Home infusion therapy, i.e. home infusion of deficient or missing clotting factors, is one of the mainstays of haemophilia care in developed countries. The aims of home therapy are: 1. to prevent profuse bleedings by giving treatment immediately in the event of incipient bleeding; 2. to save...

Until recently, control of influenza has focused on increasing the use of the inactivated influenza vaccine and, in some countries, encouraging the appropriate use of the antiviral drugs amantadine and rimantadine. Now that a new class of antiviral drugs, the neuraminidase inhibitors, has been...

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs), including pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, have been prescribed for a number of years as monotherapy or combination therapy for glycemic control of type 2 diabetes mellitus. It has been hypothesized that the clinical advantages offered by TZDs compared with other...

Insulin lispro is a recombinant insulin analog with transposed amino acids (proline and lysine) at positions 28 and 29 near the C-terminus of the B-chain. The most prominent practical advantage of insulin lispro over human soluble insulin lies in its very rapid onset of action. This property...

Primary open angle glaucoma is diagnosed principally on the basis of relevant visual field defects, typically supported by evidence of nerve fibre layer and optic nerve damage. An intraocular pressure above the normal range is an important risk factor but not a diagnostic requirement. Many cases...

Background: Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs account for 70% of the direct costs of HIV care. Changing practices in the use of ARV drugs may have major cost implications for the care budget within a regional population. Objective: To characterize and quantify the precise changes in the use of ARV...

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the conscientious application of scientific best practice by clinicians in concert with the patient Disease management programs, currently focused on chronic conditions, provide the most logical launch for these efforts. However, disease management programs must...

The literature contains a number of reports of early work involving telemedicine and chronic disease; however, there are comparatively few studies in asthma. Most of the telemedicine studies in asthma have investigated the use of remote monitoring of patients in the home, e.g. transmitting...

Hypertension has been defined as blood pressure levels of 140/90mm Hg or greater. This has been arbitrarily based on epidemiological evidence that demonstrates the risk associated with blood pressure levels and the benefits to be expected from therapy. Conventional blood pressure measurements...