Can research findings play an active role in reducing the lack of agreement between research findings and subsequent recommendations and medical practice?

There is a significant lack of agreement between recommendations based on p roven research data and general medical practice in France, as in a number of other industrialised countries. Various recent studies have focussed on the modalities of antibiotic prescription in ambulatory care. The study car ried out by Guillemot et al. in France showed a considerable increase in an tibiotic intake over the years 1991-1992 compared to the period 1981-1982 ( >48%). All these studies were in agreement that respiratory infections pres umed to be of viral origin (severe rhinopharyngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis , influenza) are a major cause of antibiotic prescription (the national hea lth service records during an influenza outbreak should also be referred to ). In these cases, the primary prescription of antibiotics is theoretically nor justified. However, the results of ail the surveys carried out in Fran ce have confirmed that antibiotics were prescribed in 40% of cases of rhino pharyngitis and in 80% of cases of bronchitis. This approach is not limited to France, but is also found in a number of other countries. (C) 2000 Edit ions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.