Centor criteria

The Centor criteria are a set of criteria which may be used to identify the likelihood of a bacterial infection in adult patients complaining of a sore throat. They were developed as a method to quickly diagnose the presence of Group A streptococcal infection or diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis in 'adult patients who presented to an urban emergency room complaining of a sore throat.' The Centor criteria are a set of criteria which may be used to identify the likelihood of a bacterial infection in adult patients complaining of a sore throat. They were developed as a method to quickly diagnose the presence of Group A streptococcal infection or diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis in 'adult patients who presented to an urban emergency room complaining of a sore throat.' The patients are judged on four criteria, with one point added for each positive criterion: The modified Centor criteria also incorporate the patient's age: