Centor Score (Modified/McIsaac) for Strep Pharyngitis
Estimates probability that pharyngitis is streptococcal, and suggests management course.
Use only in patients with recent onset (≤3 days) acute pharyngitis.
Advice
Steroids and NSAIDS improve symptoms; antibiotics are often indicated in streptococcal pharyngitis, but do not prevent its suppurative complications, like peritonsillar abscess.
Critical Actions
- Carefully consider patients with symptom duration longer than 3 days, even though the Centor Score does not apply.
- While symptoms are not compatible with a diagnosis of acute pharyngitis, these patients require evaluation for suppurative complications (peritonsillar abscess or Lemierre syndrome), or viral infections in adult patients (infectious mononucleosis or acute HIV) (Centor 2017).