SynthesisPloS one2014
Rapid antigen group A streptococcus test to diagnose pharyngitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
49 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 107 citations in OpenAlex.
- Rapid antigen detection and molecular tests for group A streptococcal infections for acute sore throat: systematic reviews and economic evaluation.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2020Pooled it
- Rapid antigen detection test for group A streptococcus in children with pharyngitis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- A forgotten cause of chest pain in the United States: a case report on acute rheumatic fever.Journal of medical case reports · 2026Article
- Comparative Evaluation of Strep A Throat Swab Culture Results Using the RapidFor™ Strep A Rapid Test Kit.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Clinical decision rules for diagnosis of Streptococcus pyogenes sore throat in Fiji: a prospective diagnostic accuracy study.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2025Article
- Unilateral tonsillitis due to primary syphilis with gram-negative corkscrew-like spirochaetes confirmed by Gram stain of pus.BMJ case reports · 2024Article
- Development of a multiple cross displacement amplification combined with nanoparticles-based biosensor assay for rapid and sensitive detection of Streptococcus pyogenes.BMC microbiology · 2024Article
- The use and usefulness of point-of-care tests in patients with pharyngotonsillitis - an observational study in primary health care.BMC primary care · 2024Observational
- Tonsils at Telethon: developing a standardised collection of tonsil photographs for group A streptococcal (GAS) research.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2024Article
- Rapid detection of S. pyogenes and S. pneumoniae in pleural fluid for diagnosis of parapneumonic empyema.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2024Article
- Reducing Antibiotic Misuse through the Use of Point-of-Care Tests in Germany: A Survey of 1257 Medical Practices.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Clinical and Microbiological Characteristics of Deep Neck Abscesses in Pediatrics: Analysis of a Case Series from a 3rd Level Pediatric Hospital.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Diagnosis and management of acute pharyngotonsillitis among pediatric patients at Ribat Teaching Hospital: a prospective audit (2021-2022).Sudanese journal of paediatrics · 2023Article
- A pilot study to develop assessment tools for Group A Streptococcus surveillance studies.PeerJ · 2023Article
- Role of multidimensional factors in the diagnosis and treatment of tonsillopharyngitis in primary care: a qualitative study.BMC primary care · 2022Article
- Article
- Article
- Antibiotic Prescribing in Adults Presenting with Pharyngitis Pre- and Post-Implementation of a Rapid Group A Streptococcus Test.Hospital pharmacy · 2022Article
- Thrombotic microangiopathy with transiently positive direct Coombs test in an adult with poststreptococcal acute glomerulonephritis: a case report.BMC nephrology · 2022Article
- Recent Advances in the Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease Continuum.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPharyngitis management guidelines include estimates of the test characteristics of rapid antigen streptococcus tests (RAST) using a non-systematic approach.
objectiveTo examine the sensitivity and specificity, and sources of variability, of RAST for diagnosing group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Cochrane Reviews, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, Scopus, SciELO, CINAHL, guidelines, 2000-2012. STUDY SELECTION: Culture as reference standard, all languages. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Study characteristics, quality. MAIN OUTCOME(S) AND MEASURE(S): Sensitivity, specificity.
resultsWe included 59 studies encompassing 55,766 patients. Forty three studies (18,464 patients) fulfilled the higher quality definition (at least 50 patients, prospective data collection, and no significant biases) and 16 (35,634 patients) did not. For the higher quality immunochromatographic methods in children (10,325 patients), heterogeneity was high for sensitivity (inconsistency [I(2)] 88%) and specificity (I(2) 86%). For enzyme immunoassay in children (342 patients), the pooled sensitivity was 86% (95% CI, 79-92%) and the pooled specificity was 92% (95% CI, 88-95%). For the higher quality immunochromatographic methods in the adult population (1,216 patients), the pooled sensitivity was 91% (95% CI, 87 to 94%) and the pooled specificity was 93% (95% CI, 92 to 95%); however, heterogeneity was modest for sensitivity (I(2) 61%) and specificity (I(2) 72%). For enzyme immunoassay in the adult population (333 patients), the pooled sensitivity was 86% (95% CI, 81-91%) and the pooled specificity was 97% (95% CI, 96 to 99%); however, heterogeneity was high for sensitivity and specificity (both, I(2) 88%).
conclusionsRAST immunochromatographic methods appear to be very sensitive and highly specific to diagnose group A streptococcal pharyngitis among adults but not in children. We could not identify sources of variability among higher quality studies. The present systematic review provides the best evidence for the wide range of sensitivity included in current guidelines.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.