Centor Score Calculator for Strep Pharyngitis
Disclaimer: Diagnosis is usually made clinically. If the score from the calculator indicates that you might be at risk please consider visiting a doctor for further evaluation.
Group A Streptococcus, also known as group A strep, is a kind of microbe that causes infections in the tonsils and throat. An irritating throat and extreme inflammation are symptoms of strep throat. The illness may usually be diagnosed by a medical professional using a throat culture or a quick strep test. Antibiotics are typically used in treatment.
Children between the ages of 5 and 15 are more likely to get strep throat. However, also it can have the same impact on other people of different group ages who are more likely to interact directly with kids.
A painful throat is one of the early signs of step throat. Also, fever can be taken very fast and reach its peak on the second day of the illness. Coughing is one symptom that strep throat usually doesn’t cause. You probably have a viral infection rather than strep throat if you have a cough along with other cold symptoms.
Signs of strep throat may include:
- Loss of appetite
- Headache
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Chills
To help doctors identify GAS pharyngitis from more typical viral causes and to give later testing and treatment options the Centor score was created. The Centor score comes in use when a patient complains of a sore throat so the factors and facts of the score are collected to identify the risk for bacterial infection. For each one of the components, the patient gets 1 point which is given below. Based on these components the score is calculated from 0 to 4 points. Score is interpreted in 3 risk stages low (0-1), moderate (2-3), and high (4).
Components of Centor Score:
- Age
- Swelling or exudates on tonsils
- Tender and/or swollen anterior cervical lymph nodes
- Temperature >38 degrees Celsius (100.4 F)
- Cough present
If the score indicates that you might have something and your infection starts to be painful do not try to treat it at home even if it is easily treatable. It is important to get the right diagnosis and treatment so the doctor can give you the proper way to treat the infection you might have.