Centor criteria for group A streptococcal pharyngitis in adults

The Centor criteria are used to determine the likelihood of GAS in adults. One point is given for each criterion; the likelihood of GAS pharyngitis increases as total points rise. We generally test for GAS in patients with ≥3 Centor criteria; patients with Centor criteria <3 are unlikely to have GAS pharyngitis and generally do not need GAS testing. Because the Centor criteria have relatively low sensitivity for the diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis, use of these criteria do not replace testing for GAS and should not be used to determine the need for antibiotic therapy.