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Updated: Oct 3, 2026

Assessing Respiratory Immune Responses to Haemophilus Influenzae
Published on: June 29, 2021
Aetiology of respiratory tract infections: clinical assessment versus serological tests
D Lieberman1, P Shvartzman, I Korsonsky
1Pulmonary Unit, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. lieberma@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
Abstract:
Two hundred and fifty ambulatory patients with febrile respiratory tract infections were included in a prospective study, aimed at determining the reliability of physicians judgements relating to the aetiology of the infection. Compared with advanced serological testing, physicians' judgements for a bacterial/atypical, rather than viral, aetiology had a negative predictive value of 60% and a positive predictive value of only 50%. We conclude that physicians' ability to assess whether the infectious aetiology of RTI is viral or bacterial/atypical is low and no more reliable than tossing a coin.
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