Editing Streptococcal pharyngitis (section)

===Laboratory testing===
A [[throat culture]] is the [[gold standard (test)|gold standard]]<ref>{{Cite book|author1=Smith, Ellen Reid |author2=Kahan, Scott |author3=Miller, Redonda G. |title=In A Page Signs & Symptoms |series=In a Page Series |publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins |location=Hagerstown, Maryland |year=2008 |pages=312 |isbn=978-0-7817-7043-9 }}</ref> for the diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis, with a sensitivity of 90–95%.<ref name=Review09/>  A [[rapid strep test]] (also called rapid antigen detection testing or RADT) may also be used. While the rapid strep test is quicker, it has a lower [[sensitivity (tests)|sensitivity]] (70%) and statistically equal [[specificity (tests)|specificity]] (98%) as a throat culture.<ref name=Review09/> In areas of the world where [[rheumatic fever]] is uncommon, a negative rapid strep test is sufficient to rule out the disease.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lean|first1=WL|last2=Arnup|first2=S|last3=Danchin|first3=M|last4=Steer|first4=AC|title=Rapid diagnostic tests for group A streptococcal pharyngitis: a meta-analysis.|journal=Pediatrics|date=October 2014|volume=134|issue=4|pages=771–81|pmid=25201792|doi=10.1542/peds.2014-1094|s2cid=15909263}}</ref>

A positive throat culture or RADT in association with symptoms establishes a positive diagnosis in those in which the diagnosis is in doubt.<ref name=IDSAGuideline2002/> In adults, a negative RADT is sufficient to rule out the diagnosis. However, in children a throat culture is recommended to confirm the result.<ref name=IDSA2012/> Asymptomatic individuals should not be routinely tested with a throat culture or RADT because a certain percentage of the population persistently "carries" the streptococcal bacteria in their throat without any harmful results.<ref name=IDSAGuideline2002/>