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Surveillance Data (surveillance + data)
Selected AbstractsIllness in French Travelers to Senegal: Prospective Cohort Follow-up and Sentinel Surveillance DataJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2010Aïssata Dia MD Objective. To investigate travel-associated illnesses in French travelers to Senegal. Methods. A prospective cohort follow-up was conducted in 358 travelers recruited at a pre-travel visit in Marseille and compared to data from ill travelers collected from the GeoSentinel data platform in two clinics in Marseille. Results. In the cohort survey, 87% of travelers experienced health complaints during travel, which most frequently included arthropod bites (75%), diarrhea (46%), and sunburns (36%). Severe febrile illness cases, notably malaria and salmonella, were detected only through the surveillance system, not in the cohort follow-up. Food hygiene was inefficient in preventing diarrhea. Arthropod bites were more frequent in younger patients and in patients with pale phototypes. Sunburns were also more frequent in younger patients. Finally, we demonstrate that mild travel-related gastrointestinal symptoms and the lack of arthropod bites are significantly associated with poor observance of antimalarial prophylaxis. Conclusions. In this study, we suggest the complementary nature of using cohort surveys and sentinel surveillance data. Effective protection of skin from arthropod bites and sun exposure should result in significantly reduced travel-associated diseases in Senegal. Travelers to Senegal should be informed that diarrhea is extremely common despite preventive measures, but it is mild and transitory and should not lead to the disruption of malaria chemoprophylaxis. [source] Population-based Birth Defects Surveillance Data from selected states, 2000,2004BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, Issue 12 2007Article first published online: 6 DEC 200 First page of article [source] Modelling the distributions of Culicoides bluetongue virus vectors in Sicily in relation to satellite-derived climate variablesMEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2004B. V. Purse Abstract., Surveillance data from 268 sites in Sicily are used to develop climatic models for prediction of the distribution of the main European bluetongue virus (BTV) vector Culicoides imicola Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and of potential novel vectors, Culicoides pulicaris Linnaeus, Culicoides obsoletus group Meigen and Culicoides newsteadi Austen. The models containing the ,best' climatic predictors of distribution for each species, were selected from combinations of 40 temporally Fourier-processed remotely sensed variables and altitude at a 1 km spatial resolution using discriminant analysis. Kappa values of around 0.6 for all species models indicated substantial levels of agreement between model predictions and observed data. Whilst the distributions of C. obsoletus group and C. newsteadi were predicted by temperature variables, those of C. pulicaris and C. imicola were determined mainly by normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), a variable correlated with soil moisture and vegetation biomass and productivity. These models were used to predict species presence in unsampled pixels across Italy and for C. imicola across Europe and North Africa. The predicted continuous presence of C. pulicaris along the appenine mountains, from north to south Italy, suggests BTV transmission may be possible in a large proportion of this region and that seasonal transhumance (seasonal movement of livestock between upland and lowland pastures) even in C. imicola -free areas should not generally be considered safe. The predicted distribution of C. imicola distribution shows substantial agreement with observed surveillance data from Greece and Iberia (including the Balearics) and parts of mainland Italy (Lazio, Tuscany and areas of the Ionian coast) but is generally much more restricted than the observed distribution (in Sardinia, Corsica and Morocco). The low number of presence sites for C. imicola in Sicily meant that only a restricted range of potential C. imicola habitats were included in the training set and that predictions could only be made within this range. Future modelling exercises will use abundance data collected according to a standardized protocol across the Mediterranean and, for Sicily in particular, should include non-climatic environmental variables that may influence breeding site suitability such as soil type. [source] Population-based Birth Defects Surveillance data from selected states, 2002-2006BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, Issue 12 2009Article first published online: 8 DEC 200 First page of article [source] Population-based Birth Defects Surveillance data from selected states, 2001-2005BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, Issue 12 2008Article first published online: 12 DEC 200 First page of article [source] Toward using National Cancer Surveillance data for preventing and controlling cervical and other human papillomavirus-associated cancers in the US,,CANCER, Issue S10 2008Mona Saraiya MD First page of article [source] Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis among injecting drug users in Russia: a multi-city studyADDICTION, Issue 2 2006Tim Rhodes ABSTRACT Objectives To estimate the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis in injecting drug users (IDUs) in Russia. Methods Unlinked