Background: Around 0.4 million cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) occur each year. Only a small fraction of these cases are treated according to international guidelines. Evidence relevant to decisions about whether to scale-up treatment for MDR-TB includes cost and...

Meningococcal disease may present as meningitis, septicaemia or a combination of the two. Generally, meningitis has a gradual onset, with fever, headache and neck stiffness as the most frequent clinical symptoms. In contrast, fulminant septicaemia may develop within hours, and is characterised...

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the annual resource use and corresponding costs (at 1996/97 prices) to the UK's National Health Service (NHS) arising from the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Design and Setting: A subgroup analysis was performed...

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality and is associated with the consumption of considerable health resources worldwide. Initial treatment of patients with CAP is often empirical. Growing concern about the increasing prevalence of atypical organisms is...

The clinical course of chronic bronchitis is intermittently interrupted by acute exacerbations (AECB), especially during the winter months, characterised by an increase in cough, a change in the purulence and volume of sputum, or worsening of dyspnea. Although AECB can be caused by allergens,...

Aim: To determine the effectiveness of a multi-component managed-care intervention in reducing inappropriate antibacterial prescribing for viral respiratory infections (VRIs). Study design: An episode-based retrospective analysis of administrative claims data between 1998, the year prior to the...

Antimicrobial control programs are now commonplace in institutional settings, with pharmacists taking a central role in their inception and implementation. These programs often contain a variety of individual systems including formularies, restricted access, clinical pathways, antimicrobial...

Objective: To compare various strategies for antibacterial administration in terms of patient outcomes, overall costs and quality of care provided. Design: Prospective, nonblind, randomized, clinical study. Setting: Tertiary care hospital in Greece from November 1995 to June 1996. Patients and...