1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
The NBT test was used in 81 pediatric outpatients with pharyngitis to determine whether streptococcal etiology of pharyngitis could be predicted. The test was successfully modified to use capillary blood instead of venous blood. A positive NBT test was found in 38% of 37 children with pharyngitis associated with beta-hemolytic streptococci and 14% of 44 children in whom beta-hemolytic streptococci were not isolated. Although significantly more patients with streptococcal pharyngitis had a positive test, more than half the patients who had beta-hemolytic streptococci isolated from throat cultures had negative NBT tests. The test was not useful in predicting the presence of streptococcal pharyngitis in outpatients.
Submitted on August 28, 1972