Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39460385›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of primary health care2025

Use of point-of-care tests in pharyngotonsillitis - a registry-based study in primary health care.

Jon Pallon, Katarina Hedin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of primary health care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. 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

2 authors.

Jon PallonDepartment of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Family Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-2316-8514
Katarina HedinDepartment of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, Family Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-1931-2752

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPoint-of-care (POC) tests, including C-reactive protein (CRP) tests and rapid antigen detection tests (RADT) for group A streptococci (GAS), are widely used in Swedish primary health care (PHC). This study quantifies their use in pharyngotonsillitis and explore their association with antibiotic prescribing. MATERIAL AND

methodsRetrospective data from 2012-2016 in Region Kronoberg, Sweden, included all PHC visits with a pharyngotonsillitis diagnosis. Patient characteristics, test usage and antibiotic prescriptions were linked by visit date and personal identification number. Descriptive statistics were used for POC test analysis. Logistic regression assessed the association between CRP levels and antibiotic prescribing.

resultsOf 24,237 visits, 68% included RADT and 36% included a CRP test, with 89% of CRP tests performed alongside RADT. CRP testing was more frequent in patients with negative (56%) than positive RADTs (42%) (

conclusionThe use of RADTs and the proportion of positive test were higher than expected, indicating inappropriate use and diagnostic bias. CRP testing, contrary to guidelines, was common and associated with increased antibiotic prescribing.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsPharyngitisPoint-of-Care SystemsPoint-of-Care TestingPractice Patterns, Physicians'Primary Health CareStreptococcal InfectionsTonsillitisAdolescentAdultAgedChildChild, PreschoolC-Reactive ProteinFemaleHumansAnti-Bacterial AgentsC-Reactive Proteinantibiotic prescribingC-reactive proteinPharyngotonsillitispoint-of-care testsprimary health carerapid antigen detection test

Identifiers

PMID39460385
PMCPMC11834818

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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.