Beware of winter sore throat in children: It can bite the heart Viral sore throats in children are closely followed in frequency by group A Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) sore throats, which is the most frequent bacterial cause of infectious pharyngitis, said Padma Shri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India. In the winter months as many as 30 percent of episodes of pharyngitis may be caused by S. pyogenes. If not detected and treated in time it can bite the heart valves and lick the joints (temporary joint pains). GAS accounts for 15 to 30 percent of all cases of pharyngitis in children between the ages of 5 and 15 years. In temperate climates, the incidence peaks during the winter and early spring. GAS pharyngitis is seen most frequently in school–age children, but may occur in younger children, especially if they have contact with school–age children.’ In children older than 3 years, GAS pharyngitis typically has an abrupt onset. Fever, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting may accompany the sore throat, which can lead to poor oral intake. Often there is absence of cough and nasal discharge, which if present often represents viral cough. Additional features may include exudative pharyngitis, enlarged tender anterior cervical lymph nodes, palatal petechiae and an inflamed uvula. Symptoms usually resolve spontaneously in 3 to 5 days. Streptococcal infections usually manifest with atypical symptoms in children younger than 3 years of age. Instead of a well–defined episode of pharyngitis, they may have protracted symptoms of nasal congestion and discharge, low–grade fever, and tender anterior cervical adenopathy. This GAS symptom complex is called streptococcosis. Infants younger than 1 year may be fussy or present with decreased appetite and low–grade fever. They often have older siblings or daycare contacts with GAS infection.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 02:35:19 +0000
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