The Medical journal of Australia
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Comparative Study
Determinants of patient compliance and clinical response in general-practice treatment of hypertension.
Self-reported compliance, its relationship with clinical response, and possible determinants of each were examined in 154 general-practice patients who were treated for hypertension. Patient compliance and therapeutic response were highly correlated. Multivariate analyses supported the proposal that (a) relative body weight, drug regimen complexity, and concern at the time of diagnosis were independently influencing patient compliance; (b) compliance was contributing to blood pressure control; and (c) compliance and blood pressure control were each contributing to a lack of concern about hypertension and its risks. Prescribing simple drug regimens, and intentionally increasing the patient's concern at the time of diagnosis may be useful methods to promote compliance with antihypertensive therapy.
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A survey of water symptoms in 12 Victorian hospitals was undertaken to establish the prevalence of Legionella pneumophila in buildings not known to be associated with cases of Legionnaires' disease. Samples of hot, cold and shower water were taken, together with water from cooling towers, and isolation was attempted by guinea-pig inoculation. Legionella pneumophila was not isolated from any of the hot, cold or shower samples, but six strains were isolated from five of the cooling towers sampled.