Table 4 Variables related to the main reasons behind the suboptimal adherence and awareness of guidelines of pediatric ED physicians

Possibility for the treating physician to make the clinical diagnosis of bacterial pharyngitis with certainty without any diagnostic tests

Yes

23

131

0.489

69.7%

91.6%

No

10

12

30.3%

8.4%

Difficulty with collecting samples from children

Yes

12

68

0.241

36.36%

47.55%

No

21

75

63.63%

52.44%

Parental rejection of throat swap

Yes

6

44

0.134

18.18%

30.8%

No

27

99

81.81%

69.2%

Parents eventually insist on antibiotics use despite the lab results

Yes

13

77

0.133

39.4%

53.84%

No

20

66

60.6%

46.15%

Culture is not available at our hospital/medical center

Yes

0

20

0.27

0%

13.98%

No

32

116

96.97%

81.11%

Do not know

1

7

3.03%

4.89%

Rapid antigen detection test is not available at our hospital/medical center

Yes

18

61

0.45

54.54%

42.65%

No

11

61

33.33%

42.65%

Do not know

4

21

12.12%

14.16%

Difficulty in ensuring a proper follow-up

Yes

23

81

0.46

69.69%

56.64

No

10

62

30.30%

43.35%

The fear of acquiring an infection

Yes

6

39

0.29

18.18%

27.27%

No

27

104

81.81%

72.72%

Personal beliefs that it is not an Emergency Department procedure

Yes

12

45

0.55

36.36%

31.46%

No

21

98

63.63%

68.53%

Awareness about the clinical scoring systems that can predict group A streptococcal pharyngitis (e.g., Centor score (Modified/McIsaac))

Yes

22

89

0.633

66.7%

62.2%

No

11

54

33.3%

37.8%

Absence of local guidelines for the management of acute upper respiratory tract infections in the department

Yes

24

58

0.0004

72.72%

40.55%

No

8

49

24.24%

34.26%

Do not know

1

36

3.03%

25.17%