Clinical score and rapid antigen detection test to guide antibiotic use for sore throats: randomised controlled trial of PRISM (primary care streptococcal management).

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine the effect of clinical scores that predict streptococcal infection or rapid streptococcal antigen detection tests compared with delayed antibiotic prescribing.

Design

Open adaptive pragmatic parallel group randomised controlled trial.

Setting

Primary care in United Kingdom.

Patients

Patients aged ≥ 3 with acute sore throat.

Intervention

An internet programme randomised patients to targeted antibiotic use according to: delayed antibiotics (the comparator group for analyses), clinical score, or antigen test used according to clinical score. During the trial a preliminary streptococcal score (score 1, n=1129) was replaced by a more consistent score (score 2, n=631; features: fever during previous 24 hours; purulence; attends rapidly (

SUBMITTER: Little P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3805475 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature