BACKGROUND Monitoring of HIV viral load in patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not generally available in resource-limited settings. We examined the cost-effectiveness of qualitative point-of-care viral load tests (POC-VL) in sub-Saharan Africa. DESIGN Mathematical model based on longitudinal data from the Gugulethu and Khayelitsha township ART programmes in Cape Town, Sou...

BACKGROUND Phenytoin is standard of care for seizure prophylaxis following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Levetiracetam, an alternative antiepileptic drug, is utilized for seizure prophylaxis despite limited data supporting its use. OBJECTIVE Our primary outcome was post-TBI seizure activity measured by electroencephalogram (EEG) for levetiracetam versus phenytoin. Secondary outcomes were leng...

BACKGROUND This study examined the interaction between natural history, current practice patterns in diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of oesophageal cancer, and associated health resource utilization and costs. METHODS A cost analysis of a prospective population-based cohort of 1100 patients with a primary diagnosis of oesophageal cancer was performed using chart review from the Australian...

Background. Viral load (VL) monitoring for patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended worldwide. However, the costs of frequent monitoring are a barrier to implementation in resource-limited settings. The extent to which personalized monitoring frequencies may be cost-effective is unknown. Methods. We created a simulation model parameterized using person-level longitudinal...

BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus is a public health challenge worldwide, and roughly 25% of patients with diabetes in developing countries will develop at least one foot ulcer during their lifetime. The gravest outcome of an ulcerated foot is amputation, leading to premature death and larger economic costs. METHODS This study aimed to estimate the economic costs of diabetic foot in high-risk pati...

BACKGROUND Increased eligibility guidelines of antiretroviral therapy (ART) may lead to greater routine viral load monitoring. However, in resource-constrained settings, the additional resources required by greater routine viral load monitoring may impair ability to comply with expanded eligibility guidelines for ART. OBJECTIVE We use a published validated computer simulation of the HIV epide...