An Observational Study of Cough / Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI) in Primary Care
An Observational Study of Cough / Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI) in Primary Care
The overall objective of GRACE is to combat the resistance of drugs that kill bacteria and
 other germs (antimicrobial) through integrating centres of research excellence and using the
 study of the entire DNA in a cell (genomics) to most appropriately investigate and manage
 community-acquired LRTI.

 Grace-01 is the first study to be undertaken as part of GRACE and the aims of this study are
 to describe the presentation, diagnosis, investigation, management and outcomes for people
 with cough / chest infection in general medical practice in 13 primary care networks in 12
 countries in Europe.
GRACE is a Network of Excellence focusing on the complex and controversial field of
 community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), which is one of the leading
 reasons for seeking medical care. It is funded through Funding Program 6 of the European
 Union. The prescription of antibiotics for LRTI accounts for a major proportion of
 antibiotics used in the community, and contributes to the rising prevalence of resistance
 among major human pathogens. The overall objective of GRACE is to combat antimicrobial
 resistance through integrating centres of research excellence and exploiting genomics in the
 investigation and management of community-acquired LRTI

 The first study undertaken as part of GRACE is GRACE-01, an observational study, which aims
 to describe the presentation, management (evaluation and treatment decisions) and outcomes
 for people with cough / chest infection in general medical practice in 13 primary care
 networks in Europe. This will be an observational study of current practice involving no
 experimental procedures or interventions.

 Other objectives Of GRACE-01 are:

 1. To describe variation in management of cough / chest infection including antibiotic
 prescribing in primary care between, and within, selected European countries in order to
 explain how good practice could be made explicit and generalised.

 2. To identify priorities for intervention studies aimed at enhancing antibiotic
 prescribing for community acquired cough / chest infection and other aspects of
 management.

 3. To contribute to developing interventions aimed at enhancing antibiotic prescribing and
 other aspects of management of community-acquired cough / chest infection that are
 applicable across the European Union (EU), and also to interventions that are relevant
 to unique local situations within Europe.

 There will be two recruitment periods, one beginning on the second of October 2006 or soon
 thereafter and a second beginning on the first of February 2007 or soon thereafter. The goal
 is for each of the 13 participating European networks to recruit a total of 150 patients
 during each of these recruitment periods.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Aged 18 years and over.

 -  With acute or worsened cough with a duration of up to and including 28 days, or a
 clinical presentation that suggests a lower respiratory tract infection.

 -  Consulting for the first time within this illness episode.

 -  Seen within normal consulting hours.

 -  Able to fill out study materials.

 -  Who have provided written, informed consent to participate.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Previous study participants.

 -  Immunocompromised.