GPs could use the device to get rapid finger prick blood test results when deciding if a patient needs an antibiotic. Currently, around 2.4m prescriptions are issued for respiratory tract infections in Ireland each year. The Health Information and Quality Authority found point-of-care testing could halve the annual number of antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory tract infections. Hiqa's chief scientist Dr Conor Teljeur said GPs could use a device to measure a protein in the liver within about 10 minutes. In about two-thirds of cases, GPs can figure out whether or not a patient needs an antibiotic based on signs and symptoms and what the patient tells them.

Source: Irish Examiner May 23, 2019 14:48 UTC