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Testing for strep before giving antibiotics?
I just took my son to our new pediatrician and she diagnosed strep without doing any kind of test, and then prescribed antibiotics. I got more uncomfortable about this after we left—I am very opposed to casual antibiotic use—and called back asking if I could bring him back tomorrow for a culture test (of course I wish I had done this before I left). She got very defensive, saying wouldn't have the results until Monday and that she already gave me her opinion.
I guess I am wondering if throat cultures are normally done here—either the quick swab that takes 5 or 10 minutes or the one that is sent to a lab? Or is this what I should expect from any pediatrician here?
Elisabeth,
if this a normal strep ...coming up now until end of next spring ..no testing needed (never had one for the regular strep in the past 50 years in Europe).
It can be diagnosed easily ' having a layer on your tongue, red swollen throat etc.' and no need to worry. She is right in saying it would take too long for a lab test and in the meantime your child is suffering more and more as only antibiotics help (..and I am neither a friend of them, but I learnt my lessons).
Please trust your pediatrician, pass on the antibiotics ASAP for the next 7 days - and end of story.
And please ...and also please don't be offended by this ..avoid to compare between your home country and Belgium. BE has one of best medical systems in the world ...but the doctors may not comfort you all the time to make more money, as they don't receive mostly more money for their services (read for standard sicknesses).
Bon retablissement / A get well soon for your son
well antibiotics according to wikipedia only shortens the average infection of strep throat which is 3-5 days by 1 day, so is it really worth firstly going to a doctor and second taking antibiotics? I've never ever taken any of my children to the doctors for a simple sore throat ever and don't intend to either and they've probably had strep throat several times and only 2 of the children have ever had antibiotics in the cumulative 50 years of their lives for 2 serious and confirmed bacterial infections which hospitalised one.
you're right, it is not confirmed it's strep without a culture, but by the time results come, the infection is most likely to have passed without the need for antibiotics unless you really want to shorten the infection by a day.
I have to kindly/gently disagree a here on the usage or non usage of antibiotics. We went from a generation who didn't think twice to prescribing antibiotics to a generation where you have to nearly beg to be given them and now some parents actually refuse to give them to their children. There have been a lot of more serious complications due to secondary infections from illness's that went untreated due to this new frame of mind. Its not always just about shortening the infection period or a 'nice to have'.
The possible secondary infections of strep are very very serious and I've personally seen all too well the terrible effects it can have. I'm not an advocate for antibiotics, just a mother who's seen the what CAN (not will) happen if not treated properly. Again, I'm not saying that if untreated with antibiotics then all hell will break lose, just trying to kindly say, sometimes it best not to think we know better.
Look here for some info: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000639.htm
Or here: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000503.htm
I hope he feels well soon!
p.s. Not trying to start a debate here, but I just wish someone had been a little bit clearer with us about when we really should be taking antibiotics.
Get a new doctor. How dare she respond to your concern in such a manner. Typical. overuse of antibiotics is common and is a problem. Go with your gut and find a better, more modern doctor.
When we first got here I took my 3 year old to the doctor b/c she had a very bad cold for over a week and I wanted to make sure that it wasn't anything else. the doctor that we went to diagnosed her with pneumonia without any chest xrays, checking chest with stet., mucus test, etc... (things that I have seen done before). She prescribed 8 meds! My husband and I didn't feel comfortable with 8 meds going in our daughter 2-3 times a day! We ended up calling our pediatrician back in our home country to see if all those were necessary. Needless to say, we now have a different doctor who takes the time to do tests, talk to us about it, and cares enough to explain why she does or doesn't need meds. We had to go to 2 doctors before finding our final GP.
