The Effect of Focused Lung Ultrasonography on Antibiotic Prescribing in General Practice (PLUS-FLUS)

Aalborg University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Lower Respiratory Tract Infection; Community Acquired Pneumonia

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: Focused lung ultrasound (FLUS); Other: Usual Care

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06210282

N-20230038

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this randomised controlled trial is to determine if adults presenting with symptoms of an acute lower respiratory tract infection in general practice where the general practitioner suspects CAP, who have FLUS performed as an addition to usual care, have antibiotics prescribed less frequent compared to those given usual care only.

Enrollment: 391 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Age ≥ 18 years.
2. Acute cough (< 21 days).
3. At least one other symptom of acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI).
4. The general practitioner suspects a bacterial community-acquired pneumonia.

Exclusion criteria

1. Previous antibiotic treatment for the current episode of acute LRTI.
2. The patient is not listed with the general practitioner (no medical record available).
3. The patient is not capable of understanding and signing informed consent.
4. The patient does not wish to participate in the study.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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391 participants in 2 patient groups

Usual Care

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants assigned to the usual care group will receive the general practitoner's usual care of adults (≥ 18 years) presenting with symptoms of an acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) where the GP suspects community-acquired pneumonia. Usual care will be used as a pragmatic comparator to reflect the current standard examinations and care of this patient population in general practices in Denmark. Usual care is recommended to follow applicable guidelines from the Danish Society of General Practitioners and The Doctor's Handbook. Focused lung ultrasound (FLUS) is currently not standard or even a common examination in Danish general practices. Even for GPs already using point-of-care ultrasound on a weekly basis, FLUS is not part of usual care for adults presenting with symptoms of an acute LRTI

Treatment:

Other: Usual Care

Usual Care + Focused lung ultrasound (FLUS)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants assigned to the intervention group will receive a focused lung ultrasound examination (FLUS) during the index consultation (day 0) as an addition to usual care.

Treatment:

Other: Usual Care

Diagnostic Test: Focused lung ultrasound (FLUS)