“When should I take my child to the doctor for a sore throat?”

Sore throat that lasts longer than 1-2 days, especially if severe, or accompanied by fever > 101 or great difficulty swallowing could be strep throat or another serious infection. Your doctor can -- and should -- test for strep throat and only treat with antibiotics if that test is POSITIVE. New DNA technology for in-office strep tests is very accurate, so there is no longer a need to send for culture to confirm -- a negative test indicates absence of disease and should not be treated.

Shelley C. Springer, MD, MBA, MSc, JD, FAAP