Survey of the prescribing of chemoprophylaxis to index cases of invasive meningococcal disease.
Chemoprophylaxis is given to contacts of cases of invasive meningococcal disease to reduce the risk of secondary cases by eradicating carriage. In the United Kingdom index cases are also recommended to receive chemoprophylaxis. This is usually undertaken by the clinical team managing the case. One hundred and fifty cases of probable meningococcal infection notified to the consultants in communicable disease control in a local health authority were reviewed to identify the proportion receiving chemoprophylaxis and to examine the final clinical outcome, in terms of diagnosis, of each case. Twenty-five per cent of notified cases (37) did not receive chemoprophylaxis and this proportion varied significantly between three local hospitals. We estimate that 15 of the 37 index cases who did not receive chemoprophylaxis were likely to have had invasive meningococcal disease.
Heywood
P
P
Tees Health Authority, Poole House, Stokesley Road, Middlesbrough TS7 0NJ.
Holtby
I
I
D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index