An Intervention in a Primary Healthcare Setting to Reduce Lyme Neuroborreliosis Treatment Delay

Lyme neuroborreliosis is among the most common neuroinfections in northern Europe. Residual symptoms after treatment are a frequent problem in Lyme neuroborreliosis, and an association between the delay from symptom debut to antibiotic treatment has been established. In a previous study on Funen Island, Denmark, the delay from day of symptom debut to treatment for Lyme neuroborreliosis patients was 24 days. This considerable treatment delay did not change in the 20 years study period.

In the Danish health system, the general practitioners are the first medical professionals to see the majority of patients. They can refer patients to the hospital for further examination if indicated. Many general practitioners use Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies (igM/IgG) as a screening tool when they suspect Lyme disease or see patients with uncharacteristic symptoms. This is unfortunate, as the rash Erythema Migrans, the most common Borreliosis manifestation in Europe, is a clinical diagnosis. Only around 50% of patients have positive antibodies at time of Erythema Migrans diagnosis. Lyme neuroborreliosis is diagnosed based on symptoms and the results from the cerebrospinal fluid, and cannot be diagnosed based on serology, which only delays the time to diagnoses and treatment. The Danish guidelines on Lyme borreliosis therefore discourage general practitioners from using Borrelia serology.

In the before mentioned study from Funen Island, several patients described multiple contacts to their general practitioners, where the symptoms of Lyme neuroborreliosis were not recognized. The cardinal symptom of radicular pain was associated with a longer delay than many of the less common symptoms of Lyme neuroborreliosis.