Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38609699›Full record

Observational studyEuropean journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology2024

Symptoms predictive of Fusobacterium necrophorum pharyngotonsillitis - an observational study of cases presenting to hospitals in Southern Sweden.

Josefina Pagels, Gustav Torisson, Lisa Wasserstrom, Katarina Hedin, Karin Holm, David Nygren

Open access · hybridAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Josefina PagelsDivision of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. josefina.pagels@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-2150-5173
Gustav TorissonDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Skåne University Hospital, Lund/Malmö, Sweden.
Lisa WasserstromDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, Infection Control and Prevention, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Katarina HedinFuturum, Jönköping, Region Jönköping County, Sweden.
Karin HolmDivision of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
David NygrenDivision of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Lund University · SELinköping University · SE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesFusobacterium necrophorum is a common cause of pharyngotonsillitis. However, no guidelines exist on when to diagnose or treat it. We aimed to investigate associations between clinical criteria and F. necrophorum-positivity in pharyngotonsillitis and assess the predictive potential of a simple scoring system.

methodsPharyngotonsillitis patients who were tested for F. necrophorum (PCR) and presented to hospitals in the Skåne Region, Sweden, between 2013-2020 were eligible. Data were retrieved from electronic chart reviews and registries. By logistic regression we investigated associations between F. necrophorum-positivity and pre-specified criteria: age 13-30 years, symptom duration ≤ 3 days, absence of viral symptoms (e.g. cough, coryza), fever, tonsillar swelling/exudate, lymphadenopathy and CRP ≥ 50 mg/L. In secondary analyses, associated variables were weighted by strength of association into a score and its predictive accuracy of F. necrophorum was assessed.

resultsAmong 561 cases included, 184 (33%) had F. necrophorum, which was associated with the following criteria: age 13-30, symptom duration ≤ 3 days, absence of viral symptoms, tonsillar swelling/exudate and CRP ≥ 50 mg/L. Age 13-30 had the strongest association (OR5.7 95%CI 3.7-8.8). After weighting, these five variables had a sensitivity and specificity of 68% and 71% respectively to predict F. necrophorum-positivity at the proposed cut-off.

conclusionOur results suggest that F. necrophorum cases presenting to hospitals might be better distinguished from other pharyngotonsillitis cases by a simple scoring system presented, with age 13-30 being the strongest predictor for F. necrophorum. Prospective studies, involving primary care settings, are needed to evaluate generalisability of findings beyond cases presenting to hospitals.

Indexed as

Fusobacterium InfectionsFusobacterium necrophorumPharyngitisTonsillitisAdolescentAdultAgedFemaleHospitalsHumansMaleMiddle AgedSwedenYoung AdultClinical scoreFusobacterium necrophorumPharyngotonsillitisSore throatTesting criteria

Identifiers

PMID38609699
PMCPMC11178599
OpenAlexW4394747300

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.