Review: delayed or immediate antibiotic prescriptions have similar clinical outcomes in respiratory infections
G Spurling
Dr G Spurling, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; geoffspurling@optusnet.com.au
QUESTION
What is the relative effectiveness of delayed, immediate, or no antibiotic (AB) prescriptions for acute respiratory infections?
METHODS
Data sources:
Medline (1966 to January 2007), EMBASE/Excerpta Medica (1990–2007), Cochrane Library (Issue 4, 2006), Current Contents–ISI Web of Knowledge (1998 to January 2007), and reference lists.
Study selection and assessment:
randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared prescriptions of delayed ABs (>48 h) with immediate ABs or no ABs for acute respiratory tract infections (sore throat, otitis media, or common cold) in patients of any age. 9 RCTs met the selection criteria and had quality scores ⩾6 out of 11 (high quality).
Outcomes:
included clinical outcomes (pain, fever, malaise, or cough), AB use, and patient satisfaction.
MAIN RESULTS
Sore throat: delayed …
