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Diagnosis and management of pharyngitis in children: a survey study in Ukraine
Oksana Boyarchuk1, Oksana Mochulska2, Roman Komorovsky3
1MD, PhD, DSc, Professor, Head of the Department of Children's Diseases and Pediatric Surgery, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, 1, Maydan Voli, Ternopil, 46001, Ukraine.
Insights
Pediatrician knowledge on diagnosing and managing pediatric sore throat varies, with gaps in using clinical criteria and managing healthy carriers. Further education is needed for effective Group A Streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis control.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Clinical microbiology
- Healthcare professional education
Background:
- Sore throat (pharyngitis) is a common pediatric condition.
- Accurate diagnosis and management of streptococcal pharyngitis are crucial to prevent complications.
- Pediatrician knowledge is key to effective pharyngitis control strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess pediatricians' knowledge of diagnosing and managing sore throat in children.
- To identify areas for improving pediatrician awareness regarding pharyngitis.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted among 112 pediatricians in Ternopil region, Ukraine.
- Participants included primary care physicians and hospital-based pediatricians.
- The survey evaluated diagnosis and management practices for pediatric pharyngitis.
Main Results:
- Most pediatricians (70.5%) used throat swabs selectively, but few (20%) utilized Centor or McIsaac criteria.
- Amoxicillin was a common first-line antibiotic for streptococcal pharyngitis (66.1%), though adherence to 10-day therapy was inconsistent (52.7%).
- Knowledge gaps were evident in managing asymptomatic carriers of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and interpreting antistreptolysin O (ASL-O) results.
Conclusions:
- Pediatrician knowledge on GAS pharyngitis diagnosis and management shows significant variability.
- There is a need for enhanced education on antibiotic therapy prescription and diagnostic strategies for healthy carriers.
- Improving pediatrician knowledge is essential for effective GAS pharyngitis control.
Introduction:
The purpose of our study was to evaluate the knowledge of pediatricians in diagnosis and management of sore throat in children and to identify further ways to raise their awareness.
Methods:
We conducted a survey among pediatricians on evaluation of diagnosis and management of pharyngitis in children. The study involved pediatricians of Ternopil region, Ukraine. Overall, 112 pediatricians participated in the study. Among the participants 79 (70.5%) were primary care physicians and 33 (29.5%) worked in the secondary and tertiary care hospitals.
Results:
Overall, 70.5% of pediatricians prescribed a throat swab for patients with pharyngitis in selected cases. However, they rarely (20 %) used Centor or McIsaak criteria to choose management strategy of sore throat. Amoxicillin as a first-line antibiotic for streptococcal pharyngitis was chosen by 66.1% of respondents and primary care pediatricians prescribed it more often than pediatricians in hospitals (p<0.001), but antibiotic therapy was prescribed for 10 days only by 52.7% of respondents. Less than half of the correct answers were to the questions related to prescription of antibacterial therapy in healthy children, in which GAS is detected in throat swab (39.3%) and in cases of positive antistreptolysin O (ASL-O - 25.9%).
Conclusions:
The study showed a wide range of knowledge of pediatricians about the diagnosis and management of GAS pharyngitis - from satisfactory responses concerning prescription of antibiotic therapy to low level of knowledge about the diagnosis and determination of strategies in healthy carriers. These data emphasize the need to improve knowledge about the strategies of GAS pharyngitis control.
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