RESUMO
The aim of this study is to find the cause of chronic sore throat [CST] and to demonstrate the percentage of patients who may benefit from treatment with antibiotics by clinical, laboratory and radiological evaluation. Design: A prospective study [March-June 1996]. Setting: Queen Alia Military Hospital [QAMH] in Amman, Jordan. Among the 94 patients, only 25 patients [26.6%] showed chronic infection; 18 [19.1%] had chronic sinusitis and 7 [7.5%] had chronic tonsillitis; those 25 patients may benefit from antibiotics. The remaining 69 [73.4%] did not have any evidence of infection, therefore antibiotics use in such patients cannot be justified. The main cause of CST in 87 [92.5%] patients is mechanical in nature with continuous irritation of pharyngeal mucosa