Use of point-of-care tests and antibiotic prescribing in sore throat and lower respiratory infections by general practitioners

TY - JOUR

T1 - Use of point-of-care tests and antibiotic prescribing in sore throat and lower respiratory infections by general practitioners

AU - Llor, Carles

AU - Molero, José M

AU - Moragas, Ana

AU - Cordoba, Gloria

AU - Bjerrum, Lars

N1 - Copyright © 2019 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/1

Y1 - 2020/1

N2 - INTRODUCTION: This study was aimed at assessing general practitioners' (GP) reliance on patient history, examination findings and the influence of the utilisation of point-of-care tests (POCT) in antibiotic prescribing for sore throat and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI).METHODS: Audit-based study carried out in 2015. A group of GPs received an intervention six years earlier with provision of POCTs and another group of GPs acted as controls. Odds ratios for clinical variables predicting antibiotic prescribing were calculated by logistic regression analyses.RESULTS: A total of 238 GPs included 1906 patients with sore throat and 1970 LRTIs. A negative POCT result was negatively associated with antibiotic prescribing, with odds ratios ranging from 0.09 to 0.23. GPs using POCTs attached less weight to clinical criteria.CONCLUSION: GPs using rapid tests are mainly influenced by POCT results in the decision to prescribe antibiotics. However, antibiotic prescribing is still observed with negative POCT results.

AB - INTRODUCTION: This study was aimed at assessing general practitioners' (GP) reliance on patient history, examination findings and the influence of the utilisation of point-of-care tests (POCT) in antibiotic prescribing for sore throat and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI).METHODS: Audit-based study carried out in 2015. A group of GPs received an intervention six years earlier with provision of POCTs and another group of GPs acted as controls. Odds ratios for clinical variables predicting antibiotic prescribing were calculated by logistic regression analyses.RESULTS: A total of 238 GPs included 1906 patients with sore throat and 1970 LRTIs. A negative POCT result was negatively associated with antibiotic prescribing, with odds ratios ranging from 0.09 to 0.23. GPs using POCTs attached less weight to clinical criteria.CONCLUSION: GPs using rapid tests are mainly influenced by POCT results in the decision to prescribe antibiotics. However, antibiotic prescribing is still observed with negative POCT results.

U2 - 10.1016/j.eimc.2019.02.005

DO - 10.1016/j.eimc.2019.02.005

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30981454

SN - 0213-005X

JO - Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiologia Clinica

JF - Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiologia Clinica

ER -