Letter

Mortality associated with foodborne bacterial gastrointestinal infections : Case selection and clinical data are important

BMJ 2003; 326 doi: 10.1136/bmj.326.7401.1265-a (Published 5 June 2003)
Cite this as: BMJ 2003;326:1265.2

Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment. Please log in or subscribe below.

  1. Sarah J O'Brien, head of gastrointestinal diseases division (sarah.o'brien@hpa.org.uk),
  2. Roger A Feldman, emeritus professor of clinical epidemiology
  1. Health Protection Agency, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, London NW9 5EQ
  2. Barts and the London, Queen Mary School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London E1 2AD

    EDITOR—The article by Helms et al raises the importance of case selection and clinical data on the estimates of short and long term mortality from clinical illness.1 Clinicians' understanding of an illness entails identifying symptoms and signs, in relation to age, sex, and geography, the three variables for which the authors selected controls. But clinicians also decide on the necessity for diagnostic laboratory tests. Results deemed …

    Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment

    Subscribe

    Article access

    Article access for 1 day

    Purchase this article for £20 $30 €32*

    The PDF version can be downloaded as your personal record

    * Prices do not include VAT

    Rapid responses

    THIS WEEK'S POLL

    BMJ most popular