Michael Wilcock1, John Hartley, David Gould. 1. Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Health Authority, John Keay House, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 4NQ, UK. Mike.Wilcock@ClosHA.Cornwall.nhs.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To review whether oral terbinafine, used for fungal nail infections, is prescribed appropriately by general practitioners. METHOD: Cross-sectional survey of forty volunteer practices. Prescribing systems were searched to identify patients who had been prescribed a course of oral terbinafine during 1998. The clinical records of five such patients in each practice were examined for additional information regarding appropriate diagnostic tests. RESULTS: Five hundred sixty-nine patients (0.25% of the population aged 12 and over) were reported to have received a course of oral terbinafine. Sixty-four percent had been treated empirically without any recorded diagnostic test. CONCLUSION: Treatment of onychomycosis with terbinafine is commonly undertaken without diagnostic confirmation. This empirical treatment does not comply with locally recommended good practice.
OBJECTIVE: To review whether oral terbinafine, used for fungal nail infections, is prescribed appropriately by general practitioners. METHOD: Cross-sectional survey of forty volunteer practices. Prescribing systems were searched to identify patients who had been prescribed a course of oral terbinafine during 1998. The clinical records of five such patients in each practice were examined for additional information regarding appropriate diagnostic tests. RESULTS: Five hundred sixty-nine patients (0.25% of the population aged 12 and over) were reported to have received a course of oral terbinafine. Sixty-four percent had been treated empirically without any recorded diagnostic test. CONCLUSION: Treatment of onychomycosis with terbinafine is commonly undertaken without diagnostic confirmation. This empirical treatment does not comply with locally recommended good practice.
Authors: V Havu; H Heikkilä; K Kuokkanen; M Nuutinen; T Rantanen; S Saari; S Stubb; R Suhonen; K Turjanmaa Journal: Br J Dermatol Date: 2000-01 Impact factor: 9.302