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Acyclovir in pregnancy registry: six years' experience. The Acyclovir in Pregnancy Registry Advisory Committee.

The Acyclovir in Pregnancy Registry was established to gather data on prenatal exposure to acyclovir. Exposed pregnancies are tracked prospectively to ascertain exposure, risk factors, and pregnancy outcome. Through June 30, 1990, 312 acyclovir-exposed pregnancies had been reported and followed. Of these, 239 were exposed during the first trimester; outcomes included 24 spontaneous fetal losses, 47 induced abortions, 159 live births of infants without congenital abnormalities, and nine outcomes with congenital abnormalities. Among the 73 second- and third-trimester exposures, one infant was born with an abnormality. Exposures are also reported to the registry retrospectively, ie, after the outcome of pregnancy is known. Registry findings to date do not show an increase in the number of birth defects among the prospective reports when compared with that expected in the general population, and there is no consistent pattern of abnormalities among retrospective or prospective reports. These findings should provide some reassurance in counseling women following inadvertent prenatal exposure. The cases accumulated to date represent a sample of insufficient size for reaching reliable and definitive conclusions about the safety of acyclovir for pregnant women and their developing fetuses. Therefore, until further information is available, the Acyclovir in Pregnancy Registry Advisory Committee recommends following the 1989 Centers for Disease Control Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines for the use of acyclovir in pregnancy, and encourages reporting of all prenatal exposures to the registry (1-800-722-9292, ext. 8465).

Acyclovir↗

Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP). Seminar on microbiological risk assessment, 28 January 1997.

Microbiological risk assessment is an area of growing importance and significant potential, where the underlying science, software systems and databases are developing to the point of real and useful application. It is also an area where the developing science is posing as many questions as it is presenting answers. Key issues emerging from the day included: the need for more sophisticated management of uncertainty, which is much more relevant to microbiological risk analysis than to other applications; the need for global surveillance systems with better compatibility and appropriate peer review; considered assessment of the impact of new molecular-based diagnostic and screening techniques; the explosion of relevant information available, particularly on the Internet, which makes computer literacy essential both to professionals and 'laymen'; and the appearance of software systems which are either tailored for microbiological application or have the potential for this use. The closely associated issues of risk communication and perception also emerged as being vital to the effective application of microbiological risk management to public health issues. Overall, the majority of participants considered the event to have been valuable and stimulating and thought that it would lead to improvements in the use of microbiological risk assessment. The Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens is committed to taking this topic forward and will be both taking up the messages from this seminar and encouraging development of suitable databases and software systems.

Bacterial Infections↗

Prevalence of measles susceptibility in hospital staff. Evidence to support expanding the recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee.

BACKGROUND: In 1989 and 1990, measles reached epidemic proportions in the United States, including several areas of California. Children's Hospital Oakland (Calif), a major health care provider for children in a measles epidemic area of California, reported 131 cases between 1989 and 1991, the largest number ever reported by that institution. In February 1990, four cases of measles were reported among hospital staff. Continued risk of nosocomial infection prompted the development of a program to ensure that all hospital staff were adequately protected against measles. METHODS: All hospital employees who were unable to document proof of measles immunity were required to be serologically screened for measles antibody and to be vaccinated against measles if they were determined to be nonimmune. Serologic screening was performed in-house with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measles antibody test. Dates of birth were recorded for all employees screened. Individuals with negative or repeatedly equivocal results were considered to be nonimmune and were vaccinated with trivalent measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. RESULTS: Between March and June 1990, 1694 staff were serologically tested for measles antibody. Eighty-nine (5.3%) of the employees were considered to have inadequate immunity. Forty (45%) of these susceptible individuals were born before 1957. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee should be expanded to include serologic screening or vaccination of hospital personnel who were born before 1957. Serologic screening of hospital staff may be a reasonable alternative to vaccination under certain circumstances.

Cross Infection↗

Immunization of adolescents: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Medical Association. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases.

This report, concerning the immunization of adolescents (ie, persons 11 to 21 years old, as defined by the American Medical Association [AMA] and the American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP]), is a supplement to previous publications (ie, MMWR. 1994;43 [No. RR-1]1-38; the AAP 1994 Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases; Summary of Policy Recommendations for Periodic Health Examination, August 1996 from the American Academy of Family Physicians [AAFP]; and AMA Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services [GAPS]: Recommendations and Rationale). This report presents a new strategy to improve the delivery of vaccination services to adolescents and to integrate recommendations for vaccination with other preventive services provided to adolescents. This new strategy emphasizes vaccination of adolescents 11 to 12 years old by establishing a routine visit to their health-care providers. Specifically, the purposes of this visit are to a) vaccinate adolescents who have not been previously vaccinated with varicella virus vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, or the second dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; b) provide a booster dose of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids; c) administer other vaccines that may be recommended for certain adolescents; and d) provide other recommended preventive services. The recommendations for vaccination of adolescents are based on new or current information for each vaccine. The most recent recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), AAP, AAFP, and AMA concerning specific vaccines and delivery of preventive services should be consulted for details (Exhibit 2).

