Management of upper respiratory tract infections in primary care in Italy: a national survey

This prospective study, carried out in Italy during the winter of 1998 by the means of questionnaires, was designed to investigate the diagnostic and therapeutic approach of the Italian general practitioners (GPs) to the management of acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in adult outpatients. A total of 354 GPs were questioned about ten adult patients each who had visited the surgery with an URTI requiring an antibiotic prescription. Our data showed there was a tendency to prescribe antibiotics only on the basis of clinical diagnosis, microbiological investigations being required very rarely. Orally administered antibiotics were preferred and compliance with the number of daily doses strongly influenced the antibiotic prescription. In patients affected by more severe infections, injectable antibiotics were frequently prescribed.