anonymous cross-sectional survey of 1473 IDUs recruited from non-treatment settings in Moscow, Volgograd and Barnaul (Siberia), with oral fluid sample collection for HIV, HCV antibody (anti-HIV, anti-HCV) and syphilis testing. Results Prevalence of antibody to HIV was 14% in Moscow, 3% in Volgograd and 9% in Barnaul. HCV prevalence was 67% in Moscow, 70% in Volgograd and 54% in Barnaul. Prevalence of positive syphilis serology was 8% in Moscow, 20% in Volgograd and 6% in Barnaul. Half of those HIV positive and a third of those HCV positive were unaware of their positive status. Common risk factors associated with HIV and HCV infection across the cities included both direct and indirect sharing of injecting equipment and injection of home-produced drugs. Among environmental risk factors, we found increased odds of anti-HIV associated with being in prison in Moscow, and some association between official registration as a drug user and anti-HIV and anti-HCV. No associations were found between sexual risk behaviours and anti-HIV in any city. Conclusions HIV prevalence among IDUs was markedly higher than city routine surveillance data suggests and at potentially critical levels in terms of HIV prevention in two cities. HCV prevalence was high in all cities. Syphilis prevalence highlights the potential for sexual risk and sexual HIV transmission. Despite large-scale testing programmes, knowledge of positive status was poor. The scaling-up of harm reduction for IDUs in Russia, including sexual risk reduction, is an urgent priority. [source] MOVING VIOLATIONS: DATA PRIVACY IN PUBLIC TRANSITGEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 3 2007NANCY J. OBERMEYER ABSTRACT. This article draws from the foundation provided by the ongoing debate about geosurveillance to frame a discussion of the use of tracking technologies in public transit. Specifically, it uses the case of public transit to illustrate the uncomfortable debate about compromises that come with increased surveillance to enhance public safety and security. The article begins with a discussion of the evolution of the debate about geosurveillance, casting the use of surveillance technologies in public transit within this framework. Next, it describes and discusses the implementation of automatic vehicle locators and closed-circuit television in public transit. The following sections focus on the risks to individual privacy that accompany implementation of these technologies, then describe an unusual effort to draw attention to the prevalence of increased surveillance in public spaces in an effort to expose the risks. The article concludes by making the case that public transit is a place where surveillance provides clear benefits but where the humans who review the surveillance data must interpret and use them responsibly to minimize the risks to individual privacy. [source] Mental Illness and Length of Inpatient Stay for Medicaid Recipients with AIDSHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 5 2004Donald R. Hoover Objective. To examine the associations between comorbid mental illness and length of hospital stays (LOS) among Medicaid beneficiaries with AIDS. Data Source and Collection/Study Setting. Merged 1992,1998 Medicaid claims and AIDS surveillance data obtained from the State of New Jersey for adults with ,1 inpatient stay after an AIDS diagnosis from 1992 to 1996. Study Design. Observational study of 6,247 AIDS patients with 24,975 inpatient visits. Severe mental illness (SMI) and other less severe mental illness (OMI) diagnoses at visits were ascertained from ICD,9 Codes. About 4 percent of visits had an SMI diagnosis; 5 percent had an OMI diagnosis; 43 percent did not have a mental illness diagnosis, but were patients who had been identified as having an SMI or OMI history; and 48 percent were from patients with no identified history of mental illness. Principal Findings. The overall mean hospital LOS was 12.7 days. After adjusting for measures of HIV disease severity and health care access in multivariate models, patients presenting with primary and secondary severe mental illness (SMI) diagnoses had ,32 percent and ,11 percent longer LOS, respectively, than did similar patients without a mental illness history (p<0.001 for each). But in these adjusted models of length of stay: (1) diagnosis of OMI was not related to LOS, and (2) in the absence of a mental illness diagnosed at the visit, an identified history of either SMI or OMI was also not related to LOS. In adjusted models of time to readmission for a new visit, current diagnosis of SMI or OMI and in the absences of a current diagnosis, history of SMI or OMI all tended to be associated with quicker readmission. Conclusions. This study finds greater (adjusted) LOS for AIDS patients diagnosed with severe mental illness (but not for those diagnosed with less severe mental comorbidity) at a visit. The effect of acute severe mental illness on hospitalization time may be comparable to that of an acute AIDS opportunistic illness. While previous research raises concerns that mental illness increases LOS by interfering with treatment of HIV conditions, the associations here may simply indicate that extra time is needed to treat severe mental illnesses or arrange for discharge of afflicted patients. [source] Diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV-infected populations in EuropeHIV MEDICINE, Issue 2008FF Hamers This article aims to build a picture of HIV epidemiology in Europe by combining existing surveillance data to mathematical modelling to achieve observations closer to the dynamic reality of HIV infections across different parts of Europe. In the European Union (EU), where it is estimated that 30% of HIV-infected persons have not been diagnosed, the number of new HIV diagnoses has risen in recent years. However, trends must be interpreted with some caution around the differences and variations in surveillance systems and testing rates among affected populations and regions. By introducing mathematical models, we can build an overall picture from the pieces of information available. We present a mathematical model of the course of infection and the effect of ART which has been developed to fit as closely as possible to observed data from HIV cohorts. The preliminary estimates for the entire WHO European Region are that around 2.3 million people were living with HIV in Europe at the end of 2006, of whom around 50% have not been diagnosed. The model can also be used to assess the potential impact of earlier diagnoses. Observations show how a combination of surveillance data and modelling allows an estimation of the current state of the epidemic in Europe, though further developments in both areas are needed. [source] Association of early annual peak influenza activity with El Niño southern oscillation in JapanINFLUENZA AND OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRUSES, Issue 4 2008Hassan Zaraket Background, Seasonality characterizing influenza epidemics suggests susceptibility to climate variation. El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO), which involves two extreme events, El Niño and La Niña, is well-known for its large effects on inter-annual climate variability. The influence of ENSO on several diseases has been described. Objectives, In this study, we attempt to analyze the possible influence of ENSO on the timing of the annual influenza activity peak using influenza-like illness report data in Japan during 1983,2007. Materials, Influenza surveillance data for 25 influenza epidemics, available under the National Epidemiological Surveillance of the Infectious Diseases, was used in this study. ENSO data were obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency. Results, Influenza-like illness peak week varied largely during the study period, ranging between 4th and 11th weeks (middle of winter to early spring). The average of peak week during ENSO cycles (n = 11, average = 4·5 ± 0·9) was significantly earlier than in non-ENSO years (n = 14, average = 7·6 ± 2·9; P = 0·01), but there was no significant difference in the peak timing between hot (El Niño) and cold (La Niña) phases. Earlier peaks of influenza activity were observed in 16, out of 25, epidemics. These coincided with 10 (90·9%) out of 11 ENSO and 6 (85·7%) out of seven large-scale epidemics. Conclusion, Influenza activity peak occurred earlier in years associated with ENSO and/or large scale epidemics. [source] Current safety and tolerability issues in men with erectile dysfunction receiving PDE5 inhibitorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 9 2007W. J. G. Hellstrom Summary Aims:, Treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) has been greatly advanced by the advent of phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. Upon the introduction of these agents, their cardiovascular (CV) safety was a major concern, mainly due to their vasodilatory effects. We conducted an electronic literature review of data concerning the safety and tolerability issues of men with ED receiving PDE5 inhibitors. Results:, Although safety concerns have been raised, evaluation of CV safety and related adverse events in clinical trials has not revealed any atypical safety issues. Discussion:, No causal association has been established to date between non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and PDE5 inhibitors. In addition, there are established guidelines which provide recommendations for the safe and effective use of these agents in treating men with ED and associated comorbidities. Conclusions:, Clinical trial and postmarketing surveillance data confirm the safety and tolerability profile of the PDE5 inhibitors, even in patients with endothelial dysfunction-associated comorbidities. [source] The epidemiology of hepatitis C in Australia: Notifications, treatment uptake and liver transplantations, 1997,2006JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 10 2009Heather F Gidding Abstract Background and Aim:, Regular monitoring of hepatitis C (HCV)-related surveillance data is essential to inform and evaluate strategies to reduce the expanding HCV burden. The aim of this study was to examine trends in the epidemiology and treatment of HCV in Australia. Methods:, We reviewed data about HCV notifications, treatment of HCV infection through the Highly Specialised Drugs (s100) Program, and liver transplants (Australia and New Zealand Liver Transplant Registry) for the period 1997,2006. Results:, HCV case notification rates declined by almost 50% between 1999 and 2006, with the greatest reductions between 2001 and 2002 and amongst young adults. For newly acquired HCV cases, 89% were Australian-born and 90% reported injecting drug use as a risk factor for infection. Overall, 30% of liver transplant recipients had HCV-related cirrhosis, but the number and proportion of HCV diagnoses increased between 1997 and 2006. HCV treatment also increased over the review period. However, only 1.4% of the 202 400 people estimated to be living with chronic HCV at the end of 2006 received