Prophylaxis Campaign (prophylaxis + campaign)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Anticipating Demand for Emergency Health Services due to Medication-related Adverse Events after Rapid Mass Prophylaxis Campaigns

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2007
Nathaniel Hupert MD
Objectives: Mass prophylaxis against infectious disease outbreaks carries the risk of medication-related adverse events (MRAEs). The authors sought to define the relationship between the rapidity of mass prophylaxis dispensing and the subsequent demand for emergency health services due to predictable MRAEs. Methods: The authors created a spreadsheet-based computer model that calculates scenario-specific predicted daily MRAE rates from user inputs by applying a probability distribution to the reported timing of MRAEs. A hypothetical two- to ten-day prophylaxis campaign for one million people using recent data from both smallpox vaccination and anthrax chemoprophylaxis campaigns was modeled. Results: The length of a mass prophylaxis campaign plays an important role in determining the subsequent intensity in emergency services utilization due to real or suspected adverse events. A two-day smallpox vaccination scenario would produce an estimated 32,000 medical encounters and 1,960 hospitalizations, peaking at 5,246 health care encounters six days after the start of the campaign; in contrast, a ten-day campaign would lead to 41% lower peak surge, with a maximum of 3,106 encounters on the busiest day, ten days after initiation of the campaign. MRAEs with longer lead times, such as those associated with anthrax chemoprophylaxis, exhibit less variability based on campaign length (e.g., 124 out of an estimated 1,400 hospitalizations on day 20 after a two-day campaign versus 103 on day 24 after a ten-day campaign). Conclusions: The duration of a mass prophylaxis campaign may have a substantial impact on the timing and peak number of clinically significant MRAEs, with very short campaigns overwhelming existing emergency department (ED) capacity to treat real or suspected medication-related injuries. While better reporting of both incidence and timing of MRAEs in future prophylaxis campaigns should improve the application of this model to community-based emergency preparedness planning, these results highlight the need for coordination between public health and emergency medicine planning for infectious disease outbreaks to avoid preventable surges in ED utilization. [source]


Increased US prescription trends associated with the CDC Bacillus anthracis antimicrobial postexposure prophylaxis campaign,,

PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 3 2003
Douglas Shaffer MD
Abstract Purpose We evaluated national outpatient antimicrobial prescription trends in relation to the first United States case of inhalational anthrax due to the intentional delivery of Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) spores. Methods We queried IMS HEALTH's National Prescription Audit Plus7Ô database for two 6-month periods (July,December) in 2001 and 2000 to describe outpatient prescription trends of antimicrobials recommended during the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) postexposure prophylaxis campaign. Results Overall, antimicrobial utilization for the referent 6-month time frame was greater in 2000 compared to 2001. In contrast, ciprofloxacin utilization was greater in 2001 during October, the month following the index case, increasing by more than 40% over utilization in October 2000. Similarly, doxycycline utilization increased by 30% during October/November. This corresponded to relative increases in US utilization for ciprofloxacin of approximately 160,000 prescriptions for the month of October and for doxycycline of approximately 96,000 prescriptions during October and 120,000 prescriptions for November. Conclusions We conclude more widespread prescribing of ciprofloxacin and doxycycline occurred in response to the first US bioterrorist-associated anthrax attacks than was warranted based upon confirmed or suspected B. anthracis exposure alone. Published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Anticipating Demand for Emergency Health Services due to Medication-related Adverse Events after Rapid Mass Prophylaxis Campaigns

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2007
Nathaniel Hupert MD
Objectives: Mass prophylaxis against infectious disease outbreaks carries the risk of medication-related adverse events (MRAEs). The authors sought to define the relationship between the rapidity of mass prophylaxis dispensing and the subsequent demand for emergency health services due to predictable MRAEs. Methods: The authors created a spreadsheet-based computer model that calculates scenario-specific predicted daily MRAE rates from user inputs by applying a probability distribution to the reported timing of MRAEs. A hypothetical two- to ten-day prophylaxis campaign for one million people using recent data from both smallpox vaccination and anthrax chemoprophylaxis campaigns was modeled. Results: The length of a mass prophylaxis campaign plays an important role in determining the subsequent intensity in emergency services utilization due to real or suspected adverse events. A two-day smallpox vaccination scenario would produce an estimated 32,000 medical encounters and 1,960 hospitalizations, peaking at 5,246 health care encounters six days after the start of the campaign; in contrast, a ten-day campaign would lead to 41% lower peak surge, with a maximum of 3,106 encounters on the busiest day, ten days after initiation of the campaign. MRAEs with longer lead times, such as those associated with anthrax chemoprophylaxis, exhibit less variability based on campaign length (e.g., 124 out of an estimated 1,400 hospitalizations on day 20 after a two-day campaign versus 103 on day 24 after a ten-day campaign). Conclusions: The duration of a mass prophylaxis campaign may have a substantial impact on the timing and peak number of clinically significant MRAEs, with very short campaigns overwhelming existing emergency department (ED) capacity to treat real or suspected medication-related injuries. While better reporting of both incidence and timing of MRAEs in future prophylaxis campaigns should improve the application of this model to community-based emergency preparedness planning, these results highlight the need for coordination between public health and emergency medicine planning for infectious disease outbreaks to avoid preventable surges in ED utilization. [source]