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[Acute respiratory infection in general clinical practice]
1Skola narodnog zdravlja Andrija Stampar, Medicinskog fakulteta, Sveucilista u Zagrebu.
Lijecnicki Vjesnik
|July 3, 1998
Summary
Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are common in primary care, affecting 22.9% of patients. General practitioners manage these infections, with upper respiratory tract diagnoses being most frequent.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Primary Care Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
Context:
- Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) pose a significant public health challenge due to their high incidence, potential complications, and associated costs.
- General practitioners (GPs) or family physicians are the primary point of contact for patients experiencing ARIs in outpatient settings.
Purpose:
- To investigate the frequency and patient characteristics of ARIs within a general practice population.
- To analyze the diagnostic and treatment patterns employed by GPs for ARIs.
Summary:
- A study of 17,888 patients in 11 general practices revealed ARIs in 22.9% (4,114 patients), with an average of 1.43 infections per patient.
- Upper respiratory tract infections were most common (78.1%), with pharyngitis, tonsillitis, nasopharyngitis, sinusitis, and bronchitis being the most frequent diagnoses.
- GPs relied on patient history and clinical examination for diagnosis (82.7%), prescribing antibiotics in 66.1% of cases. Hospital admissions for conditions like tuberculosis and lung cancer were noted in a small percentage of cases.
Impact:
- ARIs represent a substantial proportion of morbidity in outpatient healthcare, underscoring the central role of general practice in their management.
- Continuous professional development for GPs is crucial to enhance the quality of care for patients with ARIs.
- Further critical assessment of current management practices is necessary to optimize patient outcomes and resource utilization.