treatment that year. Conclusion:, The decline in HCV notifications is consistent with a decline in HCV incidence in Australia. However, the burden of advanced HCV disease continues to expand. To reduce this burden, treatment uptake needs to increase. Consistent and sensitive surveillance mechanisms are required to detect newly acquired cases together with an expansion of surveillance for chronic HCV infections. [source] Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Comorbidities, and Mortality among Emergency Department,Admitted ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients in FloridaJOURNAL OF INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010ELIZABETH BARNETT PATHAK Ph.D., F.A.H.A., M.S.P.H. Background: Risk of mortality following an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) can be significantly reduced by prompt percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). National guidelines specify primary PCI as the preferred recommended treatment for STEMI. In this study, we examined same-day PCI as an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality, after adjustment for comorbidities, other patient factors, and hospital PCI-volume using unselected surveillance data from Florida. Methods: We analyzed hospital discharge data for adults, 18+ years old, with a primary diagnosis of STEMI who were admitted to PCI-capable hospitals through the emergency department during 2001,2005 (n = 43,849). Hierarchical (multilevel) logistic regression models were used for analysis. Results: Overall, 4,143 STEMI patients (9.4%) did not survive to hospital discharge. In late 2005, the in-hospital mortality rates were 1.9% for those who received same-day PCI versus 13.0% for those who did not. After adjustment for multiple patient factors, same-day PCI was a significant predictor of in-hospital survival with a strong protective effect (adjusted OR = 0.35, 95% CI 0.31,0.38 P < 0.0001). Restriction of the analysis to those patients who survived the first day of admission did not appreciably change this result (adjust OR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.33,0.42, P < 0.0001). Hospital PCI-volume did not significantly impact mortality risk. Conclusions: Same-day PCI markedly reduced the risk of in-hospital mortality among STEMI patients after multivariate adjustment. Serious comorbidities and complications, older age, and female gender continued to predict elevated risk of mortality after control for treatment status. Our results provide additional evidence in support of national clinical recommendations and aggressive treatment of STEMI. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:205,215) [source] Isolation and identification of adenovirus from conjunctival scrapings over a two-year period (between 2001 and 2003) in Yokohama, JapanJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 2 2007Kiyohiko Matsui Abstract Over a 2-year period between 2001 and 2003, a total of 115 conjunctival scrapings were collected from patients with keratoconjuctivitis from several hospitals in Yokohama, Japan. Out of 115, 94 (82.4%) cases of adenoviruses were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR); 60 (52.1%) by cell culture isolation; and 16 (14.0%) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The serotypes were determined by PCR- restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP) and by the neutralization test (NT). PCR-RFLP was performed using a combination of endonucleases such as HhaI, AluI, and HaeIII. Of the 94 PCR-positive samples, the serotypes of 91 (96.8%) were identified by PCR-RFLP analysis (adenovirus 3: 50%, 4: 11%, and 8: 32%). Out of the 115 samples, 60 samples were identified by the neutralization (adenovirus 3, 4, 7, and 8). When both PCR-RFLP and the neutralization techniques were used, 53.2%, 11.7%, 1.1%, and 34% of the samples were identified as adenovirus 3, 4, 7, and 8, respectively. In contrast to the results of a nationwide surveillance report, adenovirus 3 was found as a major cause of keratoconjunctivitis in the Yokohama area. The nationwide surveillance report did not reflect accurately the epidemiological situation in the local area. In order to obtain surveillance data that would be useful for the prevention of an adenovirus conjunctivitis epidemic, it seems that local epidemiology is more important than that nationwide surveillance. J. Med. Virol. 79:200,205, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Estimates of human immunodeficiency virus prevalence and proportion diagnosed based on Bayesian multiparameter synthesis of surveillance dataJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 3 2008A. Goubar Summary., Estimates of the number of prevalent human immunodeficiency virus infections are used in England and Wales to monitor development of the human immunodeficiency virus,acquired immune deficiency syndrome epidemic and for planning purposes. The population is split into risk groups, and estimates of risk group size and of risk group prevalence and diagnosis rates are combined to derive estimates of the number of undiagnosed infections and of the overall number of infected individuals. In traditional approaches, each risk group size, prevalence or diagnosis rate parameter must be informed by just one summary statistic. Yet a rich array of surveillance and other data is available, providing information on parameters and on functions of parameters, and raising the possibility of inconsistency between sources of evidence in some parts of the parameter space. We