M M Schnell | PubMed Health

PubMed1984

Antibiotic-associated colitis.

We determined the incidence of antibiotic-associated colitis among users of oral antibiotics or topical clindamycin in a large prepaid health plan. Exposure to antibiotics was determined using a system that automatically records outpatient prescriptions filled and hospital diagnoses were available from computer files. Four cases of acute colitis were judged likely to be causally linked with outpatient use of antibiotics. These findings provide substantial evidence that antibiotic-associated colitis requiring hospital treatment occurs very rarely.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of a self-care minimal intervention for colds and flu on the use of medical services.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of mailed distribution of a brief self-care pamphlet on upper respiratory infection (URI)-related-medical care utilization. DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial with randomization by physician panel. SETTING: Health maintenance organization. PATIENTS: 20,127 patients assigned to the panels of 22 primary care physicians randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 12,353) and a control group (n = 7,774), each consisting of 11 physician panels. INTERVENTION: A mailed four-page self-care pamphlet for URI care. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The medical records and survey data of a random sample of 790 persons were studied during a baseline period and an intervention period. URI visit rates decreased 14% more in the experimental group versus the control group (p = 0.878). Appropriateness of URI visits during the intervention period in the experimental group (80%) was comparable to that in the control group (76%). URI drug prescriptions during the intervention period for all 20,127 patients showed no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: A simple mailed self-care pamphlet has little effect on medical care utilization for URI care.

Adult↗