244: Group A Strep: Breaking Down the New IDSA Guidelines

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a common cause of pharyngitis, but deciding who should be tested and which testing method to use isn't always straightforward. In 2025, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) released updated guidelines on Group A streptococcal pharyngitis, bringing renewed attention to diagnostic stewardship and the use of clinical scoring systems to help guide testing decisions.

In this episode of Let's Talk Micro, Dr. Christopher Doern returns to the podcast to break down the updated IDSA guidelines and what they may mean for clinical practice. We discuss clinical scoring systems such as Centor and McIsaac, antigen testing, culture, molecular diagnostics, and point-of-care testing. We also explore turnaround time and cost considerations, GAS carriage and the interpretation of positive results, and how diagnostic decisions connect with antimicrobial stewardship.

Tune in as we take a practical look at what's changing in Group A strep testing and how laboratories and clinicians can approach these updated recommendations.

This podcast episode is sponsored by Cepheid. The views and opinions expressed by the interviewer in this interview are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Cepheid.

Resources

IDSA Clinical Practice Guideline Update on Group A Streptococcal (GAS) Pharyngitis: IDSA 2025 Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis Guideline

Current Laboratory and Point-of-Care Pharyngitis Diagnostic Testing and Knowledge Gaps: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39688598/

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