In addition to the above methods, parents can also "check" their baby's nose to make a further determination.
How is a nasopharyngeal swab done?
The doctor will use the head of a nasopharyngeal swab (a special medical swab) to go deep into the root of the baby's nasal cavity or throat.
The specimen is taken in a few gentle turns and the result is ready in about 15-30 minutes.
Compared to blood tests, this procedure is convenient, quick, non-invasive and suitable for emergency care for children.
How do I read the lab test?
This test covers most of the common pathogens that can be accurately detected by reagents and that cause upper respiratory tract infections.
It is very easy to read the test, "negative" means no infection, "positive" means infection.
Of course, if all five tests are "negative", it does not mean that the test was done in vain. At least temporarily rule out the possibility of the presence of the above five pathogenic bacteria.
However, this test is mostly done in children's hospitals, most of which have throat swabs.
For example, in children with suspected scarlet fever or purulent tonsillitis caused by streptococcal infection, sometimes the outpatient pediatrician will do a pharyngeal swab to identify the specific infecting bacteria in the pharynx and then give accurate and reasonable medication treatment.
