A limited role for microbiological testing for childhood lower respiratory tract infections in primary care: managing diagnostic uncertainty by withholding antibiotics and watchful waiting

Abstract

Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is defined as an infection that affects the airways below the level of the larynx. In children, LRTI is frequently used to include acute bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The WHO estimates that LRTI is the most common infectious cause of death worldwide and the fourth most common cause overall, with 2.6 million deaths attributed to LRTI in 2019 [1].