Prevalence of Positive Rapid Antigen Detection Test for Group A Streptococcus Among Patients With Respiratory Symptoms in Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a dramatic upsurge in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, which may have altered the usual pattern of bacterial infections and relevant decision-making. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of rapid antigen detection test (R...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2023-11, Vol.15 (11), p.e48607-e48607
Main Authors: Al-Baghli, Nadira A, Al Saif, Ahmed, Al Dorazi, Shorok A, Bukhamseen, Ammar Y, Al Eithan, Mohammed, Albannai, Amira R, Buhaliqa, Zainab A, Bu-Khamseen, Montaser A, Alyousef, Bothaina, Rabaan, Ali A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abscesses
Accuracy
Antibiotics
Antigens
COVID-19
Decision making
Disease
Emergency medical care
Family/General Practice
Health care
Immunoassay
Infectious Disease
Informed consent
Multivariate analysis
Pediatrics
Primary care
Questionnaires
Streptococcus infections
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Summary:Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a dramatic upsurge in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, which may have altered the usual pattern of bacterial infections and relevant decision-making. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of rapid antigen detection test (RADT) positivity for group A (GAS) in patients with respiratory symptoms and signs during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we evaluated the association between a positive test and the modified Centor criteria in a population of children and adults with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). Methods A prospective study was conducted in primary health care centres (PHCCs) and the paediatric emergency department (ED) of the Maternity and Children Hospital in Dammam City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Trained physicians collected data from patients aged three years and older or their guardian(s) regarding URTI symptoms. The modified Centor score was calculated, and RADT was performed for all patients. Results Data were collected from 469 patients. The prevalence of positive RADT was 19 (4.1%), and the setting was associated with RADT positivity, as 14% of ED visitors tested positive compared with 0.6% of PHCC visitors. The RADT results had an area under the curve of 0.856 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.774-0.939), with Centor scores of 2 and 3 having a sensitivity of 89.5%/78.9% and specificity of 70.6%/80.8%, respectively. Individuals with a score of 5 had the highest rate of positive RADT (33.3%, P
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.48607