Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are a common reason for presentation to general practitioners. The current study used computerised consultation records of 100 222 patients from 17 general practices in New Zealand for the 12-month period 1 July 1991–30 June 1992. URTIs were noted in 8.9of all consultations: 44.1of cases were children aged less than 10 years. Females presented more frequently than males for all ages above five years. Fifteen different antibiotics were prescribed for URTIs, but in 22.5of cases no antibiotic was prescribed. There was no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of a successful outcome with or without antibiotic therapy (χ2=0.76, P>0.05). The treatment failure profile of some antibiotics highlights the need for more prescriber education, especially as the range of medications available for general practitioner prescribing increas
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