Diagnosis (11)
The doctor is the only one who can establish a diagnosis after conducting a general physical examination, a throat exam and listening to the lungs. Your doctor may recommend collecting a pharyngeal exudate. This is done by swabbing the tonsils and the back of the throat (pharynx) and inoculating the sample onto culture media for 24 to 48 hours. After this period of time, it will be possible to determine the bacteria that caused the infection (e.g., streptococcus) and the antibiotic to which it is sensitive.
If your doctor considers it necessary, blood tests may also be recommended, for example in the case of suspected infectious mononucleosis.