develop a Bayesian framework for synthesis of surveillance and other information, implemented through Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The sources of data are found to be inconsistent under their accepted interpretation, but the inconsistencies can be resolved by introducing additional ,bias adjustment' parameters. The best-fitting model incorporates a hierarchical structure to spread information more evenly over the parameter space. We suggest that multiparameter evidence synthesis opens new avenues in epidemiology based on the coherent summary of available data, assessment of consistency and bias modelling. [source] A review and discussion of prospective statistical surveillance in public healthJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 1 2003Christian Sonesson Summary. A review of methods suggested in the literature for sequential detection of changes in public health surveillance data is presented. Many researchers have noted the need for prospective methods. In recent years there has been an increased interest in both the statistical and the epidemiological literature concerning this type of problem. However, most of the vast literature in public health monitoring deals with retrospective methods, especially spatial methods. Evaluations with respect to the statistical properties of interest for prospective surveillance are rare. The special aspects of prospective statistical surveillance and different ways of evaluating such methods are described. Attention is given to methods that include only the time domain as well as methods for detection where observations have a spatial structure. In the case of surveillance of a change in a Poisson process the likelihood ratio method and the Shiryaev,Roberts method are derived. [source] Treating missing values in INAR(1) models: An application to syndromic surveillance dataJOURNAL OF TIME SERIES ANALYSIS, Issue 1 2010Jonas Andersson Time-series models for count data have found increased interest in recent years. The existing literature refers to the case of data that have been fully observed. In this article, methods for estimating the parameters of the first-order integer-valued autoregressive model in the presence of missing data are proposed. The first method maximizes a conditional likelihood constructed via the observed data based on the k -step-ahead conditional distributions to account for the gaps in the data. The second approach is based on an iterative scheme where missing values are imputed so as to update the estimated parameters. The first method is useful when the predictive distributions have simple forms. We derive in full details this approach when the innovations are assumed to follow a finite mixture of Poisson distributions. The second method is applicable when there are no closed form expression for the conditional likelihood or they are hard to derive. The proposed methods are applied to a dataset concerning syndromic surveillance during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. [source] Illness in French Travelers to Senegal: Prospective Cohort Follow-up and Sentinel Surveillance DataJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2010Aïssata Dia MD Objective. To investigate travel-associated illnesses in French travelers to Senegal. Methods. A prospective cohort follow-up was conducted in 358 travelers recruited at a pre-travel visit in Marseille and compared to data from ill travelers collected from the GeoSentinel data platform in two clinics in Marseille. Results. In the cohort survey, 87% of travelers experienced health complaints during travel, which most frequently included arthropod bites (75%), diarrhea (46%), and sunburns (36%). Severe febrile illness cases, notably malaria and salmonella, were detected only through the surveillance system, not in the cohort follow-up. Food hygiene was inefficient in preventing diarrhea. Arthropod bites were more frequent in younger patients and in patients with pale phototypes. Sunburns were also more frequent in younger patients. Finally, we demonstrate that mild travel-related gastrointestinal symptoms and the lack of arthropod bites are significantly associated with poor observance of antimalarial prophylaxis. Conclusions. In this study, we suggest the complementary nature of using cohort surveys and sentinel surveillance data. Effective protection of skin from arthropod bites and sun exposure should result in significantly reduced travel-associated diseases in Senegal. Travelers to Senegal should be informed that diarrhea is extremely common despite preventive measures, but it is mild and transitory and should not lead to the disruption of malaria chemoprophylaxis. [source] Modelling the distributions of Culicoides bluetongue virus vectors in Sicily in relation to satellite-derived climate variablesMEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2004B. V. Purse Abstract., Surveillance data from 268 sites in Sicily are used to develop climatic models for prediction of the distribution of the main European bluetongue virus (BTV) vector Culicoides imicola Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) and of potential novel vectors, Culicoides pulicaris Linnaeus, Culicoides obsoletus group Meigen and Culicoides newsteadi Austen. The models containing the ,best' climatic predictors of distribution for each species, were selected from combinations of 40 temporally Fourier-processed remotely sensed variables and altitude at a 1 km spatial resolution using discriminant analysis. Kappa values of