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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 998-1000 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | British Journal of General Practice |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue number | 473 |
| State | Published - 27 Dec 2001 |
Keywords
- Aetiology
- Clinical skill
- Respiratory tract infection
- Serological testing
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Family Practice
