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      Physician preferences in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease in the United States.

      1 , ,
      Infection
      Springer Science and Business Media LLC

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          Abstract

          To assess physician preferences in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, questionnaires were sent to physicians in various Lyme disease endemic areas in the U.S. Seventy-eight responses were analyzed. Both ELISA and Western blot were ordered by 86% of responders. Fifty percent of responders believed that 25% or more of patients who have Lyme disease were seronegative. The treatment was influenced by physician specialty. Antibiotic treatment for tick bite was prescribed by 20% of responders. Erythema migrans rash was treated by all responders without serologic confirmation. The median treatment duration of erythema migrans was 4 weeks. For post-erythema migrans Lyme disease, 43% of responders treat 3 months or more; for chronic Lyme disease, 57% of responders treat 3 months or more. Our survey documents significant differences between published recommendations and actual practices. Physician education and clinical trials are needed to clarify the reasons for these differences.

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          Author and article information

          Journal
          Infection
          Infection
          Springer Science and Business Media LLC
          0300-8126
          0300-8126
          March 1 1996
          : 24
          : 2
          Affiliations
          [1 ] Lyme Disease Foundation, Hartford, Connecticut 06103-2610, USA.
          Article
          10.1007/BF01713336
          8740119
          6cab6f63-2759-42a8-b8eb-b23b1bb621f0
          History

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