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Table 1
Synopsis of the articles relating to acute respiratory tract infections (ARI), tuberculosis, asthma, COPD, and asthma and COPD in conjunction
Ref.
1
Author, year,
country
Main objective
Reference
method
Study design
N
o
of patients; age
group; mean age
N
o
of
physicians
Results
ARI Upper tract
13
Gulich
et al., 1999,
Germany
To assess whether the measurement
of CRP
2
improves the accuracy of
diagnosis of pharyngitis
CRP
2
and
leukocyte
count in the
blood
Cross-
sectional
Phase I: 179 Phase
II:161;16-75; 34.3
15 phase I
14 phase II
Improvement in accuracy from 70 to 81% when
they had access to exams. The ROC curve
3
showed
that the diagnostic value of CRP
2
was better than
the leukocyte counts (area under the curve = 0.85
versus
0.68)
14
Bjerrum
et al., 2004,
Denmark
To assess whether generalists using
CRP
2
in their practice prescribe
fewer antibiotics for sinusitis that
generalists who do not
CRP
2
Cross-
sectional
1,444;31-53;40
367
Physicians who requested the test prescribed 20%
fewer antibiotics. The request and the level of CRP
2
had a strong influence on prescribing antibiotics
for sinusitis
15
Capper et al.,
2001, United
Kingdom
To assess agreement between
general practitioners, pediatricians
and ENT specialists on the conduct
among children with recurrent
tonsillitis
Non
previously
validated
questionnaire
answered by
doctors
Cross-
sectional
Does not apply
71 GPs,
57
pediatricians,
42 ENT
specialists
Little agreement among GPs, pediatricians and ENT
specialists about the diagnosis of tonsillitis and
indication for tonsillectomy
ARI Lower tract
11
Hopstaken
et al., 2002,
Netherlands
To evaluate the diagnostic value of
signs, symptoms, ESR
4
and CRP
2
for pneumonia
Chest X-ray
Cross-
sectional
246; 18-89; 52
25
Of the 246 patients included, 32 (13%) had
radiographs consistent with pneumonia. GPs
diagnosed pneumonia in 21 patients using only
clinical examination. Antibiotics were prescribed for
193 (78.4%) patients. The authors concluded that
the prescriptions could have been avoided in 80
(41%) patients with probable diagnosis of acute
bronchitis who received unnecessary antibiotics
(continues)