Is Kim right? Or is the doctor right?

[powerfulcheese04]

I went to the doctor today because I think I have strep throat (as indicated by a ridiculously high fever and the yellow pustules on the back of my throat.) He ran a rapid strep test which came back negative.

When I asked if it was definitive because don't those have a high error rate? He said he thought the error was low... at 20% false negative. I nearly died. The bioengineer in me threw a hissy fit. (And there are reasons that any negative rapid strep test gets sent to be cultured.)

[anonshadow]

f***, that's an incredibly high rate, especially when you're perscribing medication.

[luminousnerd]

...Are you kidding me? 20%? That guy's a moron, like a lot of the doctors I know.

[Epi]

If you have clinical correlation, even with a negative strep test, you err on the side of caution and you treat. You can send for a swab if you want. That's the proper way of doing it. The rapid strep test isn't really all that useful.

http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic395.htm

if you want to read more.

[Snowdemon]

Yeah thats pretty high, but maybe he said it was low, to make you feel better, that you are going to get treated right.

[powerfulcheese04]

But he didn't give me any antibiotics. He told me to "ride it out".

What a moron.

[Jayelle]

I get that you feel ill and all Kim, but I would prefer a doctor that doesn't throw anti-biotics at everything. That's what breeds superbugs.

[powerfulcheese04]

But if it's strep and goes untreated, then I get Scarlet Fever.

ETA: A large part of the reason i think this is strep and not a virus is that I haven't had a fever over 100 since the last time I had strep. 102.4 is ridiculous for a 20 year old. If it is just a virus I'm fine riding it out. But I'm really convinced it's strep.

[eriador]

That is an extremely high error rate. Get a better test done so that it can be properly treated.

[VelvetElvis]

But if it's strep and goes untreated, then I get Scarlet Fever.

And your bunny toy gets almost-burned, and comes back as a real bunny!

[LilBee91]

I love that story.

[Ender97]

I personly always take strep verry seriously. Back a little over a decade ago when I was still in high school I got a extreme case of it. cascading into a doubble ear infection and massive swelling in my entire body. It got so bad that the skin of the soles of my feet cracked in several placeses. I was out on a trip with my father at the time and he, the Bugger, did not think that I was sick! Needless to say I finly got to a hospital and was taken care of. but ever since then strep and I have stayed far apart.

[anonshadow]

I love that story.

So do I.

[fawkes]

I'd get a second opinion, especially if he didn't prescribe any meds. That guy sounds like a total idiot.

[jotabe]

Yes, the best option is to get a second oppinion. But try not to influence on the second oppinion ^_^

Btw, i completely agree with you. But have in account that doctor aren't scientists... the scientists of that field are the biologists ^_- so bear with them.
It's what we physicists have too do when when we deal with civil/telecommunications engineers... *sigh*

[Virlomi]

I think you just wanted to see your name in a thread title too. :p Mmmhmm. I know you secretly want to be me, Kim, but honestly this is getting a bit ridiculous.

No, seriously though, I had strep last yearish and it was incredibly awful. I fought going to the doctor and almost refused the drugs completely, though. I am with Jan in the Less Anti-Biotics The Better Camp (see, we do have something in common ) so they practually had to force feed me the stupid things. At any rate, I feel for you, dear. Feel better soon!

[v-girl]

But have in account that doctor aren't scientists... the scientists of that field are the biologists ^_- so bear with them.

I resent that.

[jotabe]

When i say something like that, it's half joke, half true ^_- You have to admit that medicine is to biology like engineer is to physics ^_^

[Sibyl]

No, seriously though, I had strep last yearish and it was incredibly awful. I fought going to the doctor and almost refused the drugs completely, though. I am with Jan in the Less Anti-Biotics The Better Camp (see, we do have something in common ) so they practually had to force feed me the stupid things.

Well, sorta. If you've taken even one antibiotic dose, take them all and finish the course, so you kill off _all_ the bugs. Taking "just a little", or "the less the better", _will_ breed resistant bugs from the survivors, even if you've killed enough so you're no longer sick, but not all.

[powerfulcheese04]

Sibyl's right, not taking a full course of ABs is really what's breeding the super bugs.



I really wish I was home where I know where the competent doctors are. I'm tired of identifying all the quacks in Houston.

[VelvetElvis]

I had a touch of scarlet fever once. It sucked, but my brother had it MUCH worse than I did.

[Dr. Mobius]

I'm right.

[Hegemon]

Since Kim is a sock puppet, i am gonna go with the doctor being right.