Sore throat

Infection or irritation of the pharynx or tonsills Can present as acute pharyngitis or tonsillitis or exudative tonsillitis Usually infectious with 50-80 % due to viruses Common condition with highest incidence in children and young adults Bacterial pharyngitis is more common in winter ( or early spring ) while enteroviral infection is more common in the summer and autumn ( BMJ Best Practice ) Self limiting condition which generally resolves within 2 weeks It is difficult to distinguish viral and bacterial causes of pharyngitis on the basis of history and physical examination alone

Rhinovirus Coronavirus Parainfluenza Adenovirus Herpes simplex type 1 Epstein - Barr virus Haemophilus influnza type B Enterovirus Measles virus HIV-1 Group A Streptococcus ( GAS ) Fusobacterium necrophorum Candida albicans Neisseria gonorrhoea Neiseria meningitides Cornybacterium diptheria & C ulcerans Acranobacterium haemolyticum Yersinia enterocolitica Francisella tularensis Chlamydophilia pneumoniae Mycoplasma pneumoniaea

Irritation eg smoke or NG tube Hayfever GORD Kawasaki disease Radiotherapy or chemotherapy related mucositis Leukaemia Aplastic anaemia Drug related - drugs causing agranulocytosis , neutropenia and thrombocytopenia

Complications particularly suppurative after an episode of sore throat in primary care are rare Fear of complications by both patients and the GP -often used to justify high antibiotics prescribing...