Which symptom is used to increase the Centor score when assessing for strep pharyngitis?

The Centor score is a clinical tool used to determine the likelihood of strep throat, or streptococcal pharyngitis, in patients presenting with sore throat symptoms. An increase in the Centor score is based on specific clinical findings, which help to guide management decisions about treatment, including the need for further testing or antibiotic therapy.

Swollen tonsils are one of the key findings included in the Centor criteria that contribute to an elevated score. The presence of tonsillar enlargement is indicative of potential infection and aligns with the typical presentation of streptococcal infections, where the tonsils may appear enlarged and inflamed. Thus, when assessing a patient for strep pharyngitis, swollen tonsils serve as a significant symptom that raises the Centor score, signaling a higher probability of the condition.

Other symptoms listed, such as vocal changes and dry cough, do not have the same level of association with strep throat in the context of the Centor criteria. Vocal changes could indicate other issues such as laryngitis, and a dry cough is more characteristic of viral infections rather than bacterial ones like strep throat. The sore throat itself is indeed a central symptom but does not increase the score as it is part of the initial