Antibiotic use among patients with febrile illness in a low malaria endemicity setting in Uganda.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Uganda embraced the World Health Organization guidelines that recommend a universal 'test and treat' strategy for malaria, mainly by use of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and microscopy. However, little is known how increased parasitological diagnosis for malaria influences antibiotic treatment among patients with febrile illness.

Methods

Data collection was carried out within a feasibility trial of presumptive diagnosis of malaria (control) and two diagnostic interventions (microscopy or RDT) in a district of low transmission intensity. Five primary level health centres (HCs) were randomized to each diagnostic arm (diagnostic method in a defined group of patients). All 52,116 outpatients (presumptive 16,971; microscopy 17,508; and RDT 17,638) aged 5 months to ninety

SUBMITTER: Batwala V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3258227 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature