Early management of meningococcal disease--do attitudes of GPs influence practice?
Jarvinen, K.; Selvey, L.; Del Mar, C.; Tilse, M.; Pugh, R.
Australian Family Physician 34(10): 892-894
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-8495 PMID: 16217584 Document Number: 593909
Survival from early meningococcal disease might be improved if general practitioners followed guidelines by immediately administering parenteral antibiotics (before hospital referral). Structured telephone interviews with 20 GPs who had previously treated meningococcal cases. General practitioners knew guideline recommendations for early management of meningococcal disease: early parenteral antibiotics would be given by about half the GPs entertaining a diagnosis of meningococcal infection. Barriers to immediate treatment were: diagnostic uncertainty, regarding the case as nonurgent, and practising close to a hospital. Diagnosing meningococcal disease is difficult in general practice. Early antibiotic administration for suspected cases is appropriate even in close proximity to referral hospitals.