Point-of-care C-reactive protein testing to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics for non-severe acute respiratory infections in Vietnamese primary health care: a randomised controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Inappropriate antibiotic use for acute respiratory tract infections is common in primary health care, but distinguishing serious from self-limiting infections is difficult, particularly in low-resource settings. We assessed whether C-reactive protein point-of-care testing can safely reduce antibiotic use in patients with non-severe acute respiratory tract infections in Vietnam.

Method

We did a multicentre open-label randomised controlled trial in ten primary health-care centres in northern Vietnam. Patients aged 1-65 years with at least one focal and one systemic symptom of acute respiratory tract infection were assigned 1:1 to receive either C-reactive protein point-of-care testing or routine care, following which antibiotic prescribing decisions were made. Patie

SUBMITTER: Do NT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4985565 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature