A short compendium of messages:
> > > She was covered in spots, and very cross. Personally I think I
> > > would have given her the Acyclovir to start with.
> >
> > You cannot be serious! (McEnroe,J, Wimbledon 198? - can't remember).
> > Spending over UKP100 to treat spots and a flu-like illness in a non
> > immune compromised healthy adult would have been an immoral waste of
> > money.
>
> How about a cost/morals analysis? Immoral at 10 pounds for a large
> improvement in comfort? Immoral at 1000 pounds for no benefit? Where
> would the crossover point at which this would be a treatment we might
> reasonably offer the people who are in fact paying for it?
>
> > I believe there have been several deaths in the UK from chickenpox
> > in immunocompetent adults in recent years. It is therefore
> > considered prudent to use acyclovir unless you know your patient
> > will be OK.
And, of course, we have a duty to society as well as the individual.
Is anyone aware of the incidence of resistance to these drugs? Will
drug resistance become a greater problem if we prescribe for every
identified case?
You will all be aware of the doom-mongers who declare that if we carry
on with our current indiscriminate behaviour we shall have no effective
anti-infectious drugs left to use in 10 - 20 years time.
Just a thought.
Trims.
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Dr Ian Trimble email: [log in to unmask]
Sherwood Health Centre
Elmswood Gardens Tel: +44 115 962 4516
Nottingham NG5 4AD Fax: +44 115 985 7899
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