How Accurate Is the 5 Minute Strep Tests?

It's gonna be hard to find another doc this time of year, go to an immediate care near you. Not the ER, just an immediate care, they'll probably do another test and if it comes back neg. again then it's probably not strep but just a really bad throat infection which can cause all the symptoms you're describing.

That just happened to a 10 yo girl in a friends neighborhood (came back negative but she was really positive) they went on vacation & she ended up getting sicker and sicker and died. True, VERY sad story.

Go get the 'real' test.

I've found the quick strep tests to be quite accurate. Many years ago, we did have one come back negative, but just to be sure we did the culture and there was a mild case of strep.

Very often when someone has a severe sore throat the first thing we think of is strep. Could it be something like tonsilitis? I agree, you should get a 2nd opinion.

There is a slight chance of a false + or a false - in a 5 min strep test. It's not always the test, but the tester. (I worked in a lab for yrs.)
If the tester got your tongue or some other place besides the target area where strep grows, it could be a false -.
For the most part the tests are pretty good, the technology is basic microbiology.
I did have the worst cold of my life last winter! The throat was absolutely killer and the flu test and the strep test were neg. I thought I was about to die, went to bed real early (to die in peace) and woke up feeling much better the next day. Sometimes those real painful sore throats can go away as fast as they showed up. Feel better!

P.S. Just read another reply. Don't go to the ER unless you have a high fever. You didn't mention fever, so I don't know what it is, but ER (hello, everyone!!!) is for life THREATENING emergencies.

I had a fasle negative with the rapid strep test once.

My dr. did a throat swab in the office and the result came back negative. But he routinely sends the sample out to a lab for further testing, and sure enough it came back that I had an "unusual strep variant."

Also, like someone else said, when I read your post I thought of thrush. But if you've been examined already, any competent doctor would have notice thrush already.

Get a second opinion. And do yourself a favor and change doctors ... I don't care for the way this one speaks to you.

You needed a throat culture. It boggles my mind that he didn't order one with the strep test. They do go hand in hand..It sounds like you have some kind of infection going on. Best to get it looked at again..Ask for a culture test.

They are usually effective but have variables such as the person conducting the test (could be a medical assisting student just beginning her clinical training). The doc totally dropped the ball by not sending in a culture *head slap*!! There are several brands of the rapid test, not sure if some have been recalled. Take charge of your helath!!

Actually, this "cold" for lack of a better word, has been going around. I know several people in several parts of the country that have had nothing but a SEVERE sore throat!

That said, I agree with what everyone else has said that a doc should also do a 24 hour culture in addition to the quick test. Every doctor I've ever been to has done so.

Feel better!

after reading your SWH, i'm wondering if you dont have thrush. since you said the white part is "blended". I know that it can cause extreme pain. I'd go to any doc you can asap!

What Cheryl D. is talking about is the BEST way to test for strep. I have to tell you that this was one requirement I had for my kids' doctors when they were young. They would get strep without a fever, and after my little sister got scarlet fever from misdiagnosed strep, I NEVER let a sore throat go untested. And I URGE you to take every bit of your antibiotics until they are gone, and don't miss a dose. Not only can you get scarlet fever from strep that is untreated, but also rheumatic fever, and that can hurt your heart!!!

Keep drinking water - you need the water to help keep the area moist, sleep as you can, take tylenol for pain, and let the meds start to work. Hoping this eases quickly for you, C.. So sorry you are going through this!

Dawn

unfortunately yes. and my child almost suffered for it. she was 3 and they ran the 5 in strep test. came back negative. her fever was spiking at 104, but we were sent home. her fever went to 105 and nothing could bring it down, she got scarlet fever, ran to emergency who did the 24 hr test but treated her anyway until results came back. results came back and it was strep. go to cvs min clinic. they run the 24 lab test

Yes, the "quick test" for strep can give a false negative. Your doctor should have done that but also should have sent a strep swab to a lab to be cultured for a day, for a full test. See another doctor or go to an urgent care center immediately and INSIST on a cultured test, not a second quick test. And dump your current doctor. What a jerk for not listening to you and ordering that cultured test. (My daughter had a negative quick test and positive cultured test, and I know several other parents whose kids had the same thing happen.)

