Okay, So How Reliable Are Strep Tests?

[Christine]

I'm starting to get a little worried today and forgive me if I sound like a ninny. My kids have rarely been sick since they got out of daycare, so having them sick is "new" to me these days.

Anyway, DS (11) started with severe shaking on Thursday night. He then got a fever on Friday morning. He also had a sore throat. Since it was Friday and I already was off, I figured I take him into the pediatrician BEFORE it got real bad to see if it was strep. If so, I figured I could catch it before he got truly ill. It was very busy there that day and we were first seen by two "nurses assistants in training" which I thought was odd. This one assistant did a rapid strep test and the overnight strep test. My son said it felt like it wasn't done right like it had been done before (meaning she wasn't as rough). The rapid strep came back negative and the doctor we saw said it was probably just a virus.

So, of course, over the weekend he has gotten much worse. His fever has been between 102 and 103 with Motrin. A few times it has gone down to 100, but has consistently been in the 102 range. He has now developed a very wet cough and lots of mucous. Throat is still sore and hurts worse when the fever it up.

The throat is red but doesn't appear to have pus on it or be overly swollen.

So, I guess my concern is: do you think he might have strep and they just didn't catch it or are these things pretty accurate. Can a virus last this long?

I assume the overnight strep will be back tomorrow. Do you think it's necessary to request a retest?

Thanks.

 

[poohandwendy]

Yes, a virus can last that long and be that severe, but if it would make you feel better...ask for a retest. In my experience, the strep tests are pretty reliable. Especially when they take a rapid one and also send out for lab test.

Hope he is feeling better soon!

 

[daisyduck123]

The rapid strep tests don't work for me about 75% of the time....that's 3 out of every 4 tjimes....& I get strep often...at least once or twice a year...3 years ago, I had it 3 times in one school year.

My doctor knows this & usually gives me the antibiotic even if the rapid is negative.

Since the rapid only work 25% of the time on me...the doctor always cultures it overnite...then, 24 hours later, I get a call..."POSITIVE."

2 years ago...the nurse called me after 24 hours & said "negative".
I replied, "I really think it's strep".
She called another 24 hours later (making this now 48 hours) & said, "This doesn't usually happen, but now it's positive, you have Strep.

And I knew all along.....

I might request a retest if I were you....one time the nurse even called me to tell me I was negative (which I thought, "WHAT?!!!")

She called back 10 minutes later, apologized, & said she'd made a mistake...I was positive.

 

[SueM in MN]

The rapid test is highly accurate/reliable for a positive test, which means that if the test is positive, there is a high likelihood that the person actually has strep. It is not as highly reliable if the rapid test is negative(which is why they also do the other test) because it doesn't detect every type of Strep, just the most common cause of Strep throat.
If both the rapid test and the culture, are negative, the person is unlikely to have strep (and the "24 hour" test can be negative, but then show growth at 48 hours - if that happens, it's likely that there was some growth of something at 24 hours, but it can take another 24 hours to find out what.
This site has a good explanation of Strep testing.

 

[Christine]

Thanks everyone. I guess I will know more tomorrow. Since the overnight was done on Friday, I won't get my results until tomorrow. I guess it's just worrying me that my son felt like she didn't swab him well--but--he can be nutty at times.

His temp. shot back up to 102.8 again a few hours ago. The Motrin has brought it down to 101 but I'm just hoping it will go down on his own. I'm worried he will miss most of the school week this week and then his Easter break starts on Friday. On top of it all, his sister (14) is getting ready to leave for her New York drama trip on Tuesday. I'm terrified she's going to get this.

Sheesh, my kids haven't been sick in YEARS and now this. And a few months ago I was sort of planning a WDW Easter trip. We probably would have all been sick!

 

[poohandwendy]

I guess it's just worrying me that my son felt like she didn't swab him well-

I wouldn't let that bother you, it really does not have to be a deep scraping. LOL, it's not a biopsy (jk) I have had a few murses/doctors do it pretty lightly and others scrape pretty hard. The lab will ask for a better scraping if they didn't get enough gunk to run a good test.

 

[andromedaslove]

Just wanted to let you know that my DH and I have been sick for about 3 weeks now, it started with a sore throat and fever, the we started coughing (and coughing stuff up). We hadn't gone to the doc yet, because there were days that we felt like we were getting better, but yesterday morning we were both so miserable that we went to Solantic to figure out what was wrong. Come to find out we both had bronchitis, and needed antibiotics. Supposedly, there is a virus or bacteria that starts in your sinuses causing the mucus to run down the back of your throat (causing the sore throat) and in our case went into our bronchial tubes. I would definately have him checked out again. I remember having strep quite a few times as a kid, but don't ever remember coughing stuff up because of it. Fever and sore throat definately, but not coughing.

