title: Aetiology of respiratory tract infections: clinical assessment versus serological tests.
abstract: Two hundred and fifty ambulatory patients with febrile respiratory tract infections were included in a prospective study, aimed at determining the reliability of physicians judgements relating to the aetiology of the infection. Compared with advanced serological testing, physicians' judgements for a bacterial/atypical, rather than viral, aetiology had a negative predictive value of 60% and a positive predictive value of only 50%. We conclude that physicians' ability to assess whether the infectious aetiology of RTI is viral or bacterial/atypical is low and no more reliable than tossing a coin.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Unit, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. lieberma@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lieberman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shvartzman
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Korsonsky
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lieberman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis