Throat Culture

Quick Strep Test, Rapid Strep Test

How It Is Done

You will be asked to tilt your head back and open your mouth as wide as possible. Your health professional will press your tongue down with a flat stick (tongue depressor) and then examine your mouth and throat. A clean swab will be rubbed over the back of your throat, around your tonsils, and over any red areas or sores to collect a sample.

The sample may also be collected using a throat gargle. For this test, you will gargle a small amount of salt water and then spit the fluid into a clean cup. This method gives a larger sample than a throat swab and may make the culture more reliable.

If your child needs a throat culture, you may hold your child on your lap. This can prevent your child from moving around too much.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: September 19, 2006
Medical Review:	Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Charles M. Myer, III, MD - Otolaryngology
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