HTH,
Dana

 

[ZachnElli]

My ds had the rapid come back negative and the overnight come back positive, it definitely is possible. Of course when they called I had to go get him from school! (his temp was below 100 and I called the office and they said to send him)

 

[Kae]

I get servere sore throats & they are never strep. So it is possible it is not Strep. And the Rapid also comes back negative & the nurse always says, I am sure the lab based will be positive. I just take tylenol or Advil, soup & rock Candy, yep rock candy soothes my throat the best.

Kae

 

[golfgal]

Sure it isn't influenza? The high fever, shakes, etc. are very common with that.

 

[Christine]

Sure it isn't influenza? The high fever, shakes, etc. are very common with that.

Well, he did have a flu shot (not that it means much of anything) and as far as I know there hasn't been much of the flu around here. Also, I'm not sure that he's actually "sick enough" for the flu. But I suppose it could be. Also, while he has started with the some congestion, it doesn't seem like there is enough of a respiratory component to it.

I've called the doctor's office this morning to see if the other test is back. Just waiting for their call. In the meantime, he tempurature this morning has been holding at 100.5 without Motrin. So maybe this will be the day that he starts to get better.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

For my younger dd, they don't work. I know this now. In fact her throat will be symptomless (in looks) but have the soreness.

She has ended with Scarlett Fever 3 times now. I always have them send in the culture on her now.

 

[golfgal]

Well, he did have a flu shot (not that it means much of anything) and as far as I know there hasn't been much of the flu around here. Also, I'm not sure that he's actually "sick enough" for the flu. But I suppose it could be. Also, while he has started with the some congestion, it doesn't seem like there is enough of a respiratory component to it.

I've called the doctor's office this morning to see if the other test is back. Just waiting for their call. In the meantime, he tempurature this morning has been holding at 100.5 without Motrin. So maybe this will be the day that he starts to get better.

The influenza hit our area late last month and is just winding down. Many, many people that got flu shots got the flu this year because it was so late in getting here, usually here in Jan/Feb and with most people getting shots in Oct, they have worn off. We had a bad bout of Influenza "A" hit the schools and would have about 15% of the kids gone for about 2 weeks. Then Influenza "B" hit and that was not quite as bad as "A". I guess the symptoms were milder and didn't hang on quite as long.

 

[Christine]

The influenza hit our area late last month and is just winding down. Many, many people that got flu shots got the flu this year because it was so late in getting here, usually here in Jan/Feb and with most people getting shots in Oct, they have worn off. We had a bad bout of Influenza "A" hit the schools and would have about 15% of the kids gone for about 2 weeks. Then Influenza "B" hit and that was not quite as bad as "A". I guess the symptoms were milder and didn't hang on quite as long.

Well, that might explain it and why it's hanging on so long.

No word from the doctor's office yet.

His fever is still holding at 100.5-ish today. Unfortunately, he still feels pretty bad, so I think it's going to be another day off for us tomorrow. I guess this is how I'm spending my summer vacation!

 

[MAKmom]

I have been out of work since last monday with sick kids. Same as you sore throat & 103 fever with Motrin strep cam back negative I pushed my way back in thur she had laryngitis my favorite DR put her on the Z pack & she was getting better in 24 hours. This is new to me this year we had perfect attendance until last week but spring break started wed.

 

[Christine]

Well, I took DS back to the ped this afternoon since he really hadn't improved. The overnight strep was negative and the doctor didn't feel a repeat was necessary. He said it was one of two things:

1. Virus. This particular virus is going around that starts out just like it did with DS--sore throat and fever. It then morphs into the the cough and head congestion and fever for 3-4 days. It did perplex him that DS was on day 4 of the fever. He feels that if this is the virus he has that the fever should be gone tomorrow.

2. Second option is THE FLU. I said "the flu, crikey it's April!" He said that we are having a late flu season this year and that there have been lots of cases in the last three weeks. He went to do an influenza test in the office and found out that they were out of tests, so we could not confirm it. He said that this might explain the long-term fever, especially if he is not better by Wednesday.

If he's not better by Wednesday, then the doctor is going to start looking at "other causes." I guess that means he might give us an antibiotic then.

 

[Miller1412]

I feel for him! DD has Strep and I'll be home with her tomorrow. My DH took her today. The thing is, she started with the fever Friday, was really feverish Sat., pepped up Sun. morning, high fever again last night, then this morning acted like she felt great! I really expected the Dr. to say it was a virus, but it turns out it was strep!