Publications by authors named "Kathryn A Haigh"
Article Synopsis
- Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health issue, and the standard treatment regimen, particularly the dose of rifampicin, has not significantly changed in fifty years, leading researchers to investigate higher doses.* -
- A systematic review analyzed data from 19 studies involving 6,332 patients to assess the efficacy and safety of rifampicin doses over 8-35 mg/kg, but found no improved efficacy with higher doses and potential liver injury risks at doses above 20 mg/kg.* -
- The findings indicate that while higher doses of rifampicin might not enhance treatment effectiveness for TB, the risk of liver damage is a concern, suggesting a need for larger clinical trials to better understand the implications.*
Background: The disability-adjusted life year (DALY), a key metric for health resource allocation, encompasses morbidity through disability weights. Widely used in tuberculosis cost-effectiveness analysis (CEAs), DALYs play a significant role in informing intervention adopt/reject decisions. This study reviews the values and consistency of disability weights applied in tuberculosis-related CEAs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic in early 2020 required a rapid roll-out of infection prevention and control (IPC) training for healthcare workers (HCW), including use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Education about respiratory droplet and aerosol transmission was of paramount importance to ensure safe working practices and improve confidence.
Methods: A joint working group of Infectious Diseases and IPC staff developed a 'train the trainers' programme, to be rapidly deployed over a three-week period.
Background: Despite being highly prevalent in hospitalised patients with severe HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB) and sepsis, little is known about the mycobacteriology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bloodstream infection (MTBBSI). We developed methods to serially measure bacillary load in blood and used these to characterise MTBBSI response to anti-TB therapy (ATT) and relationship with mortality.
Methods: We established a microscopy method for direct visualisation of M.