title: Nurse-based telephone protocol versus usual care for management of URI and acute sinusitis: a controlled trial.
abstract: Two hundred and twelve patients with upper-respiratory-tract infection (URI) or sinusitis were treated using a nurse-based telephone protocol. This study evaluated the clinical outcomes and satisfaction of the patients compared with patients receiving usual care. For patients with URI, the rate of antibiotic administration was lower in the nurse-based telephone-treatment group (28% vs. 34%; P = .46), and for those with sinusitis, a greater proportion of the telephone treatment group received first-line antibiotics for the infection, compared with the usual care group (81% vs. 53%; P = .01). A guideline-based nurse telephone treatment protocol may decrease inappropriate use of antibiotics for URI and can result in a greater use of first-line antibiotics for patients with sinus infection with similar clinical outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Stroebel
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.forename: Holly K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Van Houten
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Naessens
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bartel
authors.forename: Sidna M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Scheitel
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000451:nursing*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000451:nursing*; D017216:Telemedicine; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents