Do general practitioners use what's in their doctor's bag?

Objective - To find out what general practitioners (GPs) take with them on house calls and how frequently they use it? Design - A questionnaire about the drugs and medical equipment used during house calls. Setting - Two peer review groups of GPs in Overijse and Hoeilaart (Belgium). Subjects - 29 GPs. Mean outcome measures - Availability and use of drugs and medical equipment on house calls. Results - All GPs had a stethoscope, a sphygmomanometer, an otoscope and sterile injection syringes at their disposal on house calls and they used them frequently. Only 57% took a blood glucose sensor with them and 25% took the medical records on home visits. Though only 50% always carried all of the most common emergency drugs with them, almost 100% of GPs had administered all of them in the previous 12 months. Only epinephrine and atropine were not frequently administered. Conclusion - Most of the GPs were sufficiently equipped to meet most situations that can occur during house visits and emergency calls. Most of t...