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Sore throat is a very common reason for seeking medical attention, and — despite many findings and guidelines to the contrary — most patients with this symptom are offered antibiotics. In an attempt to optimize care and decrease unnecessary antibiotic prescription for this condition, a group of primary care physicians in the U.K. examined whether the use of rapid antigen tests or clinical scores could modify antibiotic prescription and patient outcomes.
In a multicenter, parallel-group, randomized, controlled trial involving 631 patients aged ≥3 years presenting with acute sore throat, the researchers compared three treatment strategies:
Delayed therapy (control): antibiotics offered only if symptoms lasted 3 to 5 days without improvement
Clin…