A finger-prick blood test could help prevent overuse of antibiotics in people with a common lung condition. What’s more, the approach is safe for patients, according to a new British study.
Flares of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease account for a large portion of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. But a study using a finger-prick test that measures c-reactive protein in the blood resulted in 20% fewer people using unneeded antibiotics during flares, the researchers wrote. The reduction in antibiotic use did not harm patients’ near-term recovery or result in greater use of healthcare services over the following six months, they reported.
C-reactive protein is a marker of inflammation that rises rapidly in response to serious infections. During a flare-up, people with COPD who have low levels appear to receive little benefit from antibiotic treatment, explained Nick Francis, Ph.D., of Cardiff University.
“We were able to achieve a reduction in antibiotic use that is about twice the magnitude of that achieved by most other antimicrobial stewardship interventions, and demonstrate that this approach was safe,” he concluded.
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