Completion of isoniazid preventive therapy among HIV-infected patients in Tanzania

SETTING: Isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) has not been widely implemented due to questions about acceptance, adherence and side effects. OBJECTIVE: To examine factors related to completion of IPT among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected subjects in Tanzania. DESIGN: HIV-infected subjects in the DarDar TB vaccine trial with CD4 cell counts >or=200 cells/mm(3) and a positive tuberculin skin test (TST) were counseled, offered IPT for 6 months and seen monthly. RESULTS: Among 1932 subjects, TST results were positive in 631 (33%): 568 (90%) were offered IPT, 565 (99%) accepted and three (<1%) refused. Of the 565 subjects who accepted IPT, 493 (87%) completed treatment and 72 (13%) did not. Non-completion was physician-initiated in 24 (33%, due to active TB or side effects), patient-initiated in 42 (58%, due to self-cessation or loss to follow-up) and due to death in 6 (8%, unrelated to IPT). Interviews were conducted among 109 completers and 20 non-completers (12 physician- and 8 patient-initiated). Completers were motivated by fear of TB (44%), understanding the importance of IPT (32%) and counseling (22%). Patient-initiated non-completers were dissuaded by stigma (58%), side effects (14%) and travel distance (1%). CONCLUSIONS: HIV-infected subjects provided with counseling, monthly follow-up and travel reimbursement have high rates of IPT completion with minimal side effects.     

Controlled trial of standard pad and bell alarm against mini alarm for nocturnal enuresis.

Fifty six children aged from 6-16 years who wet their beds at night were entered into a controlled trial of two alarm devices: a traditional alarm using a wet sensor mat on the bed attached to an alarm bell out of reach of the child, and a mini alarm system incorporating a tiny perineal wet sensor attached to a small alarm worn on the child''s clothing. A quota allocation system ensured comparability between the two treatment groups. The children were encouraged to use the alarm for four months. Both alarms were equally effective in helping children to become dry. There was no significant difference between the number of children unable to comply with treatment or to be helped by each alarm. The rate of acquisition of dryness was similar for the two groups. The traditional standard alarm was sturdier, more dependable, and easier to maintain, but the mini alarm had some advantages, particularly for girls. Both types of alarm are recommended for general use.     

Multifocal bone marrow involvement in cat-scratch disease

We describe 2 children with prolonged fever of unknown origin and prominent skeletal pain who had multifocal bone disease caused by Bartonella infection. Initial radiologic studies, including plain films, radionuclide scintigraphy and computed tomography, yielded negative results. In both cases, magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple enhancing bone marrow lesions consistent with clinical symptoms. Microbiologic diagnoses were established serologically.     

Polymorphonuclear cell motility, ankylosing spondylitis, and HLA B27.

Polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) function was studied in 29 subjects with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Of these, 20 were HLA B27+ve and 9 B27-ve. There were 30 controls and, of these, 15 were B27+ve. Random and directed cell migration was measured by 2 techniques: migration through a micropore filter and migration under an agar film. The chemo-attractant was either case in-activated serum or zymosan-activated serum. By both techniques directed motility was increased in subjects with B27 or with AS when compared to the B27-ve controls. This suggests that the disease AS and the possession of B27 are both associated with increased PMN motility.     

Quantitative sacroiliac scintigraphy. The effect of method of selection of region of interest

Various authors have advocated quantitative methods of evaluating bone scintigrams to detect sacroiliitis, while others have not found them useful. Many explanations for this disagreement have been offered, including differences in the method of case selection, ethnicity, gender, and previous drug therapy. It would appear that one of the most important impediments to consistent results is the variability of selecting sacroiliac joint and reference regions of interest (ROIs). The effect of ROI selection would seem particularly important because of the normal variability of radioactivity within the reference regions that have been used (sacrum, spine, iliac wing) and the inhomogeneity of activity in the SI joints. We have investigated the effect of ROI selection, using five different methods representative of, though not necessarily identical to, those found in the literature. Each method produced unique mean indices that were different for patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and controls. The method of Ayres (19) proved superior (largest mean difference, smallest variance), but none worked well as a diagnostic tool because of substantial overlap of the distributions of indices of patient and control groups. We conclude that ROI selection is important in determining results, and quantitative scintigraphic methods in general are not effective tools for diagnosing AS. Among the possible factors limiting success, difficulty in selecting a stable reference area seems of particular importance.