around 0.6 for all species models indicated substantial levels of agreement between model predictions and observed data. Whilst the distributions of C. obsoletus group and C. newsteadi were predicted by temperature variables, those of C. pulicaris and C. imicola were determined mainly by normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), a variable correlated with soil moisture and vegetation biomass and productivity. These models were used to predict species presence in unsampled pixels across Italy and for C. imicola across Europe and North Africa. The predicted continuous presence of C. pulicaris along the appenine mountains, from north to south Italy, suggests BTV transmission may be possible in a large proportion of this region and that seasonal transhumance (seasonal movement of livestock between upland and lowland pastures) even in C. imicola -free areas should not generally be considered safe. The predicted distribution of C. imicola distribution shows substantial agreement with observed surveillance data from Greece and Iberia (including the Balearics) and parts of mainland Italy (Lazio, Tuscany and areas of the Ionian coast) but is generally much more restricted than the observed distribution (in Sardinia, Corsica and Morocco). The low number of presence sites for C. imicola in Sicily meant that only a restricted range of potential C. imicola habitats were included in the training set and that predictions could only be made within this range. Future modelling exercises will use abundance data collected according to a standardized protocol across the Mediterranean and, for Sicily in particular, should include non-climatic environmental variables that may influence breeding site suitability such as soil type. [source] Comparison of military and civilian reporting rates for smallpox vaccine adverse events,PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 6 2007A. W. McMahon MD Abstract Introduction US smallpox vaccination (SMA) started most recently in December 2002. Military and civilian personnel report adverse events (AEs) to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a surveillance system that relies on spontaneous reports. Although reported rates of probable myo/pericarditis after SMA in the literature are similar between military personnel and civilian healthcare workers, some civilian AE reporting rates after SMA appeared higher than those in the military. Objective Determine if SMA-associated reporting rates are different in civilians than in the military, considering age, sex, seriousness, and expectedness of the AE, as well as self-reporting. Methods Numerators were SMA reports in VAERS from 12/12/02 to 3/1/04. Limitations of VAERS include underreporting and lack of diagnostic confirmation. Denominators were number of military and civilian vaccinees. Results Reporting rates stratified by age and sex of serious and non-serious AEs were significantly higher in civilian than military personnel ages <55 years (rate ratios 4,27). These rate ratios decreased with increasing age. Conclusions Reporting rates in VAERS differed significantly and substantially in civilians compared to military personnel <55 years of age. Differences in stimulated passive surveillance systems, and AE reporting practices, including the ,threshold' for reporting most likely explain these findings. These results suggest that in the case of smallpox vaccine AEs, there may be systematic differences in reporting completeness between the civilian and military sectors, and that passive surveillance data should be interpreted with caution. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Surveillance of occupational health disparities: Challenges and opportunities,,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2010Kerry Souza ScD Abstract Increasingly, the occupational health community is turning its attention to the effects of work on previously underserved populations, and researchers have identified many examples of disparities in occupational health outcomes. However, the occupational health status of some underserved worker populations is not described due to limitations in existing surveillance systems. As such, the occupational health community has identified the need to enhance and improve occupational health surveillance to describe the nature and extent of disparities in occupational illnesses and injuries (including fatalities), identify priorities for research and intervention, and evaluate trends. This report summarizes the data sources and methods discussed at an April 2008 workshop organized by NIOSH on the topic of improving surveillance for occupational health disparities. We discuss the capability of existing occupational health surveillance systems to document occupational health disparities and to provide surveillance data on minority and other underserved communities. Use of administrative data, secondary data analysis, and the development of targeted surveillance systems for occupational health surveillance are also discussed. Identifying and reducing occupational health disparities is one of NIOSH's priority areas under the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:84,94 2010. Published 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Using surveillance data to promote occupational health and safety policies and practice at the state level: A case study,,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2010Geoffrey M. Calvert MD Abstract Background Following the investigation of a birth defects cluster involving migrant