Centor criteria to aid diagnosis of Group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus
Last reviewed 12/2022
Centor criteria to aid diagnosis of Group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus (GABHS)as a cause of presentation with a sore throat:- tonsillar exudate
- tender anterior cervical lymph nodes
- absence of cough
- history of fever
- presence of three or four of these clinical signs suggests that the chance of the patient having GABHS is between 40% and 60%, so the patient may benefit from antibiotic treatment
- absence of three or four of the signs suggests that there is an 80% chance that the patient doesn't have the infection, and antibiotics are unlikely to be necessary
- in patients with tonsillitis who are unwell, and have three out of four of these criteria, the risk of quinsy is 1:60 compared with 1:400 in those who are not unwell
- centor criteria is not ideal, and will lead to some patients with bacterial pharyngitis not being treated and result in unnecessary antibiotic treatment for others
Reference:
- MeReC Bulletin 2006;17(3):12-14.
antibiotic treatment for sore throat based on FEVERpain or Centor criteria