ABSTRACT
In an advertisement in this journal, Alcon Nederland BV has recommended Opatanol (olopatadin) as the 'first choice medication/NHG practice guideline for Red eye/Allergic conjunctivitis'. However, the practice guideline of the Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG) mentions the following 3 antihistaminica as first choice for the treatment of red eye/allergic conjunctivitis: azelastin, levocabastin or olopatadin. Therefore, it is concluded that the Alcon advertisement is misleading.
Subject(s)
Advertising , Anti-Allergic Agents/therapeutic use , Conjunctivitis, Allergic/drug therapy , Dibenzoxepins/therapeutic use , Histamine H1 Antagonists/therapeutic use , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Humans , Netherlands , Olopatadine HydrochlorideABSTRACT
The important changes in the Dutch College of General Practitioners' revised guideline on urinary tract infections, with respect to the first edition, are as follows: In assessing a urine sediment the leucocyte count has been omitted due to its low specificity. In the case of a negative nitrite test, the number of bacteria is of diagnostic importance. If a microscopic count is difficult to carry out, a semi-quantitative culture with a dip-slide is a good alternative. In the case of uncomplicated urinary tract infections, nitrofurantoin or trimethoprim are the preferred antibiotics, whereas for pregnant women nitrofurantoin and amoxicillin without clavulanic acid should be used. The most important pathogen is often resistant to sulphonamides. In the case of complicated urinary tract infections, characterised by fever, and a still unknown sensitivity of the pathogen, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid is recommended except in the case of pregnant women. The usefulness of tracing and treating pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria has yet to be demonstrated.
Subject(s)
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/drug therapy , Urinalysis/methods , Urinary Tract Infections/drug therapy , Adult , Amoxicillin/therapeutic use , Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary/therapeutic use , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Netherlands , Nitrofurantoin/therapeutic use , Penicillin Resistance , Penicillins/therapeutic use , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Pregnancy , Trimethoprim/therapeutic use , Trimethoprim Resistance , Urinary Tract Infections/diagnosisABSTRACT
A comprehensive system for quality improvement in General Practice has been developed in the Netherlands during the last decade. The basic principles of the quality system are discussed. Practice Guidelines are developed by GP's for GP's in a four step procedure. A range of methods and products based on the guidelines is produced to enhance the implementation of practice guidelines.
