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Treatment
Review: delayed or immediate antibiotic prescriptions have similar clinical outcomes in respiratory infections

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ebn.11.2.46

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    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 …

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    Footnotes

    • Source of funding: General Practice Education and Training Australia.

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    2008 RCN Publishing Company Limited and BMJ Publishing Group Ltd