Can a 5-Minute test curb antibiotic overprescribing in rural clinics?
NCT ID NCT06568432
First seen Aug 12, 2026 · Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a rapid point-of-care test measuring inflammation markers (CRP and SAA) can help village doctors in China decide when antibiotics are truly needed for acute respiratory infections. The study involves over 35,000 patients across 40 village clinics, with half using the test and half following usual care. The goal is to see if the test reduces unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, which are common for viral infections that don't respond to antibiotics.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Point-of-care testing device measuring C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A levels
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this approach could reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions in rural clinics, helping combat antibiotic resistance and improving patient care.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is a study protocol, so results are not yet available. The intervention's impact may vary across clinics, and the testing device may not be feasible in all settings.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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35,108 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2025
- Finished
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Aug 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Eligibility criteria for clusters Village clinics with an annual outpatient volume exceeding 2000, an average of 10 or more patients per week presenting with ARIs, and licensed prescribers are considered eligible for selection for the intervention. Annual outpatient prescriptions and average weekly visits for ARIs will be verified by obtaining prescription data from all village clinics for the previous year, as documented in the information section of the local health board. Eligibility criteria for participants The target population of this study included (1) patients of all ages diagnosed by a village doctor with ARIs (including upper and lower respiratory infections); and (2) patients who present with ≥1 acute respiratory symptoms (including cough, rhinitis (sneezing, nasal congestion or runny nose), sore throat, shortness of breath, wheezing or abnormal auscultation). Patients with non-respiratory diseases or those with severe clinical symptoms requiring referral to a higher-level institution are excluded from the target population.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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40 Village Clinics
Xiantao, Hubei, 433000, China
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