C Reactive Protein (CRP) Intervention to Reduce Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescriptions in the Primary Healthcare Setting

Exclusion Criteria

• •Severe respiratory disease as determined by treating doctor
• •Any disease or symptom requiring hospital referral as determined by treating doctor
• •Immunosuppressed patients (e.g. HIV, long term steroid use)
• •Suspicion of tuberculosis
• •Evidence of acute or chronic liver disease (e.g. hepatitis or cirrhosis due to any cause)
• •Past medical history of: neoplastic disease, congestive cardiac failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, insulin-dependent diabetes or renal disease
• •Pregnancy
• •No access to telephone
• •Not able to come for follow up visit on day 3 or 4.
• •Already taking antibiotics at the time of presentation
• •Symptoms present for more than 2 weeks
• •Presence of any sign of severe diseases as defined by the British Thoracic Society modified CRP-65 system for severity scoring of pneumonia in primary care.