farmworkers employed in North Carolina and Florida, it became clear that greater efforts were needed to protect agricultural workers from pesticide exposure. Methods Documentation is drawn from peer-reviewed published articles, government reports and news accounts. Results The birth defects cluster was identified and investigated by state and federal pesticide poisoning surveillance system staff. Following the investigation, efforts were initiated to highlight pesticides as an important public health issue needing more attention. A series of subsequent events led to the creation and passage of important legislation recently enacted in North Carolina. The legislation resulted in funding to promote various activities to prevent harm from pesticides including strengthening surveillance, improving the quality of pesticide compliance inspections, and increasing and improving pesticide safety training. The legislation also broadened the coverage of anti-retaliation rules to include agricultural workers, and increased recordkeeping requirements pertaining to pesticide applications. Conclusion The important and positive impacts that can occur through surveillance activities are highlighted. As such, it is important to continue to support and improve occupational illness and injury surveillance programs. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:188,193 2010. Published 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Work-related carpal tunnel syndrome (WR-CTS) in Massachusetts, 1992,1997: Source of WR-CTS, outcomes, and employer intervention practices,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2004Helen Wellman MS Abstract Background The Massachusetts Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks (MASS SENSOR) receives reports of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome (WR-CTS) cases from (1) workers' compensation (WC) disability claims for 5 or more lost work days; and (2) physician reports (PR). Methods From 1992 through 1997, 1,330 WC cases and 571 PR cases completed follow-back surveys to provide information on industry, occupation, attributed source of WR-CTS, outcomes, and employer intervention practices. Results Sixty-four percent of the respondents had bilateral CTS and 61% had surgery, both of which were proportionally more frequent among WC cases. Office and business machinery was the leading source of WR-CTS (42% of classifiable sources) in every economic sector except construction, followed by hand tools (20%). Managers and professional specialty workers were the most likely to report employers' interventions and were up to four times more likely to report equipment or work environment changes than higher risk groups. Conclusions State-based surveillance data on the source of WR-CTS provided valuable information on how and where to implement interventions. New occurrences of WR-CTS are likely, especially in the highest risk industries where very few cases reported primary prevention measures (e.g., changes to equipment or work environment) implemented by their employers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:139,152, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] External cause-specific summaries of occupational fatal injuries.AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2003Part II: An analysis of years of potential life lost Abstract Background Fatal injury surveillance data provide an opportunity to assess the impact of occupational injuries and may indicate which industries or occupations are appreciably more hazardous than others, and thus should be given priority in public health intervention. Methods Fatalities from the National Traumatic Occupational Fatality surveillance system served as the basis for examining external cause (E-code) specific impact summaries. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) were calculated for fatal injuries in the years 1983,1994. Industries and occupations were compared with respect to frequency of fatal injuries. In addition, injuries in categories of external causes are examined across all industries and occupations. Results Machinery, electric current, homicide, falls, and transportation-related are the external cause groups highlighted by high frequency/rate of occurrence. Electric current event groups are also characterized by high average YPLL. Poisoning, conflagration, and lightning were also identified in several occupations as having high associated average YPLL. Conclusions The external-cause-specific analysis of average YPLL identified industries and occupations where, on average, younger workers were dying in fatal injuries. Noteworthy in this assessment were homicides and falls. The YPLL measure coupled with more commonly employed indices (e.g., rates) may provide a fuller description of the impact of occupational fatal injuries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 43:251,261, 2003. Published 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Surveillance of school violence, injury, and disciplinary actionsPSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 2 2001Paul M. Kingery The safety of America's schools is a major issue. Yet, the magnitude of the problem cannot be accurately assessed because some of the data concerning incidents and disciplinary actions come from reporting systems that are seriously flawed. In this article we examine how data from student self-report surveys and other sources can be used to assess the weaknesses in current school incident-reporting systems and improve the validity of surveillance data on school violence. Particular attention is paid to assessing the validity of data from Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA) reports on the number of guns in schools in light of nationally representative student survey data. We also discuss the difficulties of obtaining accurate surveillance data and suggest changes in surveillance systems that could produce more valid estimates of violence and injury in our nation's schools. