Have terrible sore throat and very painful to swallow. strep was neg. would the drs exam have ruled out epiglottitis?

How old is patient?: Epiglottitis is more likely in a young child,especially if not vaccinated.The symptoms are different,though:drooling,difficulty breathing,throat inflammation and fever.If the strep test was a rapid test,an overnight culture should be done to back it up.If that is also negative,it is most likely viral in origin. Other testing to be done is examination for abscess, especially if one side & mono.