Division EENT-UR: Upper respiratory tract, pharyngitis, laryngitis, epiglottitis

Upper respiratory tract infections must meet at least 1 of the following criteria:

• Patient has at least two of the following signs or symptoms with no other recognized cause: fever (> 38 °C), erythema of pharynx, sore throat, cough, hoarseness, or purulent exudate in throat

  AND at least 1 of the following:

  • organisms cultured from the specific site

  • organisms cultured from blood

  • positive antigen test on blood or respiratory secretions

  • diagnostic single antibody titre (IgM) or 4-fold increase in paired sera (IgG) for pathogen

  • physician diagnosis of an upper respiratory infection

• Patient has an abscess seen on direct examination, during a surgical operation, or during a histopathologic examination