Table 2 Patient self-assessment and expectation, clinical assessment by the GPs and GAS-results in study throat swabs
Guideline (GL-group) N = 189 | Guideline + RADT (GL-RADT-group) N = 172 | Usual care (UC-group) N = 159 | Total N = 520 | p-value* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patients’ self-assessment and expectations*** | |||||
Severe discomfort | 148/175 (85) | 149/162 (92) | 130/150 (87) | 427/487 (88) | 0.107 |
Wish for a relieving remedy | 154/178 (87) | 153/165 (93) | 124/150 (83) | 431/493 (87) | 0.024 |
Wish to get an antibiotic | 62/178 (35) | 52/163 (32) | 42/146 (29) | 156/486 (32) | 0.486 |
Clinical assessment by the GPs | |||||
Days of sore throat until consultation [Mean ± SD] | 3.3 ± 2.6 | 2.9 ± 1.9 | 2.7 ± 2.3 | 3.0 ± 2.3 | 0.030** |
1–3 days | 127/182 (70) | 123/168 (73) | 119/155 (77) | 369/505 (73) | 0.474 |
4–7 days | 46/182 (25) | 41/168 (24) | 30/155 (19) | 117/505 (23) | |
8–14 days | 9/182 (5) | 4/168 (2) | 6/155 (4) | 19/505 (4) | |
Severity of sore throat | |||||
mild | 12/180 (7) | 9/169 (5) | 5/154 (3) | 26/503 (5) | 0.312 |
moderate | 60/180 (33) | 49/169 (29) | 59/154 (38) | 168/503 (33) | |
severe | 108/180 (60) | 111/169 (66) | 90/154 (58) | 309/503 (61) | |
General impairment by the illness | |||||
moderate | 93/182 (51) | 74/164 (45) | 78/152 (51) | 245/498 (49) | 0.444 |
severe | 89/182 (49) | 90/164 (55) | 74/152 (49) | 253/498 (51) | |
Fever ≥ 38 °C | |||||
actual or in history | 52/189 (28) | 68/172 (40) | 53/159 (33) | 173/520 (34) | 0.167 |
not reported | 25/189 (13) | 22/172 (13) | 18/159 (11) | 65/520 (13) | |
Centor- or McIsaac Score | |||||
≤ 2 | 101/189 (53) | 69/172 (40) | data not | 170/361 (47) | ≤ 0.001 |
≥ 3 | 67/189 (35) | 95/172 (55) | collected | 162/361 (45) | |
not reported | 21/189 (11) | 8/172 (5) | 29/361 (8) | ||
Suspicion of GAS pharyngitis by GP | 77/174 (44) | 82/161 (51) | 54/154 (35) | 213/489 (44) | 0.017 |
Study throat swab | |||||
Cultures positive for GAS | 29/184 (16) | 26/161 (16) | 21/154 (14) | 76/499 (15) | 0.799 |