Randomised controlled trial of a leaflet and three prescribing strategies for the management of acute lower respiratory tract illness. Acute Cough Trial

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN92319172

Enrollment

1100

Registered

2000-10-23

Start date

1998-05-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2015-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Lower respiratory tract infection Respiratory Lower respiratory tract infection

Interventions

Patients were assigned to one of six groups by a factorial design: leaflet or no leaflet and one of three antibiotic groups (immediate antibiotics, no offer of antibiotics, and delayed antibiotics).

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Patients four years and over presenting with acute cough (less than 21 days) and one or more of: sputum, dyspnoea, wheeze, chest pain

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Main exclusions are pneumonia, chronic lung disease, asthma, other serious pathology

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Short term: perception of antibiotic efficacy, intention to consult, symptom resolution, fever resolution, complication rate, satisfaction with treatment. Long term: return rate to the surgery, admissions, referral.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Not provided at time of registration	—

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026