The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
-
Multicenter Study
Contributions of symptoms, signs, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein to a diagnosis of pneumonia in acute lower respiratory tract infection.
Diagnostic tests enabling general practitioners (GPs) to differentiate rapidly between pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are needed to prevent increase of bacterial resistance by unjustified antibiotic prescribing. ⋯ Most symptoms and signs traditionally associated with pneumonia are not predictive of pneumonia in general practice. The prediction rule for low-risk patients presented here, including a CRP of < 20, can considerably reduce unjustified antibiotic prescribing.
-
This study of 845 patients with type 2 diabetes was conducted in 12 primary care general practices in a geographically cohesive region in Germany. It showed that about a fifth of these patients with known diabetes had a HbA1c of 8% or over, and therefore are in need of better glycaemic control. Younger patients seem to be at special risk for high HbA1c values, and they should receive particular attention with respect to preventive measures for better glycaemic treatment.