Pharyngitis and Strep Throat

Pharyngitis describes inflammation of the throat; it does not identify the cause. Most sore throats are viral, but group A Streptococcus (GAS), also called Streptococcus pyogenes, causes an acute bacterial pharyngitis that warrants confirmation and targeted treatment. The nurse’s first task is not to decide whether the throat looks “strep-like.” It is to separate an uncomplicated painful throat from a process threatening hydration, the airway, or deeper neck tissues. GAS infection may progress locally to a peritonsillar abscess or, less commonly, invasive infection and sepsis. It can also be followed by non-suppurative immune complications: acute rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. These complications explain why a confirmed GAS infection is treated rather than managed as an ordinary viral sore throat.