> Solid, pratical GP research potential.
>
> > The cost equation driving this interest is that the laboratory costs of
an
> > MSU are about 3.50, whereas a dip-stick costs approximately 18p.
>
> A peripheral question. What does UKP 3.50 mean? Is this the cost of
performing one extra urine mcs given the
> infrastructure is in place and already funded (collection system,
laboratory facilities and technician routine
> time etc) or is it the estimated cost of all msu testing divided by the
number of msu's sent. These two ways of
> obtaining a cost have very different implications for the savings which
might accrue.
Not sure. I agree it is important to know what this price means. At the
moment it is just the figure quoted by our friendly microbiologist for an
MSU. Not sure how he reached that figure. The cost we should identify is
the incremental one as there will still be a need for all the
infrastructure costs, just fewer samples.
To be honest the cost savings do not interest me too much (though it is
useful to have a following wind these days). It is a really very nice to
know in 2 minutes, whether or not a patient has a UTI . Great for a pm or
weekend consult, the DN's think it is good news for symtomatic cloudy bags,
handy to identify the large nos of women with "cystitis" and -ve MSU's and
stop the huge amounts of blind trim/amox or whatever that gets used. If
it's good news for my local lab as well then all the better !
________________________________________________________________
Dr Paul Galloway
MedWeb UK http://www.medweb.co.uk
The interactive medical website for UK doctors
________________________________________________________________
>
> Adrian Elliot-Smith
> Billingham.
> Teesside.
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