56% missed full anthrax treatments

[Guest guest]

This might be a good thing. Why ?

Because Cipro has adverse affects also.

It's a balancing act. The Danger is there is no ongoing tracking

of how these administered antibiotics post 60 days. Without

monitoring; Adverse effects of the possible exposure or the

antibiotics( which will occur in a small percentage of individuals)

will not be known for Medical History. Another case of

Don't Look - Don't Find. This hurts Researcher as well as

possible future victims of anthrax attacks.

Jagmedic -- DSBR

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56% missed full anthrax treatment

By Yee, Associated Press, 10/30/2002

TLANTA - Less than half of the people who were prescribed a 60-day course of

antibiotics for anthrax during last year's attacks completed the treatment,

according to the results of a federal survey released yesterday.

And nearly half complained of side effects, federal officials said.

Many postal workers, Senate office workers, and media employees possibly

exposed to anthrax reported mild side effects from the antibiotics, including

abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, and dizziness. A few required

hospitalization.

Despite the problems, Dr. Colin Shepard of the Centers for Disease Control

said the effectiveness of antibiotics during the attacks was reassuring, because

most of the side effects were mild.

''Adverse events were commonly reported, but serious adverse events were

rare,'' Shepard said.

''I'm gratified by how effective the [treatment] seemed to be,'' said Dr.

Ostroff, deputy director of the CDC's National Center for Infectious

Diseases. ''No one put on it developed anthrax.''

Last fall, five people died and 13 others became ill after inhaling anthrax

that was found in mail or mail processing facilities in Washington, New York,

New Jersey, Florida, and Connecticut. Federal officials provided antibiotic

tablets to 10,000 people.

Nearly 6,200 of the 10,000 people were interviewed by federal officials. About

49 percent, 3,032 people, complained of at least one side effect, and only 44

percent, 2,712 people, finished the treatment.

This story ran on page A11 of the Boston Globe on 10/30/2002.

© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.

[gulflink] 56% missed full anthrax treatment

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