Evaluation of the Efficacy of the Biogold Strep A Rapid Antigen Test for the Detection of Group A Beta-Haemolytic Streptococci in Throat Swabs

Objective: Group A beta-haemolytic Streptococcus (GAS) cause 20-40% of childhood pharyngitis and 5-15% of adult pharyngitis.Without timely treatment, GAS can lead to severe complications, such as acute rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis.Early identification is crucial for preventing these outcomes.Rapid antigen tests (RAT) have opened a very useful diagnostic field in the diagnosis and treatment of acute tonsilopharyngitis.This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Biogold Strep A Card test compared with the gold-standard culture method.Methods: This study included 6,188 throat swab samples submitted between January 2022 and May 2023.Samples were tested using both the Biogold Strep A Card (Bioriver, Trkiye) and culture methods.Results: Among 6,188 patients, 2,717 (43.9%) were female and 3,471 (56.1%) male, with a mean age of 11.89.6 years.Among the patients examined, 17.2% (1,062) had positive cultures, while 18.7% (1,155) tested positive by the Biogold Strep A RAT.The Biogold Strep A Card test showed a sensitivity of 75.6%, specificity of 93.1%, positive predictive value of 69.4%, negative predictive value of 94.8%, and overall accuracy of 90.1%. Conclusion:Initiating antibiotic therapy in patients with positive RAT results may reduce the risk of complications, particularly in children aged 5-15 years.For patients with negative RAT results, avoiding unnecessary antibiotics helps prevent resistance.Culturing RAT-negative cases further minimizes misdiagnosis and incomplete treatment.