If this is strep, you must have antibiotics and going without them too long risks the infection worsening. It can become quite serious if left untreated! So yes, make your husband take you to the doctor (you sound too sick to go alone!) and insist even if it means you have to camp on their doorstep. Please update us! I hope you get the right meds and get better!

Hi C. - We thought my son had strep, strep test was negative, did a throat culture and it turned out he had coxsackievirus (not sure of spelling). It's the same virus that causes hand-foot-mouth, and it can show up as a sore throat with blisters. You might want to get checked for that. It's more common in kids, but adults can catch it.

I hope you're feeling better.

Well...first of all I feel your pain. Strep is the WORST. I thought I was going to die when I had it in September. Lots of posicles and hot tea. I couldn't even sleep because it hurt so bad to swallow that each swallow woke me up :(. So I really know your pain.

When I went to the doctor they did two tests for strep. The first one was a 5 minute one. If that came back negative, they would send the other one to a lab in Bethesda, Md and that would be more accurate. You need that one done I bet.

Did he not give you any meds? Two days on my meds and I felt back to normal enough to return to work.

Feel better!

Hi C.,

The 5 minute steps tests absolutely can give you a negative when you actually do have strep. When you get a second opinion specify that you want the lab test. (I'm not sure what it is called) but it will take a few days to come back. My doctor usually does both but I have to pay a fee for the lab test.

If you have white spots in the back of your throat, there is no doubt in MY mind that you have strep, based on my personal experience only. I would insist on antibiotics! I know I will get some flack about overuse of antibiotics from others, but I know my body better than the doctor and I can tell (based on how often I get strep) when I need them.

In the meantime, I think Alieve works really well for the pain. Good luck and feel better soon!

How accurate is it? If it's positive, then you have strep, no matter what. If it's negative, you still need a real strep culture. They aren't false negatives, they just aren't sensitive enough to pick up all cases of strep and if you have a negative insta-strep, your doctor is still supposed to do a traditional 24 hour throat culture.

In my experience they are pretty accurate, but of course they can fail. I have had strep LOTS of times and I know this is going to sound weird but the few times that I had gross puss hanging from my tonsils I did not have strep. I don't know what I had, but they did the quick test and cultured it each time and I didn't have it. I know that whiteness/puss is a sign of strep but it could also be some other infection. Regardless I'm pretty sure you need an antibiotic so I'd try and get a second opinion.

The best remedy (besides drugs!) for a super sore throat it water. Drink lots and lots of it. The drier your throat gets the more it will hurt. At least do it as much as possible until you can get back to the doctor.

fairly accurate. My son got strep a lot, like 6 -7 times a year til we got his tonsils out. Anyway, we did get a few negatives on the rapid strep that came back positive next day on the test sent out to the lab. His dr said it had to do with out long he'd had the symptoms. We were told to let him have symptoms for 24 hrs. Good luck.

I currently have strep, I went to the doctors yesterday and the culture was wayyy too fast to even remotely pick up the puss (white blotches in throat and on toncils) Therefore, the rapid test came up negative. I'm waiting to get the over night results back. If it comes back negative, as painful and uncomfortable as it is, I will get another culture. The rapid test is mostly accurate, but they cant give you a 2 second culture it must be longer. I have all the signs Fever, (low 99.2), White puss on toncils and throat, Very sore throat, Chills (body trying to cool you down due to fever) and a headache (usually you get what's called a strep headache a day before your throat starts to hurt) Try tea and honey. Take some ibuprofen (advil) if your allergic as I am take acetominifen (tylenol) tylenol doesn't work as good as advil but if advil doesn't sit well with you or your allergic to it, tylenol is the way to go!