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Strep sensitivity test


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I know some parents on here have had a "strep sensitivity" test done. My questions are:

 

What was the test called? Who ran it? What info did it give you? Did it help at all or did the strep just get killed with penicillin since it was in a petrie dish?

 

Thanks!

 

Huh? I'm curious also. When I Google "strep sensitivity testing," all I get are references to the "rapid strep test" of the instant swab variety. :blink:

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I know some parents on here have had a "strep sensitivity" test done. My questions are:

 

What was the test called? Who ran it? What info did it give you? Did it help at all or did the strep just get killed with penicillin since it was in a petrie dish?

 

Thanks!

Any throat culture- not rapid strep test provides you with an identification of the organism then "sensitivity" which has corresponding numbers to the antibiotics that were tested in the petrie dish. Those numbers mean how sensitive the particular antibiotic is to killing the bacteria. They are either resistant- didn't kill any or sensitive with a corresponding number of just how sensitive it was at killing the colonies which gives doc the best guide on what antibiotic to choose. The microlab uses antibiotic impregnated discs that drop down onto bacteria laden petrie dish (that bacteria grows from the throat culture).They monitors for 1 to 3 days while counting each day how many colonies were killed by the particular abx disc or not killed, as is the case, if resistant. First, bacteria is identified then sensitivity is provided. The number assigned to the sensitivity of a particular antibiotic is based on those counts.

 

What happens most of the time with Strep is some labs (not all) don't even provide the sensitivities specifically for Strep on reports unless you specifically call to ask for it because it is just so commonly known how to treat Strep. The only time I have rec'd sensitivities on + Strep throat cultures is if it a weird type of Strep that may have fallen outside the norm of how we usually treat it with the customary antibiotic choices.

 

ALL other cultures we get specific sensitivities- just not Strep.Sounds crazy, I know... but that's how I have seen reports for 20+ years in nursing- the last 12 in the ER. I look at culture reports every day I work, as part of my job, as charge, in the ER.

 

Hope that helps and answers your question. Throat swab should give you what you are seeking...I think?! :unsure:

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Peg...Someone asked me about strep senstivity testing. They weren't sure what it was. I remember reading something. Yes, I assumed it was determining what antibiotic should kill the bacteria.

 

Thank you, 911RN!!! So, this obviously only works if you get the positive culture.

 

When I tried to google it on my own, I only could find reference to strep pneumonaie.

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Peg...Someone asked me about strep senstivity testing. They weren't sure what it was. I remember reading something. Yes, I assumed it was determining what antibiotic should kill the bacteria.

 

Thank you, 911RN!!! So, this obviously only works if you get the positive culture.

 

When I tried to google it on my own, I only could find reference to strep pneumonaie.

 

Rapid streps are pretty sensitive but not fool proof (failures are due to poor collection method by person obtaining specimen, not test, in my opinion) so, if positive....our facility does not send the throat culture. Treat based on rapid result. We usually do both swabs at the same time.

 

If rapid strep is negative then culture swab goes to micro for process as I stated. This is so we "catch" any positives out there that may have been missed by rapid. As I said, we usually just get the identification that it is Streptococcus with no sensitivity- docs order customary meds. Just as one would do with a rapid test:)Can ask for senstivity if we want it but it is usually so "boiler plate" with meds that docs expect to be sensitive that we have no need to do so.

 

Only if patients keep coming back with recurrent Strep do we sometimes check for odd resistance. MORE OFTEN than not- med failure is due to folks not completing entire course of meds NOT the choice of meds. In those cases, we try to encourage Bicillin injections- 1 time deal- don't have to worry about noncompliance and takes care of it. Course, I am referring to normal community- not PANDAS population.

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