Impact of clinical guidance & point-of-care CRP test in children: the ARON project.

Most antibiotics are prescribed in ambulatory care. Children are at high-risk of receiving unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. The introduction of better diagnostics, such as point-of-care tests for C-reactive protein (CRP), can improve the management of acutely ill children in the outpatient setting.That is why ARON is investigating the (cost) effectiveness of a diagnostic algorithm including a CRP point-of-care test and safety neting advice on the antibiotic prescription percentage and further management in acutely ill children from 6 months to 12 years old presenting to ambulatory care.The CRP point-of-care test is performed in children at higher risk of serious infection according to a validated clinical algorithm with advice on antibiotic management and safety netting.The primary outcome measure is the antibiotic prescribing rate during the clinician's first consultation with the child.

Keywords:EXPERIMENTAL STUDY, INFECTIONS

Disciplines:Infectious diseases