Antibiotic resistance remains one of the most critical public health threats globally, with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in primary care representing a major driver of unnecessary prescribing. A new commentary in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine explores how integrated biomarker testing could fundamentally reshape clinical decision-making at the point of care.
The evidence is compelling: approximately 70–80% of RTIs presenting to primary care practitioners are viral in origin and self-limiting, yet antibiotics continue to be widely dispensed. Combined biomarker strategies—including C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and host-response markers—demonstrate promising ability to distinguish bacterial from viral infections with high accuracy. When implemented through standardized clinical decision pathways, these tools could significantly reduce unnecessary antibiotic exposure while maintaining patient safety and treatment efficacy.
However, widespread adoption faces real-world challenges including implementation costs, time constraints in busy clinical settings, and variable clinician familiarity with biomarker interpretation. Overcoming these barriers will require coordinated investment in health system infrastructure, clinician training, and reimbursement models that support evidence-based prescribing practices.
Read the full article on GMJ Newsroom.
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