Most peritonsillitis follows no recent sore throat; a European panel names six essential out-of-hours point-of-care tests

The edition in brief

A population registry study in one Swedish region (2012 to 2016) found 607 episodes of peritonsillitis in 555 patients. Incidence peaked in late adolescence and young adulthood, and only 23% of episodes were preceded by a recorded pharyngotonsillitis within 30 days. Most patients (74%) were first diagnosed in primary care and 71% of those were then managed in the ENT department. A single-centre randomised trial of 405 postpartum people with Medicaid insurance found one year of lay patient navigation did not raise the share who received all six essential postpartum care elements (9.4% vs 7.9%, P = 0.60), but raised the mean proportion of components received (71% vs 64%), with more completed postpartum visits (96% vs 80%) and more depression screening and care (86% vs 72%). A qualitative study nested in a randomised trial of group medical visits for chronic pain, with 26 patients, described four forms of social support operating within a 12-week programme. A modified Delphi study of experts from 20 European countries agreed that six point-of-care tests are essential in out-of-hours primary care: blood glucose, urine dipstick, C-reactive protein, pregnancy testing, electrocardiography and haemoglobin.