Limited value of chest radiography in predicting aetiology of lower respiratory tract infection in general practice.

Background: In patients with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), changes on chest radiography are rare but poorly characterised, especially in general practice.

Aim: To describe the range of findings on chest radiographs and the associations between these findings and the aetiology of LRTI.

Design Of Study: A prospective observational study.

Improved diagnosis of the etiology of community-acquired pneumonia with real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been shown to be more sensitive than current standard microbiological methods and, therefore, may improve the accuracy of microbiological diagnosis for patients with CAP.

Methods: Conventional detection techniques and multiplex real-time PCR for atypical bacteria and respiratory viruses were performed on samples collected from 105 adults enrolled in a prospective study.

Epidemiology of restless legs in The Netherlands.

The prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in various regions in the world has been estimated between 2.5 and 29%. For The Netherlands these figures are not known.

A diagnostic rule for the aetiology of lower respiratory tract infections as guidance for antimicrobial treatment.

Background: The majority of patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are treated with antibiotics; some of them are unnecessary because of a viral cause. Information on prediction of the aetiology, especially in a general practice setting, is missing.

Aim: To differentiate between viral and bacterial LRTI on simple clinical criteria, easily obtained at the bedside.

Pathogens involved in lower respiratory tract infections in general practice.

Background: There are few investigations into the aetiology of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in general practice.

Aim: To describe the aetiology of LRTI among adult patients in general practice in The Netherlands.

Design Of Study: Prospective observational study.

Comparison and evaluation of real-time PCR, real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, conventional PCR, and serology for diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia and lower-respiratory-tract infections. Diagnosis has traditionally been obtained by serological diagnosis, but increasingly, molecular techniques have been applied. However, the number of studies actually comparing these assays is limited.