RADT result.

Results: Among the tests performed, 97.7% were easy to interpret. Without RADT, 45 patients were going to be prescribed an antibiotic. After the test result, 27 antibiotic prescriptions were avoided. Tonsil hypertrophy, palatal petechiae, and fever increased the odds of a positive RADT result. Cough was associated with a negative RADT result.

Conclusions: This study showed that RADT is easy to implement and contributed to appropriate antibiotic prescription. Tonsil hypertrophy, palatal petechiae, and fever were significantly associated with a positive RADT result, and cough was associated with a negative RADT result. Primary care centers would benefit from having RADT available when there is strong suspicion or doubt of bacterial pharyngitis.

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Publicado

2023-05-03

Como Citar

Azevedo, R., Vinagre, L., Marques, D., Damásio, C., Sá, R. ., Jorge, L., Magalhães, M., Mendes, I. ., Ortiz, J., & Maria, V. (2023). The impact of rapid antigen detection test (RADT) for group A streptococcus on the antibiotic prescription: an observational study from a primary care setting in Lisbon. Revista Portuguesa De Medicina Geral E Familiar, 39(2), 121–8. https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v39i2.13468

Edição

Vol. 39 N.º 2 (2023): Revista Portuguesa de Medicina Geral e Familiar

Secção

Investigação Original

Licença

Direitos de Autor (c) 2023 Revista Portuguesa de Medicina Geral e Familiar

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