🤒 FeverPAIN Score (Strep Pharyngitis)
Estimate the likelihood of streptococcal sore throat with the FeverPAIN score.
Clinical takeaway
Most sore throats are viral.
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When to use
Guide antibiotic decisions in acute pharyngitis.
How it works
Fever, Purulence, Attend rapidly (≤ 3 days), severely Inflamed tonsils, No cough/coryza (1 each). 0–1 low, 2–3 moderate, 4–5 high.
Key points
- Most sore throats are viral.
- A delayed (back-up) prescription suits intermediate scores.
- Centor/McIsaac is an alternative.
References
Decision support for licensed clinicians only; not a substitute for clinical judgement, diagnosis or local protocols.
Worked calculation
The values below come from this tool's own example placeholders and are computed server-side with the formula shown on this page, so the arithmetic can be checked quickly. It demonstrates how to substitute values only — it is not clinical advice and not a real case.
| Fever in past 24 h | No |
|---|---|
| Purulence (pus on tonsils) | No |
| Attend rapidly (≤ 3 days of onset) | No |
| Severely inflamed tonsils | No |
| No cough or coryza | No |
→FeverPAIN0/5
- Interpretation：Low (~13–18% streptococcus) — antibiotics not needed
| Fever in past 24 h | Yes (+1) |
|---|---|
| Purulence (pus on tonsils) | Yes (+1) |
| Attend rapidly (≤ 3 days of onset) | Yes (+1) |
| Severely inflamed tonsils | Yes (+1) |
| No cough or coryza | Yes (+1) |
→FeverPAIN5/5
- Interpretation：High (~62–65%) — consider antibiotics
Frequently asked questions
- What is FeverPAIN Score (Strep Pharyngitis)?
- Estimate the likelihood of streptococcal sore throat with the FeverPAIN score.
- How is FeverPAIN Score (Strep Pharyngitis) calculated? What is the core formula?
- Fever, Purulence, Attend rapidly (≤ 3 days), severely Inflamed tonsils, No cough/coryza (1 each). 0–1 low, 2–3 moderate, 4–5 high.
- When is FeverPAIN Score (Strep Pharyngitis) used?
- Guide antibiotic decisions in acute pharyngitis.
- What are the key clinical points for FeverPAIN Score (Strep Pharyngitis)?
- Most sore throats are viral. A delayed (back-up) prescription suits intermediate scores. Centor/McIsaac is an alternative.
- What are the limits and cautions when using FeverPAIN Score (Strep Pharyngitis)?
- For licensed clinicians and clinical researchers. Interpret results with history, investigations and local protocols; not a diagnosis or prescription, and not a substitute for multidisciplinary decision-making or local guidelines.
- How is FeverPAIN Score (Strep Pharyngitis) calculated in practice? Can you show a worked example?
- Inputs: Fever in past 24 h No, Purulence (pus on tonsils) No, Attend rapidly (≤ 3 days of onset) No, Severely inflamed tonsils No, No cough or coryza No → Result: FeverPAIN 0 /5（Interpretation: Low (~13–18% streptococcus) — antibiotics not needed） Inputs: Fever in past 24 h Yes (+1), Purulence (pus on tonsils) Yes (+1), Attend rapidly (≤ 3 days of onset) Yes (+1), Severely inflamed tonsils Yes (+1), No cough or coryza Yes (+1) → Result: FeverPAIN 5 /5（Interpretation: High (~62–65%) — consider antibiotics）