Lincomycin injections for upper respiratory tract infections: a comparison of findings in a rural clinic with analysis of a national data base.

A review of the records of patients attending a rural family practice clinic indicated that 13% had received "cold shots" (lincomycin with or without chlorpheniramine). The providers who assumed management of the clinic when the previous physician retired judged these injections inappropriate, but patients believed that they were effective and expected to continue to receive them. This study included 51 consecutive patients seen in the clinic for treatment of a cold and compared those who expected an injection with those who did not. Thirty-four patients (67%) expected an injection but instead received education about upper respiratory tract infections and symptomatic treatment. Half of these patients (17) were not satisfied with this alternative, and 10 reportedly went to another provider for an injection. Compared with patients who did not expect an injection, patients who did were older (P less than .001), had longer duration of symptoms (P less than .02), and were more likely to have tried nonprescription remedies (P less than .001). Analysis of the 1985 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey indicates that the administration of lincomycin is not uncommon (an estimated 800,000 injections were given in 1985) and that lincomycin is more likely to be administered by a rural solo physician practicing in the north central or southern regions of the United States.