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Acute Sore Throat

Avoid antibiotics as 90% resolve in 7 days without, and pain only reduced by 16 hours.

Use FeverPAIN Score: Fever in last 24h, Purulence, Attend rapidly <3 days, severely Inflamed tonsils, No cough or coryza. 

Score

0-1: NO antibiotic,

2-3: No or back-up antibiotic prescription,

4: Immediate antibiotic if severe, or 48hr back-up prescription.

Systemically very unwell or high risk of complications: Immediate antibiotic


Always share self-care advice & safety net.  Non-Prescription Pad and Patient Information Leaflet

You need to treat 200 patients to prevent one case of otitis media

and >4000 patients to prevent one quinsy.

Phenoxymethylpenicillin

500mg 4 x daily OR

1g 2 x daily


child dose

5 days OR

if recurrent or high suspicion/confirmation of streptococcal throat infection:

10 days

Penicillin Allergy: 

Clarithromycin

 

500mg 2 x daily

child dose

 

5 days

Last reviewed: 20 February 2023

Author(s): Fiona McDonald, Antimicrobial Pharmacist

Version: 1.3

Approved By: Antimicrobial Management Team

Reviewer Name(s): Fiona McDonald