Recognition of community-acquired anthrax: has anything changed since 2001?
OBJECTIVE
To compare responses of practicing military and civilian primary care physicians to a series of standardized inhalational anthrax cases.


METHODS
A series of three randomly selected case vignettes adapted from the 2001 anthrax attack along the East Coast of the United States were mailed to a convenience sample of community-based primary care physicians. Respondents were asked to list differential diagnoses along with initial management and treatment plans.


RESULTS
The response rate was 55% (n = 164). The most common diagnoses were pneumonia and influenza. Few (n = 6) physicians included anthrax in their differential diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Anthrax remains low on the list of differential diagnoses in the setting of community-acquired respiratory illness.
Stephens
Mark B
MB
Department of Family Medicine, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Marvin
Blake
B
D000881:Anthrax / Q000175:diagnosis*; D023482:Bioterrorism; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine; D010821:Physicians, Family; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014481:United States