Point-of-care testing strategy versus usual care to safely reduce antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections in primary care (PRUDENCE): a pragmatic, randomised controlled trial in 13 countries

The Lancet Primary Care 2026 Open access

Read full text
Authors: Alike W van der Velden, Samuel Coenen, Emma Harper, Marilena Anastasaki, Sibyl Anthierens, Femke Böhmer, Emily Bongard, Julie Domen, Ana Garcia-Sangenis, Gail Hayward, Bernadett Horváthné Kovács, Anna Kowalczyk
+18 more Carl Llor, Lile Malania, Fulvia Mazzaferri, Sam Mort, Joanna Moschandreas, Louise Rossignol, Benjamin R. Saville, Milensu Shanyinde, Evelina Tacconelli, Sarah Tonkin-Crine, Philip J Turner, Akke Vellinga, Marta Wanat, Ly-Mee Yu, Adam S. Zerda, Susanne Emmerich, Herman Goossens, Christopher C Butler
DOI: 10.1016/j.lanprc.2025.100104
Cited by: 1
References: 23

Abstract

Background Point-of-care testing to guide antibiotic prescribing decisions is promoted for antibiotic stewardship. We investigated whether a point-of-care testing strategy for acute respiratory tract infections could safely reduce antibiotic prescribing in primary care. Methods PRUDENCE was a pragmatic, randomised controlled clinical trial in 13 countries. Patients aged 1 year or older were eligible if they presented in primary care practices or long-term care facilities with symptoms of a respiratory tract infection with either cough (lasting

Fields of Study & Subjects

Antibiotic Use and Resistance Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing Respiratory viral infections research

Publication details

Journal / source
The Lancet Primary Care
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
2
Issue
2
Pages
100104–100104
Publication date
1 February 2026
Language
EN