Which criteria are included in the Centor criteria for diagnosing streptococcal throat infection?

The Centor criteria are specifically designed to assist healthcare providers in evaluating the likelihood of streptococcal pharyngitis, more commonly known as strep throat. The criteria include the presence of fever, tonsillar exudate, tender anterior cervical adenopathy, and absence of cough.

The correct response includes tonsillar exudate and fever, which are directly relevant to the Centor criteria. Tonsillar exudate indicates the presence of an infection at the tonsils, which is a hallmark of strep throat. Fever is also a common symptom associated with the infection and serves to support the diagnosis.

In contrast, options that mention cough are less relevant, as cough is generally not associated with streptococcal infections and may indicate a viral process instead. Other symptoms like body aches or malaise, while they can occur with many infections, are nonspecific and not directly included in the Centor criteria for diagnosing strep throat. These criteria help streamline the diagnostic process to determine when further testing or treatment is warranted, particularly in differentiating between viral and bacterial pharyngitis.