PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - D Lieberman
AU  - P Shvartzman
AU  - I Korsonsky
AU  - D Lieberman
TI  - Aetiology of respiratory tract infections: clinical assessment versus serological tests.
DP  - 2001 Dec 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - 998--1000
VI  - 51
IP  - 473
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/51/473/998.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/51/473/998.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract2001 Dec 01; 51
AB  - 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.