Can Strep Throat Be Serious??

Question

My son who is almost 16 has strep throat. He's on penacillan for it and is taking it 2x a day. The docs office did a quick result throat swab on Thursday and it came back positive for Strep. On Saturday she asked us to get a ton of blood work done to rule out Mono as it can affect your liver and spleen. I just got a call from the lab saying my sons culture came back and he has "Major Major Group A Strep Throat". I've never heard of "major major group A strep* I know what major means.......and i'm sure his blood cells were quite high.,...but he's been on the antibiotics since Thursday night......I sent him back to school on Monday as he had no fever and was feeling better.......What does "Major Major Group A Strep Throat mean?? Should he be at home?? Will I catch strep throat ?

Answer 1

Yes, strep throat can be very serious if left untreated. These complications include other infections, such as:

Tonsillitis or a collection of pus around the tonsils caused by infection (peritonsillar abscess)
Sinus infection (sinusitis)
Ear infection
Scarlet fever, an illness characterized by a rash
Strep throat may also lead to inflammation of the kidney (glomerulonephritis) and rheumatic fever.

Rheumatic fever causes inflammatory deposits (nodules) to form in various tissues, including the joints, skin and muscles. These nodules also may form on the heart muscle, the lining of the heart and especially the heart valves, causing scarring that can interfere with the flow of blood inside the heart. Although surgery can sometimes repair scarred valves, the damage may be permanent. In some cases this damage may lead to heart failure. However, the risk of developing severe complications from strep throat is low in the United States.

I'm sure the doctors office meant by major, major that he has a very severe case of Strep throat. I would call the doctors office back and ask them which type he has and ask exactly what they mean by "major, major."

There are two types of very serious group A strep infections :
necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome

Group A streptococcus, or group A strep, is a bacterium commonly found in the throat and on the skin. Group A strep bacteria can cause a range of infections, from relatively mild sore throats and skin infections to life-threatening invasive disease.

Group A strep bacteria are spread by direct person-to-person contact.

Group A strep infections can usually be treated with antibiotics.

To prevent group A strep infections: 1) wash hands thoroughly and often, 2) get a throat culture for a sore throat with fever, and 3) keep wounds clean and seek medical care for infected wounds with fever.

Group A strep usually causes relatively mild illnesses, such as streptococcal sore throat (strep throat) and streptococcal skin infections (impetigo). Group A strep can also cause more serious illnesses such as scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, postpartum fever, wound infections, and pneumonia.

Occasionally, a deadly type of group A strep bacteria can invade the blood, muscle and fat tissue, or lungs and cause a serious and often life-threatening type of infection called invasive group A strep. Two rare, but very severe, forms of invasive group A strep infections are necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.

Necrotizing fasciitis (sometimes referred to as "the flesh-eating disease") is an infection that attacks the deep layers of tissue (fascia). It is usually caused when a deadly strain of group A strep infects an opening in the skin. For unknown reasons, the strain becomes very aggressive and releases a toxin (poison) that quickly and irreparably destroys flesh and muscle. Doctors often must remove skin, large groups of muscle, or entire limbs to save a person's life.

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, another type of rapidly progressing strep infection, causes a dangerous drop in blood pressure, shock, and damage to the kidneys, liver, and lungs. As in necrotizing fasciitis, the toxin damages the tissues and organs so quickly that treatment is difficult and often too late.

Here are some websites that might be helpful to you. Good Luck & I hope your son is feeling better soon. God Bless.

http://www.dhpe.org/infect/strepa.html

http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/streptococcal/group_a/fact_sheet.htm

http://www.webmd.com/hw/strep_throat/hw54805.asp

http://patients.uptodate.com/topic.asp?file=inf_immu/6728&title=Strep+throat

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strep-throat/DS00260/DSECTION=7

**With any medical condition, it is always best to seek help from a professional health care provider."

Answer 2

There is no such thing as "major major" Group A strep. You either have it or not. I would assume the "major major" designation was their way of saying the culture had a large amount of the Group A Strep growing. The treatment is usually quite effective. It usually takes 36 to 48 hours for the average infection to become non-infectious. It may take longer for more heavily involved infections. During that time your son can be contagious and should not be around other people. Most schools and businesses will not let someone with Strep Throat on the grounds until the antibiotics have taken affect. But, since he has been on antibiotics since Thursday I would have to assume that his period of being contagious is past. Is he still running a fever? That could be a clue that the infection is still present. It is highly possible for you to become infected. It is spread by aerosols produced by coughing and sneezing. Just make sure that he takes ALL of the prescribed antibiotics.

Answer 3

There are some people who get strep throat and do not respond to penicillin. If he is responding ok to it, then he shouldn't be contagious anymore. If he gets it often, and it is serious enough, he should have his tonsils removed, as this is where the strep infection develops and manifests. My husband gets strep every few years, and the first time he had it, he was hospitalized and nearly died. Every time since then, he goes to the doctor and requests rocephin (strong antibiotic) and solumedrol (steroid) because penicillin had no beneficial effect on it for him. He doesn't get it often enough to warrant tonsil removal, but he is an example of how differently people can react to an infection with strep. Never heard of the "Major Major Group A" variation. With all the resistant strains, it is possible this is a new one that resists treatment with certain drugs. I haven't really looked it up. But definitely monitor him to see if he improves, and if he worsens, take him back for stronger medicine.

Answer 4

Strep throat is highly contagious but since your son has been on antibiotics for 48 hours, he is not contagious anymore. As long as he feels well enough to go to school, send him. Whoever told you that it was "major major" was probably just emphasizing on how sick he was...i do not think there is such a thing. He obviously just has group A strep very badly. Good luck and hope he is feeling better.

Answer 5

i recently had strept throat and so far no one i know seems to have gotten it from me, but i did make sure to keep things santized around me so no one else would. i know strept throat can spread and you can die from it so yes it cn be serious if you don't catch it. i think once your on medicine for like a day or two you're normaly fine to start doing normal things again and are no longer able to spread what you have. i would say SUPER CLEAN your house to make sure you don't pick up anything.

Answer 6

Yes if it keeps infecting and spreading it could get serious if your around him too much maybe so just tell him to cover his mouth but i doubt it will get serious.

Answer 7

Strep can kill you, so yes of course it is serious.