How this fits in

In many healthcare systems, the Centor score and McIsaac score are used by GPs and primary care professionals to diagnose group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus (GABHS); however, there is no previous meta-analysis that has compared their performances in primary care. This comparative meta-analysis demonstrates that the Centor score and McIsaac score have broadly similar performance characteristics in diagnosing GABHS infection in primary care. A score of ≤0 when using either system may have a role in ruling out GABHS infection in primary care; however, neither score is sufficiently accurate to rule in GABHS infection and, if applied as recommended, could lead to more than one in two patients being prescribed antibiotics inappropriately. Other point-of-care diagnostics that augment these scores are needed if rates of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing are to be reduced.