INJURY to the spinal cord is devastating and catastrophic. Its unfortunate sequelae have been recognized since early Egyptian times [l]. Since damage to the spinal cord almost always results in permanent loss of sensory and motor functions below the level of the injury, the best solution to the problem of spinal cord injuries is prevention. There are no published data on the incidence of trauma...

Xpert MTB/RIF is a rapid test to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) and rifampicin-resistant TB. Cost and affordability will influence its uptake. We assessed the cost, globally and in 36 high-burden countries, of two strategies for diagnosing TB and multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB: Xpert with follow-on diagnostics, and conventional diagnostics. Costs were compared with funding available for TB care and c...

OBJECTIVE To assess the current served available market of tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics in South Africa in the public and private sectors. DESIGN Public and private sector test volumes and unit costs were collected for tuberculin skin tests, interferon-gamma release assays, smear microscopy, culture, speciation, Xpert MTB/RIF, other nucleic acid amplification tests, drug susceptibility testi...

The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is enormous and growing. Currently, COPD affects 300 million people worldwide and kills more than 3 million people each year [1]. COPD exacts a large financial toll on society because it is the leading cause of hospitalisation in many jurisdictions in the Western world. In the USA, for example, which has a very robust population-based d...