The presence of the usual mouth and throat bacteria is a normal finding.
What abnormal results mean:
The growth of certain organisms such as group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (which causes strep throat) as well as other organisms which cause diphtheria and gonorrhea is abnormal and may indicate infection.
Review Date: 6/10/2005
Reviewed By: Eleftherios Mylonakis, M.D., Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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