Evaluation of the Efficacy of the Biogold Strep A Rapid Antigen Test for the Detection of Group A Beta-Haemolytic Streptococci in Throat Swabs Boğaz Sürüntü Örneklerinde A Grubu Beta-Hemolitik Streptokokların Tespitinde Biogold Strep A Hızlı Antijen Testinin Etkinliğinin Değerlendirilmesi

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Bulut M. E., Tekbaş U., Şahin S. R., Tutan H., Pelit S., Aktaş E.

Medical Journal of Bakirkoy, cilt.22, sa.1, ss.67-71, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus, TRDizin)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 22 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.4274/bmj.galenos.2025.2025.1-23
  • Dergi Adı: Medical Journal of Bakirkoy
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM), Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Pharma Collection (ProQuest)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.67-71
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: GAS, Streptococcus pyogenes, throat culture, rapid antigen test
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Objective: Group A beta-haemolytic Streptococcus (GAS) cause 20-40% of childhood pharyngitis and 5-15% of adult pharyngitis. Without timely treatment, GAS can lead to severe complications, such as acute rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Early identification is crucial for preventing these outcomes. Rapid antigen tests (RAT) have opened a very useful diagnostic field in the diagnosis and treatment of acute tonsilopharyngitis. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Biogold Strep A Card test compared with the gold-standard culture method. Methods: This study included 6,188 throat swab samples submitted between January 2022 and May 2023. Samples were tested using both the Biogold Strep A Card (Bioriver, Türkiye) and culture methods. Results: Among 6,188 patients, 2,717 (43.9%) were female and 3,471 (56.1%) male, with a mean age of 11.8±9.6 years. Among the patients examined, 17.2% (1,062) had positive cultures, while 18.7% (1,155) tested positive by the Biogold Strep A RAT. The Biogold Strep A Card test showed a sensitivity of 75.6%, specificity of 93.1%, positive predictive value of 69.4%, negative predictive value of 94.8%, and overall accuracy of 90.1%. Conclusion: Initiating antibiotic therapy in patients with positive RAT results may reduce the risk of complications, particularly in children aged 5-15 years. For patients with negative RAT results, avoiding unnecessary antibiotics helps prevent resistance. Culturing RAT-negative cases further minimizes misdiagnosis and incomplete treatment.