No abstract

During the period 1981-1983, 19 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) occurred in residents of Larimer County, Colorado, for an incidence of 4.0 cases per 100,000 population per year, compared with 1.2 cases per 100,000 per year in 1975-1980 (p less than 0.05). The higher incidence of GBS in 1981-1983 may represent an unusual chance occurrence, since no patient characteristics or predisposing events could be found to explain the increase. Nevertheless, the findings demonstrate that over a period of as long as 3 years, the crude average annual incidence of GBS in a large, well-defined population may exceed by twofold the upper limit of the previously reported range (0.6 to 1.9 cases per 100,000 per year).

Twenty-five to 50 percent of all antibiotics prescribed for hospitalized patients are for prevention, not treatment, of infection. Procedures to institute rational, cost-effective utilization of these agents should have a significant impact on drug cost and pharmacy inventory. Several authors have described antibiotic cost reduction programs using pharmacy intervention. Unfortunately, measures that are successful in one institution may not be effective or appropriate in another. A three-year study was undertaken to examine the impact on physician prescribing of an infection control bulletin and formalized recommendation for antibiotic utilization. Patient records also were examined to determine if any change in antibiotic utilization would influence patient morbidity. Over the three examination periods there was a significant reduction in cost of prophylaxis in 7 surgical groups, and a trend toward cost reduction in 21 additional groups. Cost of prophylaxis also increased in other surgical groups. Cost reduction was associated with limited duration of prophylaxis and a shift toward use of first generation cephalosporin products. Patient morbidity did not differ significantly.

A study was conducted to compare four school food preparation and delivery systems regarding microbiological content of foods as indicative of potential food safety hazards. Food samples were collected along the preparation and delivery line of each of 10 menu items from 16 total schools representing the four food preparation and delivery systems. Schools and systems were compared on the basis of statistically significant differences in aerobic plate count and relative frequency of improper food temperature and objectionably high indicator bacteria counts. Food preparation and handling abuse was a characteristic of individual schools and was not uniquely characteristic of any particular food preparation and delivery system or systems.