Point-of-care tests for lower respiratory tract infections.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 17605701.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Many lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are caused by organisms that do not require antibiotics or could be safely treated with narrow-spectrum antibiotics. Reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics, particularly broad-spectrum agents, could reduce costs and side effects and delay the emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms. Various point-of-care tests are becoming available to help clinicians identify the cause of LRTIs at the time of consultation. Point-of-care tests can be used to diagnose influenza, pneumococcal infections, Legionella and respiratory syncytial virus infections, thus allowing early decisions to be made on appropriate management.