Often, patients who see their physician with an acute respiratory infection have a viral infection, like a cold, but because physicians usually do not have a way of knowing if an infection is viral or bacterial, they may prescribe antibiotics regardless. This unnecessary prescription of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance.
For this study, researchers examined evidence from trials using a C-reactive protein test, a point-of-care kit available that tests a drop of patient blood and can indicate if a bacterial infection is present. Of the 1,685 patients who took this test, 631 were prescribed antibiotics, compared to 785 of the 1,599 patients who did not take the test.
“These results suggest that antibiotic use in patients with acute respiratory infections could be reduced by carrying out biomarker tests in addition to routine examinations,” said Rune Aabenhus, the lead researcher.
More articles on antibiotics:
Physicians prescribe more antibiotics at the end of the day, study finds
The current state of antibiotic resistance: A cautionary tale
Topical antibiotics linked to increased pneumonia rates
