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Acute pharyngitis screen (Calgary/South)
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Test Name:
Acute pharyngitis screen (Calgary/South)
Ordering Information:
Throat culture
Organism(s)/Disease(s):
Acute pharyngitis screen (culture)
Acute pharyngitis screen (NAAT)
Arcanobacterium haemolyticum
Group A Streptococcus
Group C/G Streptococcus
Strep throat
Streptococcus pyogenes
Body Source(s):
Throat
Clinical Prerequisite(s):
  • Swabs are processed for molecular detection of Group A Streptococcus (S. pyogenes) only
  • S. pyogenes culture and susceptibility testing is performed when a history of penicillin allergy is provided
  • Culture for other organisms (A. haemolyticum, Group C/G Streptococcus or N. gonorrhoeae) is performed if appropriate history is provided.  Refer to Neisseria. gonorrhoeae culture (Calgary/South) for more information

Provision of relevant, clinical information is important to ensure a clinically relevant result.
Always provide/record:
•  specimen source
•  current antibiotic therapy and start date
•  clinical history - symptoms and start date
•  travel history

Collection Device/Tube Type:
E-swab collection device
Swab in clear transport media
Collection Instructions:
  1. Depress the tongue gently with a tongue depressor
  2. Extend the sterile swab between the tonsillar pillars and behind the uvula.  Avoid touching cheeks, tongue, uvula, or lips
  3. Sweep the swab back and for across the posterior pharynx, tonsillar area, and any inflamed or ulcerated areas, to obtain the sample
  4. Carefully place the swab in the collection device - without contaminating it
Handling and Storage:
Room temperature
Rejection Criteria:
  • Mislabelled or unlabelled specimen or requisition
  • No swab collection device
  • Swab submitted in charcoal transport media

Turnaround Times
See Microbiology Information»
Comments:
Swabs are processed for Group A Streptococcus (S. pyogenes) testing only.  It is performed by loop mediated nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) targeting the spy gene of S. pyogenes
•  This test was developed and validated by Calgary Microbiology, Diagnostic & Scientific Centre
•  Compared to standard culture-based detection of S. pyogenes, this test's sensitivity is 100% and specificity 95%


Last Reviewed:
06 May 2023
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