The UK's National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence has published new guidance for the month of July.
There are two new Clinical Guidelines that impact on primary care. Respiratory tract infections – antibiotic prescribing (PDF) covers treatment of upper respiratory tract infections including otitis media, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, common cold, sinusitis and cough. The guideline discusses three treatment strategies for no, delayed or immediate prescription of antibiotics.
The second guideline (PDF) covers diagnosis and initial management of acute stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA). It recommends using the Face Arm Speech Test (FAST) to screen patients with sudden onset of neurological symptoms for stroke and TIA to allow appropriate onward referral to emergency care.
Facial weakness – can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
Arm weakness – can the person raise both arms?
Speech problems – can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
Test all three symptoms
Hat tip: Matt
1 comment:
Guidelines should remain guidelines and not requirements in medicine. There are always patients who are an exception of such guidelines, along with alternative variables to consider when a doctor treats a patient.
Yet regarding antibiotics, these should be prescribed only when determined necessary, meaning that a bacterial infection should be confirmed before initiating treatment with these drugs. They are of no benefit to other types of infections (fungal or viral, for example), and viral is an occurence that is often the cause of an illness which bacteria may be an unlikely etioloy for the diagnosis.
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