Introduction: Guidelines on antimicrobial therapy are subject to periodic revision to anticipate changes in the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance and new scientific knowledge. Changing a policy to a broader spectrum has important consequences on both the individual patient level (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonash Bioeth Rev
December 2020
Control measures directed at carriers of multidrug-resistant organisms are traditionally approached as a trade-off between public interests on the one hand and individual autonomy on the other. We propose to reframe the ethical issue and consider control measures directed at carriers an issue of solidarity. Rather than asking "whether it is justified to impose strict measures", we propose asking "how to best care for a person's carriership and well-being in ways that do not imply an unacceptable risk for others?".
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany countries have implemented infection control measures directed at carriers of multidrug-resistant organisms. To explore the ethical implications of these measures, we analyzed 227 consultations about multidrug resistance and compared them with the literature on communicable disease in general. We found that control measures aimed at carriers have a range of negative implications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Netherlands has approximately 20,000 registered HIV-infected patients. The current HIV prevention policy consisting of condom use and active HIV testing does not effectively mitigate the HIV epidemic in all risk groups. In July of 2012, tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) was approved by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for long-term use in persons who exhibit frequent risky and unsafe sexual behaviour.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEctoparasitic diseases are endemic in many poor communities in north-east Brazil, and heavy infestation is frequent. We conducted two studies to assess disease perception and health care seeking behaviour in relation to parasitic skin diseases and to determine their public health importance. The first study comprised a representative cross-sectional survey of the population of a slum in north-east Brazil.
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