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QUESTION: In patients with upper respiratory tract infections (common cold), does delaying prescription reduce the use of antibiotics?
Design
Randomised {allocation concealed*}†, blinded (patients),* controlled trial with 10-day follow up.
Setting
A family practice with 15 physicians in Auckland, New Zealand.
Patients
129 patients (mean age 25 y, 63% women) presenting with a new cold in which the patient requested or the physician thought the patient wanted antibiotics. Exclusion criteria were suspected tonsillitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, or pneumonia; lower respiratory signs; indication for an x-ray; history of rheumatic fever; serious illness; or antibiotic treatment in the previous 2 weeks. 95% completed the …
Footnotes
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Source of funding: Health Research Council.
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For correspondence: Dr. B. Arroll, University of Auckland, New Zealand. Email b.arroll{at}auckland.ac.nz.
↵† Information provided by author.