Evaluating Isoniazid Preventive Therapy: The Need for More Data
Authors: GEORGE W. COMSTOCK
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1981)

Editorials1 June 1981Evaluating Isoniazid Preventive Therapy: The Need for More DataGEORGE W. COMSTOCK, M.D.GEORGE W. COMSTOCK, M.D.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-94-6-817 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptMathematical modeling can be a very instructive exercise. It is probably the only area of experimentation in which every variable is known and completely under the control of the investigator. Because such tight control is rarely possible in real world situations, mathematical modeling can often provide the best insights into the relative effects of changing only one variable at a time.Unfortunately, when it comes to predicting absolute values, mathematical models have feet of clay. No matter how impressive and firm their superstructure may be, their predictive ability rests primarily on facts. Dependence on the facts used in models is...References1. TAYLOR W, ARONSON M, and DELBANCO T. Should young adults with a positive tuberculin test take isoniazid? Ann Intern Med. 1981;94:808-13. LinkGoogle Scholar2. COMSTOCK G and EDWARDS P. The competing risks of tuberculosis and hepatitis for adult tuberculin reactors. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1975;111:573-7. Editorial. MedlineGoogle Scholar3. . Preventive therapy of tuberculous infection. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1974;110:371-4. MedlineGoogle Scholar4. . Tuberculosis Statistics: States and Cities, 1979. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control; 1981:3, 24. (DHHS Publication No. [CDC] 81-8249). Google Scholar5. KOPANOFF D, SNIDER D, and CARAS G. Isoniazid-related hepatitis: a U.S. Public Health Service Cooperative Surveillance Study. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1978;117:991-1001. MedlineGoogle Scholar6. . Annual Vital Statistics Report. Baltimore: Maryland Center for Health Statistics; 1968 through 1975. Google Scholar7. 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Preventive treatment of untreated, inactive tuberculosis in an Eskimo population. Arch Environ Health. 1972;25:333-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar20. COMSTOCK G, FEREBEE S, and HAMMES L. A controlled trial of community-wide isoniazid prophylaxis in Alaska. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1967;95:935-43. MedlineGoogle Scholar21. MOUNT F and FEREBEE S. Preventive effects of isoniazid in the treatment of primary tuberculosis in children. N Engl J Med. 1961;265:713-21. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar22. COMSTOCK G, HAMMES L, and PIO A. Isoniazid prophylaxis in Alaskan boarding schools: a comparison of two doses. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1969;100:773-9. MedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: GEORGE W. COMSTOCK, M.D.Affiliations: Department of Epidemiology School of Hygiene and Public Health Johns Hopkins University Hagerstown, Maryland PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byHonors and Awards * Bibliography of Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles¿Podemos mejorar la prevención de la tuberculosis? 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STEAD, M.D. 1 June 1981Volume 94, Issue 6Page: 817-819KeywordsBloodCareers in researchExercise therapyHeartIsoniazidLungsMathematical modelsPreventive medicine ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 June 1981 PDF downloadLoading ...