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Point-of-care testing for C-reactive protein in acute cough presentations

02 January 2017
Volume 9 · Issue 1

Abstract

Acute cough is one of the most common illnesses in the UK with an estimated 48 million cases per annum. The majority of these presentations are thought to be of viral aetiology and self-limiting in nature, yet some studies report antibiotic prescription rates of approximately 65% in the UK. Clincians' decision-making process can be influenced by both patient expectations and difficulty in differentiating between viral and bacterial aetiologies by clinical examination alone. Despite warnings about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from the World Health Organization, clinicians in the UK continue to have high prescription rates for acute cough presentations in comparison to other developed health care systems. This article will consider the feasibility, efficacy, benefits and limitations of using point-of-care testing (POCT) of C-reactive protein (CRP) within primary care in the United Kingdom to help inform management of acute cough.

Paramedics are being employed in increasingly diverse clinical areas. One such area is primary care, where General Practitioner (GP) surgeries are employing paramedics to undertake urgent work and, in some cases, consult with patients in non-urgent appointments (Primary Care Workforce Commission 2014). The Primary Care Workforce Commission (2014) identifies that paramedics may have a key role to play, as part of a multidisciplinary team, in improving the delivery of primary care in GP surgeries. Ball (2005) highlighted that specialist paramedics were employed in minor injury units, intermediate care teams and in out-of-hours GP services delivering urgent, unscheduled care. It seems that this area of paramedic practice is growing rapidly and, as such, many paramedics now need to be aware of common illnesses among the population to tailor their responses to a changing healthcare system.

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