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CRP testing to guide antimicrobial prescribing in COPD

Posted on: 27 Sep 2019

Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing encourages the development of resistant bacteria. Antibiotics are frequently prescribed for exacerbations of COPD, however a large number of exacerbations are caused by non-infective agents.

In this study from the New England Journal of Medicine, the authors set out to establish whether point of care C-reactive protein (CRP) testing can be used to guide antimicrobial prescribing for exacerbations of COPD.

Click the button below the podcast to read the full article on The New England Journal of Medicine website.

The podcast features an exclusive interview between Carol Stonham and Nick Francis, one of the study authors, about this award-winning research and its key findings.

The results of this study have wide-ranging implications for how clinicians manage patients with COPD exacerbations and NICE are considering whether to update the guideline [NG115] to include recommendations on CRP testing. In addition to the clinical benefits, Nick Francis and Carol Stonham discuss the potential cost savings for PCNs.

Full article:

C-Reactive Protein Testing to Guide Antibiotic Prescribing for COPD Exacerbations

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