Yeah, it’s tricky!

And I cannot agree with you strongly enough about needing antibiotics. Until my generation, all of my mother’s family, grandfather’s family, etc., died from heart disease brought on by rheumatic fever. Penicillin has changed the trajectory of our family. I was on daily penicillin for several years as a child to keep the strep at bay.

Interesting! I’m sure when healthcare is “free” it’s all very different. 🙂

I did make a clarification of the types of tests offered. I do say culture just because that is the normal “lay” term for it. Having been the one to swab Petrie dishes thousands of times, I’m well aware the difference (and some doctors offices still culture – a dual swab would be the gold standard).

That would be why the gold standard is a culture — but for a mom at home, these work amazingly well…. {which is why I wrote this post}

As for #3, that is cute that you think that. Since I am a nurse, maybe I understand that side a bit more. The doctor can, most often, not tell if you have strep by a visual inspection — a culture is ALWAYS indicated, and if the store throat is not prolonged, there isn’t a reason to treat with antibiotics as it is most often viral.

And yes, I do this stuff for a living.

1. You are not “culturing” your child’s throat. That requires a degree and a good bit of expertise. Your are performing a non-complex test – similar to a pregnancy test but less sensitive.

2. This test that you have purchased only tests for what we call Group A Strep or S. pyogenes. There are other groups/species that cause Strep throat.

3. Doctors’ offices are not that concerned about getting more people in their waiting rooms – they are concerned that you and your child receive appropriate care. The doctor, most of the time, can tell if your child has Strep throat without the test and, if the test is negative, which it will be if there is a different Strep in there, the doctor may decide to treat anyway. Many of them will follow up with a culture to make sure.

Please be careful assuming things that you are not educated in and then propagating those assumptions.