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Early management of meningococcal disease--do attitudes of GPs influence practice?
Kari Jarvinen1, Linda Selvey, Chris Del Mar
1Brisbane Southside Public Health Unit, Queensland. kari_jarvinen@health.qld.gov.au
Background:
Survival from early meningococcal disease might be improved if general practitioners followed guidelines by immediately administering parenteral antibiotics (before hospital referral).
Methods:
Structured telephone interviews with 20 GPs who had previously treated meningococcal cases.
Results:
General practitioners knew guideline recommendations for early management of meningococcal disease: early parenteral antibiotics would be given by about half the GPs entertaining a diagnosis of meningococcal infection. Barriers to immediate treatment were: diagnostic uncertainty, regarding the case as nonurgent, and practising close to a hospital.
Discussion:
Diagnosing meningococcal disease is difficult in general practice. Early antibiotic administration for suspected cases is appropriate even in close proximity to referral hospitals.
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