Data collection and Procedures
Baseline clinical features, symptoms, and signs were obtained via a
review of the patients’ electronic medical records. The degree of sore
throat was checked using the manner of Numeral Rating Scale (NRS),
ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain
imaginable. If radiologic (Chest x-ray) and laboratory tests such as
white blood cell counts, were conducted, these data were also collected.
Because rapid streptococcal antigen tests were not available at this
hospital, it was not performed for any of the patients. Patients were
orally or intramuscularly administered a single dose of 10 mg of
dexamethasone as an adjuvant therapy with conventional treatment such as
anti-pyretics and anti-histamines. The clinician decided to offer
antibiotic prescriptions with the usual instruction. All patient
treatment prescriptions were recorded.