title: Genital herpes: audit of cases referred by general practitioners to a department of genito-urinary medicine.
abstract: An audit was carried out of all cases of genital herpes referred by a general practitioner to a department of genito-urinary medicine from 1987-1990. Attention was paid as to whether or not the diagnosis had been made correctly and what drugs, if any, the patient had been prescribed. A total of 196 patients (78 men, 118 women) were eligible for study. GPs correctly diagnosed herpes in 32/78 (41%) of the men. Among the 46 who were not diagnosed, 12 were prescribed antibacterial drugs, three were prescribed antifungal cream, two were prescribed a combination of the above and three received miscellaneous non-antiviral agents. GPs correctly diagnosed 56/118 (47%) of the women. Sixty-two women were not diagnosed, of whom 17 were prescribed anti-bacterial drugs, 21 were prescribed antifungal cream, seven were prescribed a combination of these and six received miscellaneous non-antiviral agents. GPs appeared to have difficulty in diagnosing genital herpes in these patients, with the result of prescription of inappropriate and expensive medications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genito-Urinary Medicine, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012606:Scotland; D014573:Urology Department, Hospital