Is C-reactive protein the answer to antibiotics over-prescribing in primary care? A behavioural experiment in two European countries
Rattachement africain : gb, no. Niveau de preuve : code pays fourni par la source.
Le résumé fourni par la source
Abstract Background Antibiotic overprescribing fuels antimicrobial resistance. C-reactive protein (CRP) is widely promoted as a point-of-care test for targeted prescribing. While routinely used in some European countries such as Norway, it is not part of standard practice in UK primary care. Understanding how CRP testing might impact general practitioners’ (GP) judgement is critical for informed implementation. We explored this with UK and Norwegian GPs. Methods One hundred and one GPs per country responded to four scenarios, describing patients with a range of infectious or inflammatory conditions. After reading a patient description, GPs could request further information, including CRP. The CRP result was either high or low, randomly assigned per GP and scenario. Each time GPs obtained new information, they indicated whether antibiotics were needed (Likert scale). At the end, they selected a management option. Results Norwegian GPs requested CRP more often than UK GPs [77% versus 28%, odds ratio (OR) = 18.09 (95% CI 9.86–33.20), P < 0.001], but prescribed antibiotics at similar rates [39% versus 42%, OR = 1.36 (95% CI 0.96–1.94), P = 0.085]. When CRP was requested, elevated values increased prescribing odds [OR = 1.84 (95% CI 1.15–2.97), P = 0.012], while low values had no impact. If GPs believed antibiotics were needed, a low CRP did not reassure them. Higher uncertainty led to more CRP requests, but these did not reduce uncertainty. Conclusions Despite marked differences in CRP requests, we detected no between-country differences in prescribing. Elevated CRP increased prescribing, whereas low CRP was not sufficiently reassuring. The results do not support routine use of CRP as an antimicrobial stewardship tool in primary care.
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Le contrôle bibliographique ouvert
DOI retrouvé dans Crossref DOI retrouvé ; titre concordant.
- Titre Crossref
- Is C-reactive protein the answer to antibiotics over-prescribing in primary care? A behavioural experiment in two European countries
- Date Crossref
- 01/09/2026
- Éditeur
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Type
- journal-article
Ce recoupement confirme des métadonnées liées au DOI. Il ne confirme ni la méthode ni les conclusions de l’étude, et il ne compte pas comme une seconde source scientifique indépendante.
Où se fait cette recherche
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St Mary's Hospital pays non établi dans la noticeÉtablissement de santé
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Imperial College London Institute of Global Health Innovation pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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University of Bristol Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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UiT The Arctic University of Norway pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery and Cancer pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
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Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Community Medicine pays non établi dans la noticeUniversité ou école supérieure
St Mary's Hospital, Institute of Global Health Innovation — Imperial College London et Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences — University of Bristol, avec 3 autres affiliations.
Une affiliation ne permet pas de déduire la nationalité d’un auteur.