How long rapid strep test

Strep throat is more common in children than adults. It is most common in children 5 through 15 years old. It is rare in children younger than 3 years old. Adults who are at increased risk for strep throat include:. Close contact with another person with strep throat is the most common risk factor for illness. For example, if someone has strep throat, it often spreads to other people in their household. Infectious illnesses tend to spread wherever large groups of people gather together.

Crowded conditions can increase the risk of getting a group A strep infection. These settings include:. Only a rapid strep test or throat culture can determine if group A strep is the cause. A doctor cannot tell if someone has strep throat just by looking at his or her throat.

A rapid strep test involves swabbing the throat and running a test on the swab. The test quickly shows if group A strep is causing the illness. If the test is positive, doctors can prescribe antibiotics. If the test is negative, but a doctor still suspects strep throat, then the doctor can take a throat culture swab. A throat culture takes time to see if group A strep bacteria grow from the swab.

While it takes more time, a throat culture sometimes finds infections that the rapid strep test misses. Culture is important to use in children and teens since they can get rheumatic fever from an untreated strep throat infection. For adults, it is usually not necessary to do a throat culture following a negative rapid strep test.

Adults are generally not at risk of getting rheumatic fever following a strep throat infection. The swabs will be tested with a kit to see if the group A Streptococcus bacterium is present. You may need to help restrain your child. Also, the position of the swab may trigger a gag reflex.

The rapid strep screen is fairly reliable, but antibiotics and antiseptic mouthwash can affect the test results. The rapid screen strep kit takes about 10 minutes to process. If the test is positive, you have group A Streptococcus in your throat and you probably have an infection. In that case, your doctor will write a prescription for a 5- to 7-day course of antibiotics.

No antibiotics are needed. In some cases, if you have symptoms of a strep infection but your test comes back negative, your doctor may order a throat culture.

A throat culture swabbing is typically used when the doctor still suspects strep throat in a child or teenager despite a negative rapid strep test result. A throat culture is similar to a rapid screen test, but the sample is processed more in-depth. The results can take up to 48 hours because the swabs are cultured, which means that any bacteria on them are allowed to grow.

This means that if your test is negative, you could still have an infection from another type of bacterium or virus. The test is easy and quick. It has no major side effects or risks. If you test positive for strep, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotic therapy and recommend that you drink warm fluids and gargle with salt water. If you test negative for group A Streptococcus , but still have a sore throat, your doctor may look at other possible causes, including infections from other bacteria or viruses.

You may need this test to confirm you have a bacterial infection instead of a viral infection before a healthcare provider will prescribe antibiotics. You may also need this test if the results of a throat culture, which can provide a more accurate diagnosis, are unavailable for a few days.

If the rapid strep screen is negative, your healthcare provider may do another test called throat culture to make sure that strep is not the cause of your sore throat and other symptoms.

This test also requires taking a swab of cells from your tonsils or back of the throat. The sample is sent to a lab, where it is grown, or cultured, and tested for strep bacteria.

The results are available in about 2 days. Your results will reveal whether you have group A streptococcus. Test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, the method used for the test, and other things. Your test results may not mean you have a problem. Ask your healthcare provider what your test results mean for you.

Physical signs of strep throat include redness, as well as white or yellow spots on the tonsils. If you have strep throat, you also may have swollen glands in your neck.

Your doctor will place his hands around your neck to feel for swelling. Your doctor will check your temperature a fever of degrees or more is typical with the strep infection. He or she will ask you if you have experienced chills, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, a rash, or an overall feeling of illness, as these are also common symptoms. Test confirmation: After reviewing your physical signs and symptoms of strep throat, your doctor may perform a rapid strep test also called a rapid antigen test.

It involves sampling the bacteria from the back of your throat and tonsils. The doctor will insert a long, sterile cotton swab in your mouth and rub the back of your throat and tonsils to collect a bacteria sample.

Swabbing is quick. However, the procedure can make you gag. If your child is being swabbed for strep throat, encourage him or her to relax and sit still to make the procedure go smoothly. Most people react with little more than a cough after the procedure. The sample then undergoes rapid testing in the office while you wait for the results. The wait may take 7 to 15 minutes to find out if you test positive or negative for the strep infection. If the test is negative for strep bacteria, your doctor will give you tips on how to ease the pain of a sore throat see treatment.