BMJ  2004;329 (24 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7459.0-d

Ask three questions to detect bacterial conjunctivitis

Three simple questions may help diagnose bacterial conjunctivitis. Rietveld and colleagues (p 206) asked 177 patients with acute conjunctivitis if they had glued eyes, itchy eyes, or a history of conjunctivitis and found that those who had glued eyes and no history of conjunctivitis or itch were more likely to have a bacterial infection. In the absence of "alarm symptoms," antibiotics should not be prescribed, say the authors, and no additional tests are needed.

Credit: DR P MARAZZI/SPL

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Predicting bacterial cause in infectious conjunctivitis: cohort study on informativeness of combinations of signs and symptoms

Remco P Rietveld, Gerben ter Riet, Patrick J E Bindels, Jacobus H Sloos, and Henk C P M van Weert
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