After a strep pharyngitis, what will antibiotics NOT decrease the incidence of?

Antibiotics are effective in treating strep pharyngitis by eradicating the infection caused by Group A Streptococcus. However, while antibiotics can prevent complications such as rheumatic fever and acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) when administered timely, they do not diminish the risk of developing post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis after the infection has already established itself.

Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis can occur as a delayed consequence of the infection due to immune complex deposition in the kidneys. Since this condition arises from a subsequent immune response to the infection rather than the presence of the bacteria itself, antibiotics administered post-infection will not reduce its incidence.

In contrast, antibiotics can decrease the likelihood of recurrent throat infections by effectively treating the current bacterial infection, and they impact the incidence of strep throat as they directly target the source of the infection. Furthermore, chronic kidney disease is not a direct or immediate complication following streptococcal infection, which antibiotics do not impact either.

This nuanced understanding of the effects of antibiotic therapy underscores the importance of timely intervention and the possibility of delayed complications that are not affected post-treatment.