A DUNDEE company’s diagnostic test is to play a key part in a major study to identify patients suitable for treatment with antibiotics.

Axis-Shield, the international in-vitro diagnostics company, announced that its NycoCard CRP (C-Reactive Protein) test is to be used in the study involving 400 GPs across Europe.

The overall aim is to lower the occurrence of bacterial resistance by reducing the prescription of unnecessary antibiotics for respiratory tract infections, many of which are of viral origin not treatable with conventional antibiotics.

The use of CRP testing in northern Europe to differentiate between bacterial and viral infections in primary care has been widespread and this has contributed to a traditionally low rate of antibiotic resistance.

In southern Europe, where CRP use is minimal, the prevalence of pneumococci resistant to penicillin is much higher and in Spain, rates of resistance in the region of 40% to 65% have been reported.

The study will involve 400 GPs in Denmark, Lithuania, France, Sweden, Argentina, Russia and Spain.

The objective will be to strengthen the surveillance of respiratory tract infections in primary health care through development of intervention programmes targeting GPs, parents of young children and healthy adults.

The team will study the incidence of respiratory tract infections among patients in general practice and explore the existing use of diagnostic tools in patients with respiratory tract infections.

The results will be discussed at a Conference of the World Association of Family Doctors at the end of the project period and media campaigns to increase awareness of the risk of bacterial resistance will be developed.

Ian Gilham, Axis-Shield chief executive officer, said, “Studies like this will increase awareness of the critical issue of antibiotic resistance and how testing for CRP elevation in the blood can be used to reduce this problem throughout Europe.

“In many countries, including the UK, France, Greece and Spain, the use of CRP testing is still very low and this is reflected in the high rates of antibiotic resistance.”