A rapid screening method for identification of clinic patients with pharyngitis who are carrying group A beta-hemolytic streptococci and for teaching residents the values and limitations of the culture-disk approach to identification has been reviewed as developed for a busy clinic and a busy hospital laboratory. Identification of positive cultures in less than 24 hours, using Taxos A disk and specific fluorescent antibody uptake, resulted in 12% apparent false-positive and 3.6% false-negative reports. However, when viewed in the light of the techniques used for verifying results, there were probably 3% false-positive and 3% false-negative reports. The screening method is considered acceptably reliable and practical as a laboratory tool and a resident teaching device.
