C-reactive protein measurement in general practice may lead to lower antibiotic prescribing for sinusitis

[摘要] Background: Symptoms of bacterial sinusitis overlap with viral sinusitis, and it is difficult to distinguish between the two conditions based only on a clinical examination. Uncertain diagnosis results in the significant overuse of antibiotics, which is considered to be one of the most important reasons for development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. A raised C-reactive protein (CRP) level is an indicator of bacterial infection and the CRP rapid test has been shown to be useful for the diagnosis of bacterial sinusitis in general practice.

[学科分类] 卫生学

[关键词] antibiotics;C-reactive protein;general practice;sinusitis