Predicting the presence of bacterial pathogens in the airways of primary care patients with acute cough

Amoxicillin for acute lower respiratory tract infection in primary care: subgroup analysis by bacterial and viral aetiology

“…This sample was then analysed using bacterial and viral polymerase chain reaction analysis. We tested for both bacterial pathogens (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenza, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Bordetella pertussis, Legionella pneumoniae) and viral pathogens (rhinovirus, influenza virus, coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, polyomavirus, bocavirus) [11]. Samples with a pathogen present, either bacterial or viral, were referred to as confirmed infections.…”

“…CRP and BUN were measured using the conventional immunoturbidimetric method. PCT was measured using a rapid sensitive assay [11]. We defined an elevated CRP, PCT, and BUN as the top 25% of measurements in our patient population (referred to as high CRP, high PCT, and high BUN, respectively).…”

Point-of-Care C-Reactive Protein Testing to Reduce Antibiotic Prescribing for Respiratory Tract Infections in Primary Care: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

“…It has been demonstrated that uncertainty about the diagnosis of infection can lead to inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, overuse of resources, and disease complications [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. With CRP as a biomarker of systematic inflammation, however, CRP-POCT enables clinicians to discern bacterial infections from other inflammatory disorders and helps them to identify the patients who benefit the most from antibiotics [ 21 ]. The robustness and accuracy of CRP-POCT compared with laboratory testing have been demonstrated by diagnostic studies [ 22 ].…”

Clinical relevance of bacterial resistance in lower respiratory tract infection in primary care: secondary analysis of a multicentre European trial

“…Other bacterial pathogens -Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Bordetella pertussis, and Legionella pneumophila -were also identified; methods and results have been reported elsewhere. 14,15 After frozen transport, undertaken by the laboratory of the University of Antwerp, susceptibility testing to a uniform panel of antimicrobial agents was performed for S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae only, using the Etest or agar dilution method at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, and at the University of Oxford, UK, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of H. influenzae to ampicillin and tetracycline were performed; the same was done for S. pneumoniae to penicillin G, amoxicillin, erythromycin/ clindamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole, levofloxacin, and cefotaxime.…”