Management of respiratory tract infections in primary care in Poland – results of the Happy Audit 2 Project
Journal Title: Przegląd Epidemiologiczny - Year 2014, Vol 68, Issue 1
Abstract
OBJECTIVE. The Polish results of the international Happy Audit 2 project are reported which objective was to present therapeutic decisions made by general practitioners (especially antibiotics prescribed) and diagnostic methods applied to patients with respiratory tract infections (RTI). MATERIAL AND METHODS. Following each visit of patient with respiratory tract infection, general practitioners participating in the study completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire included patient’s data (age, gender), the duration of disease, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, prescribed antibiotics, additional testing as well as the influence of various factors on therapeutic decision. RESULTS. Having considered the results of Happy Audit in Poland, a total of 5,137 office visits of patients reporting symptoms of RTIs were analyzed. The average duration of symptoms before visiting GP was 4.8 days (compared to average 4.4 in other countries). Worth noting is that additional testing in diagnosis of RTIs was performed less frequently in Poland: rapid streptococcal test was conducted in 0.4% of cases (European average: 4.45%), CRP - in 2.2% of patients (average from other countries: 14.2 %) and chest X-ray in 2.3% of cases compared to 14% in other project’s participants. In Poland, the most frequently applied antibiotic was amoxicillin, which was used in 28.9% of cases ended with antibiotic prescribing (amoxicillin/ pivampicillin were also predominant in other countries, excluding Sweden). In Poland, macrolides (22.4% of all prescriptions for antibiotic) and cephalosporins (12.1%) were frequently used. The results indicate that narrow-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed in Poland less frequently, with the example being penicillin V which was prescribed in 6.7% of patients with RTIs who were given antibiotic. CONCLUSIONS. Comparing the results of Happy Audit 2 in Poland and other project’s participants, the major differences consist in rare use of phenoxymethylpenicillin in favour of amoxicillin and macrolides as well as infrequent use of additional testing in diagnosis of RTIs in Poland.
Authors and Affiliations
Julia Strumiło, Sławomir Chlabicz, Ingvar Ovhed, Andrzej Zieliński, Barbara Pytel-Krolczuk, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Maciej Godycki-Ćwirko, Ewelina Gowin, Zbigniew Gugnowski, Lech Panasiuk, Małgorzata Makowiec-Dyrda, Artur Mierzecki, Janusz Siebert, Agata Sławin, Elżbieta Tomiak
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP72587
- DOI -
- Views 74
- Downloads 0
Survival in women diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer in Poland – compared to European countries, based on CONCORD - 3 Programme / Wyleczalność kobiet z rozpoznanym rakiem piersi i szyjki macicy w Polsce na tle krajów europejskich na podstawie badania CONCORD - 3
INTRODUCTION: The 5-year population-based survival rate, next to cancer incidence and mortality, is a key element for the assessment of effective health care quality provided by OECD in order to establish the condition o...
Legionellosis in Poland in 2013
OBJECTIVE. The objective of the article is to assess the epidemiological situation of legionellosis in Poland in 2013 in comparison to the preceding years. MATERIAL AND METODS. The analysis of epidemiological situation w...
Tularemia wrzodziejąco-węzłowa powikłana zapaleniem płuc – opis przypadku
Tularemia jest antropozoonozą wywołaną przez Gram-ujemną pałeczkę Francisella tularensis. Większość przypadków tej choroby rejestruje się w miesiącach letnich, często w wyniku ukąszenia przez owady lub kleszcze. W pracy...
What mother know about vaccine preventable diseases? / Co wiedzą matki na temat chorób zakaźnych, którym można zapobiegać poprzez szczepienia?
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The improving epidemiological situation of the most of communicable diseases causes, that the real and potential risks attributable to them have been forgotten. The aim of study was to determi...
Professor Wiesław Jędrychowski (15th January,1932 – 19th May, 2015)