Blood test helps decide antibiotics for COPD exacerbation
Fewer antibiotics used and no deleterious effect on patients, say researchers
16th July 2019
Testing for C-reactive protein can reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in patients experiencing an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease without causing patient harm, a UK study shows.
In the study, known as PACE, 653 patients attending 86 UK GP practices for an acute exacerbation of COPD were randomly assigned to either usual care, or a decision on whether or not to prescribe antibiotics on the basis of a C-reactive protein (CRP) test.
Patient-reported use of antibiotics in the CRP arm was 57% compared