Throat Culture Processing

Abstract

To the Editor:— I have followed with interest the letters by Drs. Mondzac and Tubbs ( 201 :781, 1967) concerning throat culture processing in the office, and I cannot help feeling that we are not taking advantage of methods which have recently proved to be preferable for mass screening for streptococcal illness to those described. I refer to fluorescent antibody screening for group A β-hemolytic streptococci infections offered on a city-wide or state-wide basis. The article by Jackson et al ( 197 :385, 1966) details the method of identifying streptococcal pharyngitis in rural practice as currently used in Colorado. This is an inexpensive and perfectly feasible way of providing culture benefits to all doctors. It does not require the private physician to operate his own laboratory at prohibitive expense, nor does it require that he attempt to screen his patients by means of vest pocket cultures. After the Colorado experience was published,