Are letters an effective means of communicating guidelines about prophylactic antibiotics for meningococcal meningitis to close contacts at a child care centre?

Abstract

This paper reports on the results of a survey of the effect of letters sent to close contacts of a meningitis case: staff and parents of children at a hospital child care centre. All respondents (72 per cent) complied with the advice that they approach a doctor, usually their general practitioner, for prescription of a prophylactic antibiotic.