Rapid Strep Test

A rapid strep test is used by doctors to quickly determine whether or not a patient has a streptococcal infection. We saw earlier that a home strep test may be used as a rule of thumb, but if it shows up as negative and you still have strong suspicions of an infection, then a more rigorous strep test is needed.

In order to perform a rapid strep test, doctors need to take a swab from the back of the throat. The success of the test really depends on how well the sample is taken. There are several factors that can be detrimental to the success of the rapid strep test including residual effects from antibiotics. In fact, a negative result from this type of test, while more convincing than that of a home strep test is still not concrete proof. In other words, there are chances of a false negative here as well.

However, a positive result is definitely indicative of the presence of streptococcal bacteria. If you need further confirmation in case of a negative result, the best bet would be to get a throat culture which would be foolproof. One thing you need to be careful about is that a rapid strep test doesn’t differentiate between a carrier and those with active symptoms. The person might have a virul infection and still be a carrier, and in this case, the rapid strep test will give a positive result.