The absence of a cough in the CENTOR's criteria adds how many points to the score?

In the context of the CENTOR criteria, the absence of a cough indeed contributes negatively to the scoring system by adding a score of -1. The CENTOR criteria is used to assess the likelihood of streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat) based on specific clinical features.

The criteria include the presence of fever, tonsillar exudates, cervical lymphadenopathy, and a history of cough. The rationale behind scoring criteria, including the absence of a cough, is to refine the assessment of the likelihood of strep throat versus viral processes, which typically present with accompanying cough. A negative feature like the absence of a cough suggests a lower probability of strep throat, thus warranting a subtraction of points from the overall score.

This scoring system assists healthcare providers in making informed decisions regarding the need for further testing or treatment for strep throat.