scholarly journals Procalcitonin and lung ultrasonography point-of-care testing to determine antibiotic prescription in patients with lower respiratory tract infection in primary care: pragmatic cluster randomised trial

BMJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. n2132
Author(s):  
Loïc Lhopitallier ◽  
Andreas Kronenberg ◽  
Jean-Yves Meuwly ◽  
Isabella Locatelli ◽  
Yolanda Mueller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Lower Respiratory Tract ◽  
Antibiotic Prescription ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Care Group ◽  
Lung Ultrasonography ◽  
Cluster Randomised

Abstract Objective To assess whether point-of care procalcitonin and lung ultrasonography can safely reduce unnecessary antibiotic treatment in patients with lower respiratory tract infections in primary care. Design Three group, pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial from September 2018 to March 2020. Setting 60 Swiss general practices. Participants One general practitioner per practice was included. General practitioners screen all patients with acute cough; patients with clinical pneumonia were included. Interventions Randomisation in a 1:1:1 of general practitioners to either antibiotics guided by sequential procalcitonin and lung ultrasonography point-of-care tests (UltraPro; n=152), procalcitonin guided antibiotics (n=195), or usual care (n=122). Main outcomes Primary outcome was proportion of patients in each group prescribed an antibiotic by day 28. Secondary outcomes included duration of restricted activities due to lower respiratory tract infection within 14 days. Results 60 general practitioners included 469 patients (median age 53 years (interquartile range 38-66); 278 (59%) were female). Probability of antibiotic prescription at day 28 was lower in the procalcitonin group than in the usual care group (0.40 v 0.70, cluster corrected difference −0.26 (95% confidence interval −0.41 to −0.10)). No significant difference was seen between UltraPro and procalcitonin groups (0.41 v 0.40, −0.03 (−0.17 to 0.12)). The median number of days with restricted activities by day 14 was 4 days in the procalcitonin group and 3 days in the usual care group (difference 1 day (95% confidence interval −0.23 to 2.32); hazard ratio 0.75 (95% confidence interval 0.58 to 0.97)), which did not prove non-inferiority. Conclusions Compared with usual care, point-of-care procalcitonin led to a 26% absolute reduction in the probability of 28 day antibiotic prescription without affecting patients’ safety. Point-of-care lung ultrasonography did not further reduce antibiotic prescription, although a potential added value cannot be excluded, owing to the wide confidence intervals. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03191071 .

scholarly journals Point-of-care C-reactive protein to assist in primary care management of children with suspected non-serious lower respiratory tract infection: a randomised controlled trial

BJGP Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. bjgpopen18X101600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjolein JC Schot ◽  
Ann Van den Bruel ◽  
Berna DL Broekhuizen ◽  
Jochen WL Cals ◽  
Eveline A Noteboom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Lower Respiratory Tract ◽  
Antibiotic Prescription ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Randomised Controlled

BackgroundOverprescription of antibiotics for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in children is common, partly due to diagnostic uncertainty, in which case the addition of point-of-care (POC) C-reactive protein (CRP) testing can be of aid.AimTo assess whether use of POC CRP by the GP reduces antibiotic prescriptions in children with suspected non-serious LRTI.Design & settingAn open, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial in daytime general practice and out-of-hours services.MethodChildren between 3 months and 12 years of age with acute cough and fever were included and randomised to either use of POC CRP or usual care. Antibiotic prescription rates were measured and compared between groups using generalising estimating equations.ResultsThere was no statistically significant reduction in antibiotic prescriptions in the GP use of CRP group (30.9% versus 39.4%; odds ratio [OR] 0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.29 to 1.23). Only the estimated severity of illness was related to antibiotic prescription. Forty-six per cent of children had POC CRP levels <10mg/L.ConclusionIt is still uncertain whether POC CRP measurement in children with non-serious respiratory tract infection presenting to general practice can reduce the prescription of antibiotics. Until new research provides further evidence, POC CRP measurement in these children is not recommended.

scholarly journals Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Use of Point-of-Care C-Reactive Protein Testing to Reduce Antibiotic Prescribing in Primary Care

Antibiotics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Holmes ◽  
Sharman Harris ◽  
Alison Hughes ◽  
Noel Craine ◽  
Dyfrig Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Clinical Guidelines ◽  
Antibiotic Prescription ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Reactive Protein

More appropriate and measured use of antibiotics may be achieved using point-of-care (POC) C-reactive protein (CRP) testing, but there is limited evidence of cost-effectiveness in routine practice. A decision analytic model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of testing, compared with standard care, in adults presenting in primary care with symptoms of acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI). Analyses considered (1) pragmatic use of testing, reflective of routine clinical practice, and (2) testing according to clinical guidelines. Threshold and scenario analysis were performed to identify cost-effective scenarios. In patients with symptoms of ARTI and based on routine practice, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of CRP testing were £19,705 per quality-adjusted-life-year (QALY) gained and £16.07 per antibiotic prescription avoided. Following clinical guideline, CRP testing in patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) cost £4390 per QALY gained and £9.31 per antibiotic prescription avoided. At a threshold of £20,000 per QALY, the probabilities of POC CRP testing being cost-effective were 0.49 (ARTI) and 0.84 (LRTI). POC CRP testing as implemented in routine practice is appreciably less cost-effective than when adhering to clinical guidelines. The implications for antibiotic resistance and Clostridium difficile infection warrant further investigation.

scholarly journals Point-of-Care C-Reactive Protein Testing to Reduce Antibiotic Prescribing for Respiratory Tract Infections in Primary Care: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 610
Author(s):  
Nahara Anani Martínez-González ◽  
Ellen Keizer ◽  
Andreas Plate ◽  
Samuel Coenen ◽  
Fabio Valeri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Tract Infections

C-reactive protein (CRP) point-of-care testing (POCT) is increasingly being promoted to reduce diagnostic uncertainty and enhance antibiotic stewardship. In primary care, respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common reason for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, which is a major driver for antibiotic resistance. We systematically reviewed the available evidence on the impact of CRP-POCT on antibiotic prescribing for RTIs in primary care. Thirteen moderate to high-quality studies comprising 9844 participants met our inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses showed that CRP-POCT significantly reduced immediate antibiotic prescribing at the index consultation compared with usual care (RR 0.79, 95%CI 0.70 to 0.90, p = 0.0003, I2 = 76%) but not during 28-day (n = 7) follow-up. The immediate effect was sustained at 12 months (n = 1). In children, CRP-POCT reduced antibiotic prescribing when CRP (cut-off) guidance was provided (n = 2). Meta-analyses showed significantly higher rates of re-consultation within 30 days (n = 8, 1 significant). Clinical recovery, resolution of symptoms, and hospital admissions were not significantly different between CRP-POCT and usual care. CRP-POCT can reduce immediate antibiotic prescribing for RTIs in primary care (number needed to (NNT) for benefit = 8) at the expense of increased re-consultations (NNT for harm = 27). The increase in re-consultations and longer-term effects of CRP-POCT need further evaluation. Overall, the benefits of CRP-POCT outweigh the potential harms (NNTnet = 11).

scholarly journals General practitioners’ perceptions of delayed antibiotic prescription for respiratory tract infections: A phenomenographic study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. e0225506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika A. Saliba-Gustafsson ◽  
Marta Röing ◽  
Michael A. Borg ◽  
Senia Rosales-Klintz ◽  
Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Antibiotic Prescription ◽  
Phenomenographic Study ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Delayed Antibiotic Prescription
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