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The use of CRP tests in patients with respiratory tract infections in primary care in Sweden can be questioned

Andre, M ; Schwan, A and Odenholt, Inga LU (2004) In Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases 36(3). p.192-197
Abstract
A diagnosis-antibiotic prescribing study was performed in 5 counties in Sweden during 1 week in November in 2000 and 2002 respectively. As a part of the study, the use and results of C-reactive protein (CRP) tests in relation to duration of symptoms and antibiotic prescribing in 6778 patients assigned a diagnosis of respiratory tract infections were analysed. In almost half (42%) of the patients, a CRP test was performed. The majority of CRP tests (69%) were performed in patients assigned diagnosis upper respiratory tract infection, where the test is not recommended. Overall, there was a minor decrease in antibiotic prescribing when CRP was used (41%), in comparison to 44% of the patients where no CRP was performed (p<0.01). Patients... (More)
A diagnosis-antibiotic prescribing study was performed in 5 counties in Sweden during 1 week in November in 2000 and 2002 respectively. As a part of the study, the use and results of C-reactive protein (CRP) tests in relation to duration of symptoms and antibiotic prescribing in 6778 patients assigned a diagnosis of respiratory tract infections were analysed. In almost half (42%) of the patients, a CRP test was performed. The majority of CRP tests (69%) were performed in patients assigned diagnosis upper respiratory tract infection, where the test is not recommended. Overall, there was a minor decrease in antibiotic prescribing when CRP was used (41%), in comparison to 44% of the patients where no CRP was performed (p<0.01). Patients assigned diagnoses implying a bacterial aetiology were prescribed antibiotics irrespective of result of CRP or length of symptoms before consultation. For patients assigned viral diagnoses, antibiotic prescribing increased with increasing duration of symptoms and increasing value of CRP. The use of CRP decreased antibiotic prescribing in patients assigned to viral diagnoses and with longstanding symptoms (p<0.001). However, 59% of the patients assigned viral diagnoses with CRPgreater than or equal to25 received antibiotics, which seems to indicate a misinterpretation of CRP and a non-optimal use of antibiotics. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
volume
36
issue
3
pages
192 - 197
publisher
Informa Healthcare
external identifiers
  • wos:000220616200006
  • scopus:2442424288
ISSN
1651-1980
DOI
10.1080/00365540410019372
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c87802f5-5961-4492-95d5-9b01581e363b (old id 899158)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:11:17
date last changed
2022-03-15 05:42:59
@article{c87802f5-5961-4492-95d5-9b01581e363b,
  abstract     = {{A diagnosis-antibiotic prescribing study was performed in 5 counties in Sweden during 1 week in November in 2000 and 2002 respectively. As a part of the study, the use and results of C-reactive protein (CRP) tests in relation to duration of symptoms and antibiotic prescribing in 6778 patients assigned a diagnosis of respiratory tract infections were analysed. In almost half (42%) of the patients, a CRP test was performed. The majority of CRP tests (69%) were performed in patients assigned diagnosis upper respiratory tract infection, where the test is not recommended. Overall, there was a minor decrease in antibiotic prescribing when CRP was used (41%), in comparison to 44% of the patients where no CRP was performed (p&lt;0.01). Patients assigned diagnoses implying a bacterial aetiology were prescribed antibiotics irrespective of result of CRP or length of symptoms before consultation. For patients assigned viral diagnoses, antibiotic prescribing increased with increasing duration of symptoms and increasing value of CRP. The use of CRP decreased antibiotic prescribing in patients assigned to viral diagnoses and with longstanding symptoms (p&lt;0.001). However, 59% of the patients assigned viral diagnoses with CRPgreater than or equal to25 received antibiotics, which seems to indicate a misinterpretation of CRP and a non-optimal use of antibiotics.}},
  author       = {{Andre, M and Schwan, A and Odenholt, Inga}},
  issn         = {{1651-1980}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{192--197}},
  publisher    = {{Informa Healthcare}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases}},
  title        = {{The use of CRP tests in patients with respiratory tract infections in primary care in Sweden can be questioned}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00365540410019372}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/00365540410019372}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}