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Finger-prick blood test could help reduce antibiotic use for some patients

General Research

A simple finger-prick blood test could help prevent unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics for people with the lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study by researchers from Cardiff University, University of Oxford and King’s College London.

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With funding from the National Institute for Health Research, the team demonstrated that using a CRP finger-prick blood test resulted in 20% fewer people using antibiotics for COPD flare-ups. Importantly, this reduction in antibiotic use did not have a negative effect on patients’ recovery over the first two weeks after their consultation at their GP surgery, or on their well-being or use of health care services over the following six months.

Safely reducing the use of antibiotics in this way may help in the battle against antibiotic resistance.

Read more (Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences website)