Cochrane Review: Point of Care CRP testing can safely reduce antibiotic prescribing in primary care

Antibiotic resistance has become a major public health problem, with some infections no longer treatable using currently available drugs.

The inappropriate use of antibiotics is associated with the increase of resistance. Most antibiotics are prescribed in primary care, and most commonly for Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs). In most cases ARIs seen in primary care are spontaneously resolved without antibiotics. The management of ARIs in primary care is therefore a key target for influencing the antibiotic prescribing behaviour of clinicians.

A new Cochrane Overview has identified effective and safe clinician-focussed interventions to reduce antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in primary care.

The authors concluded that point of care CRP testing reduces antibiotic prescribing for patients with ARIs in primary care with no negative effects on the outcomes of patient satisfaction and re-consultation.

Check out how the fully automated Alere Afinion™ CRP test can help guide treatment decisions with excellent precision and user friendliness in 4 minutes.

Read our case study on the use of CRP testing

Read the full Cochrane Review

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