Adolescent↗

Recent trends in the prescribing of cholesterol lowering drugs in Australia. A report from the Drug Utilization Subcommittee of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the recent pattern of use of hypolipidaemic drugs in the Australian community. DESIGN: Drug utilisation study employing prescription data collected during the operation of the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). SETTING: Non-hospital drug use in Australia. PATIENTS: All patients, pensioners and non-pensioners, who received prescriptions for hypolipidaemic agents under the PBS between January 1987 and December 1989. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The total number of prescriptions, average quantity dispensed with each prescription, defined daily doses (DDD) and Australian population figures for pensioners and non-pensioners were used to express the consumption of hypolipidaemic agents as DDD/1000 individuals/day. RESULTS: Between the March quarter 1987 and the December quarter 1989 prescribing of hypolipidaemics for the Australian community increased from 68,120 to 304,760 prescriptions per quarter, which translates to a rise in use from 1.2 to 5.2 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day. This included a rise in the use of clofibrate from 0.6 to 2.6 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day, and of cholestyramine from 0.6 to 1.9 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day. Prescribing of hypolipidaemics for pensioners increased from 29,569 to 123,440 prescriptions per quarter. This translated into a rise in use from 3.7 to 14.8 DDD/1000 pensioners/day. Notable rises were seen for clofibrate, 1.9 to 8.1 DDD/1000 pensioners/day, and cholestyramine, 1.6 to 4.7 DDD/1000 pensioners/day. In comparison published data from the Nordic countries and the United States showed a lower overall use of hypolipidaemics and declining consumption of clofibrate. CONCLUSIONS: The trend in Australia was unusual in that the use of clofibrate increased to a greater extent than that of the resins, cholestyramine and colestipol which are generally preferred for treatment of hypercholesterolaemia. Possible reasons for this include: the better tolerability of clofibrate; its readier availability during the study period; the recommendation by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee that clofibrate was the preferred drug when triglyceride levels were also elevated and the limited availability of newer hypolipidaemic agents.

Aged↗

General recommendations on immunization. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

This revision of the General Recommendations on Immunization updates the 1989 statement. Changes in the immunization schedule for infants and children include recommendations that the third dose of oral polio vaccine be administered routinely at 6 months of age rather than at age 15 months and that measles-mumps-rubella vaccine be administered routinely to all children at 12-15 months of age. Other updated or new sections include a) a listing of vaccines and other immunobiologics available in the United States by type and recommended routes, advice on the proper storage and handling of immunobiologics, a section on the recommended routes for administration of vaccines, and discussion of the use of jet injectors; b) revisions in the guidelines for spacing administration of immune globulin preparations and live virus vaccines, a discussion of vaccine interactions and recommendations for the simultaneous administration of multiple vaccines, a section on the interchangeability of vaccines from different manufacturers, and a discussion of hypersensitivity to vaccine components; c) a discussion of vaccination during pregnancy, a section on breast-feeding and vaccination, recommendations for the vaccination of premature infants, and updated schedules for immunizing infants and children (including recommendations for the use of Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines); d) sections on the immunization of hemophiliacs and immunocompromised persons; e) discussion of the Standards for Pediatric Immunization Practices (including a new table of contraindications and precautions to vaccination), information on the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, and Vaccine Information Pamphlets; and f) guidelines for vaccinating persons without documentation of immunization, a section on vaccinations received outside the United States, and a section on reporting of vaccine-preventable diseases. These recommendations are based on information available before publishing and are not comprehensive for each vaccine. The most recent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations for each specific vaccine should be consulted for more details.

Adolescent↗

Murray Valley encephalitis virus surveillance and control initiatives in Australia. National Arbovirus Advisory Committee of the Communicable Diseases Network Australia.

Mechanisms for monitoring Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus activity include surveillance of human cases, surveillance for activity in sentinel animals, monitoring of mosquito vectors and monitoring of weather conditions. The monitoring of human cases is only one possible trigger for public health action and the additional surveillance systems are used in concert to signal the risk of human disease, often before the appearance of human cases. Mosquito vector surveillance includes mosquito trapping for speciation and enumeration of mosquitoes to monitor population sizes and relative composition. Virus isolation from mosquitoes can also be undertaken. Monitoring of weather conditions and vector surveillance determines whether there is a potential for MVE activity to occur. Virus isolation from trapped mosquitoes is necessary to define whether MVE is actually present, but is difficult to deliver in a timely fashion in some jurisdictions. Monitoring of sentinel animals indicates whether MVE transmission to vertebrates is actually occurring. Meteorological surveillance can assist in the prediction of potential MVE virus activity by signalling conditions that have been associated with outbreaks of Murray Valley encephalitis in humans in the past. Predictive models of MVE virus activity for south-eastern Australia have been developed, but due to the infrequency of outbreaks, are yet to be demonstrated as useful for the forecasting of major outbreaks. Surveillance mechanisms vary across the jurisdictions. Surveillance of human disease occurs in all States and Territories by reporting of cases to health authorities. Sentinel flocks of chickens are maintained in 4 jurisdictions (Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria and New South Wales) with collaborations between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Mosquito monitoring complements the surveillance of sentinel animals in these jurisdictions. In addition, other mosquito monitoring programs exist in other States (including South Australia and Queensland). Public health control measures may include advice to the general public and mosquito management programs to reduce the numbers of both mosquito larvae and adult vectors. Strategic plans for public health action in the event of MVE virus activity are currently developed or being developed in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria. A southern tri-State agreement exists between health departments of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. All partners have agreed to co-operate and provide assistance in predicting and combatting outbreaks of mosquito-borne disease in south-eastern Australia. The newly formed National Arbovirus Advisory Committee is a working party providing advice to the Communicable Diseases Network Australia on arbovirus surveillance and control. Recommendations for further enhancement of national surveillance for Murray Valley encephalitis are described.

Animals↗