ArticleScientific reports2025
Factors influencing inappropriate antibiotic prescription in respiratory tract infections in general practice.
Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing in Primary Care: A Systematic Review and Implications for Clinical Practice.Cureus · 2026Review
- Implementing Information Resources to Support Shared Decisions in Australian Primary Care: A Qualitative Perspective of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Strategy.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are common in general practice, and represent the main cause of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, contributing to antimicrobial resistance. This prospective study aims to identify factors associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for RTIs in general practice (GP). The study was conducted in France with the assistance of 15 GP trainees in France, in collaboration with 25 general practitioners. Data were collected from randomly selected GP consultations using ICPC-2 coding, with specific grids for RTI-related visits. Antibiotic prescribing was considered appropriate if it adhered to established guidelines. Of 807 consultations, 173 involved RTIs. Antibiotics were prescribed in 35% of cases, and management was appropriate in 73% of these cases. Sinusitis and bronchitis were more likely to result in inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions. Factors associated with inappropriate prescribing included a light clinical examination (as opposed to systematic), patient considered "at risk", repeated consultations, and diagnostic uncertainty. Providing a clear diagnostic explanation to patients reduced the risk of inappropriate prescribing. Physicians who received visits from pharmaceutical industry representatives were more likely to prescribe antibiotics inappropriately. This study highlights the complexity of clinical reasoning underlying this practice. Improving the thoroughness of clinical examination, enhancing patient communication, and maintaining independence from pharmaceutical promotion may help optimize antibiotic use. Additionally, rapid diagnostic tests and prescribing software can help reduce uncertainty.
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