Next Steps

Follow-up

After the initial visit to the doctor's office, if the rapid test result is negative, the throat swab is sent to a lab for further testing. The doctor's office should contact you if the culture result is positive. In that case, the doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics. If you haven't heard from the doctor's office about your culture results, contact the office.

• It is important to report any side effects while on treatment with penicillin or other antibiotics. Any rash, swelling of the lips and tongue, or difficulty breathing indicate an allergic reaction. If these conditions develop, go to the hospital's emergency department immediately. When any of these symptoms develop, do not continue to take the medications until you are examined by a doctor.

• If the fever does not go away by the second or third day, a call to the doctor's office or revisit is recommended.

• Difficulty swallowing-so severe that you are not able to drink fluids-would signal complications such as abscess formation. This requires an urgent visit to the emergency department.

• A small percentage (less than 5%) of cases of strep throat may be caused by bacteria that are resistant to the first antibiotic that you were given. If that is the case, your symptoms will not improve and your doctor will need to prescribe a different type of antibiotic. A second medication will be necessary to get better and avoid complications.

• Don't hesitate to call the doctor's office if you do not feel better in the first two to three days or if you seem to be getting worse.

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