Sanford Rapid Strep Test at AFC Urgent Care

AFC Sanford provides on-site rapid strep throat testing. Strep throat, aka streptococcal pharyngitis, is a bacterial infection that causes extremely sore throats and swollen lymph nodes. The infection is transmitted through inhaling an infected person's droplets (coughing, sneezing, etc.). If strep is left untreated it can cause complications such as kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever.

If you think you might have strep throat, schedule your consultation now or walk right in!

Common Symptoms of Strep Throat

• Sore throat
• Pain when swallowing
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fever
• Red/swollen tonsils
• White patches or pus on back of throat

A healthcare provider cannot tell if you have strep throat just by looking at your throat. One of the only ways to identify strep throat is using a rapid strep test. A sore throat may seem innocent at first, but it can be a bigger issue than it appears. In addition to the rapid test, a throat culture can determine if strep is the cause of your sore throat symptoms.

The health professionals at Sanford AFC Urgent Care can provide such tests so that you can move on to the next critical step: finding a way to heal.

A rapid strep test requires swabbing the throat and running a test on the swab. This process is both straightforward and speedy, ensuring you can get your results as soon as possible As the name suggests, the rapid test quickly shows if strep is causing the illness.

So how do you start searching for a solution once the test is complete? If the rapid strep test is positive for strep, your provider can prescribe antibiotics.

If the rapid test is negative for strep, your health-care provider may still feel that the symptoms indicate strep throat. A false negative can happen in some cases, but you can take an extra step to determine your health status.

If the provider still suspects strep throat, a throat culture swab can be taken. Although this is a longer process, it’s invaluable in helping you better understand your health status. A throat culture swab can take up to 48 hours to show bacteria, but sometimes it finds infections that the rapid test may have missed.

If either test finds an infection, you can finally move on to healing. Use the contact information on this page to schedule a strep throat test if any symptoms arise. Healing begins with reaching out to the professionals and getting to the root of the issue, and we’re happy to help.

To set up an appointment or to learn more about rapid strep test, please call (919) 352-9538.