Cardiff University | Prifysgol Caerdydd ORCA
Online Research @ Cardiff 
WelshClear Cookie - decide language by browser settings

Reducing uncertainty in managing respiratory tract infections in primary care

Stanton, Naomi, Francis, Nicholas Andrew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8939-7312 and Butler, Christopher Collett ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0102-3453 2010. Reducing uncertainty in managing respiratory tract infections in primary care. British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) 60 (581) , e466-e475. 10.3399/bjgp10X544104

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) remain the commonest reason for acute consultations in primary care in resource-rich countries. Their spectrum and severity has changed from the time that antibiotics were discovered, largely from improvements in the socioeconomic determinants of health as well as vaccination. The benefits from antibiotic treatment for common RTIs have been shown to be largely overstated. Nevertheless, serious infections do occur. Currently, no clinical features or diagnostic test, alone or in combination, adequately determine diagnosis, aetiology, prognosis, or response to treatment. This narrative review focuses on emerging evidence aimed at helping clinicians reduce and manage uncertainty in treating RTIs. Consultation rate and prescribing rate trends are described, evidence of increasing rates of complications are discussed, and studies and the association with antibiotic prescribing are examined. Methods of improving diagnosis and identifying those patients who are at increased risk of complications from RTIs, using clinical scoring systems, biomarkers, and point of care tests are also discussed. The evidence for alternative management options for RTIs are summarised and the methods for changing public and clinicians' beliefs about antibiotics, including ways in which we can improve clinician-patient communication skills for management of RTIs, are described.

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Medicine
Systems Immunity Research Institute (SIURI)
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Uncontrolled Keywords: anti-bacterial agents, cough, primary health care, respiratory tract infections
Publisher: Royal College of General Practitioners
ISSN: 0960-1643
Last Modified: 06 Nov 2022 14:27
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/29513

Citation Data

Cited 30 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item Edit Item