A 10-year-old girl presents with a sore throat, fever, and painful swallowing. On examination, her tonsils are red and swollen, and she has enlarged and tender cervical lymph nodes. A rapid strep test is positive. What is the most likely diagnosis and treatment plan?
The combination of sore throat, fever, painful swallowing, swollen tonsils, and a positive rapid strep test strongly suggests streptococcal pharyngitis, or "strep throat", which often involves tonsillitis. The treatment is typically a 10-day course of antibiotics, such as penicillin or amoxicillin, to eliminate the bacteria and prevent complications such as rheumatic fever or kidney disease.