title: Physician preferences in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease in the United States.
abstract: To assess physician preferences in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, questionnaires were sent to physicians in various Lyme disease endemic areas in the U.S. Seventy-eight responses were analyzed. Both ELISA and Western blot were ordered by 86% of responders. Fifty percent of responders believed that 25% or more of patients who have Lyme disease were seronegative. The treatment was influenced by physician specialty. Antibiotic treatment for tick bite was prescribed by 20% of responders. Erythema migrans rash was treated by all responders without serologic confirmation. The median treatment duration of erythema migrans was 4 weeks. For post-erythema migrans Lyme disease, 43% of responders treat 3 months or more; for chronic Lyme disease, 57% of responders treat 3 months or more. Our survey documents significant differences between published recommendations and actual practices. Physician education and clinical trials are needed to clarify the reasons for these differences.
authors: Lyme Disease Foundation, Hartford, Connecticut 06103-2610, USA.
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Ziska
authors: S T
authors: ST
authors: Donta
authors: F C
authors: FC
authors: Demarest
mesh_terms: D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015787:Erythema Chronicum Migrans / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012698:Serologic Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013754:Tetracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D013754:Tetracyclines; D000658:Amoxicillin; D004318:Doxycycline