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Trends in paediatric injury rates using emergency department based injury surveillanceAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2010Michael Shepherd Abstract Objective: The primary aim of this study was to develop a method of calculating paediatric injury rate from Emergency Department injury surveillance data and use this to describe trends in paediatric injury. This study also aimed to establish whether triage category could be used as an indicator of severity. Methods: Prospective observational study of paediatric injury in Brisbane, Australia from 1998 to 2005 using Emergency Department injury surveillance data. Injury incidence was calculated using postcode restriction, census data and analysis of injury surveillance data quality and alternative hospital presentations. Results: The incidence of Emergency Department injury presentation increased by 56% between 1998 and 2005. The incidence of injury (adjusted for ascertainment and other hospital presentations) increased from 5,323/100,000/year to 8,316/100,000/year (p<0.01). The overall incidence of admission increased from 1,066/100,000/year to 1,238/100,000/year (p<0.01). The incidence of injury presentations triaged as urgent or above increased by 16% over the study period (2,348/100,000/year to 2,723/100,000/year, p<0.01). Conclusion: Injury incidence can be determined using Emergency Department injury surveillance data and triage category is a useful indicator of injury severity. Paediatric emergency department injury presentations, including serious injury, increased significantly between 1998 and 2005. Implications: The methodology used in this study is easily repeatable and could be used to evaluate injury prevention interventions. The prevention and management of injury should be directed by accurate injury incidence data. [source] Collection, use, and protection of population-based birth defects surveillance data in the united states,BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, Issue 12 2007Cara T. Mai Abstract Birth defects surveillance systems collect population-based birth defects data from multiple sources to track trends in prevalence, identify risk factors, refer affected families to services, and evaluate prevention efforts. Strong state and federal public health and legal mandates are in place to govern the collection and use of these data. Despite the prima facie appeal of "opt-in" and similar strategies to those who view data collection as a threat to privacy, the use of these strategies in lieu of population-based surveillance can severely limit the ability of public health agencies to accurately access the health status of a group within a defined geographical area. With the need for population-based data central to their mission, birth defects programs around the country take their data stewardship role seriously, recognizing both moral and legal obligations to protect the data by employing numerous safeguards. Birth defects surveillance systems are shaped by the needs of the community they are designed to serve, with the goal of preventing birth defects or alleviating the burdens associated with them. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 79:811,814, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Birth defects surveillance data from selected states, 1999,2003BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, Issue 12 2006Article first published online: 15 NOV 200 First page of article [source] Case fatality among infants with congenital malformations by lethalityBIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, Issue 9 2004Kirk A. Bol Abstract OBJECTIVE Infant mortality rates continue to show that congenital anomalies are the leading cause of infant death in the United States. However, studies of factors contributing to increased mortality across different types of congenital anomalies have been limited. The objective of this study was to assess whether the likelihood of infant mortality varied by maternal race and ethnic group while considering the severity of the birth defect. METHODS A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using data from Colorado's statewide, population-based birth defects surveillance system (CRCSN). The cohort included infants, born between 1995 and 2000 to Colorado resident mothers, who were diagnosed with major congenital malformations stratified by degree of lethality. Multiple logistic regression was performed for each level of lethality, and included the following potential explanatory variables: maternal race/ethnicity, clinical gestation, birth weight, maternal education level, maternal age, and sex of child. RESULTS Within the low/very low lethality cohort, maternal race/ethnicity of Black/non-Hispanic was associated with increased risk of infant mortality, OR 2.81 (1.41,5.19), as were low and very low birth weight, OR 2.21 (1.12,4.04) and 19.31 (11.84,31.01), respectively. Maternal race/ethnicity was not a significant risk factor in either high or very high lethality groups; however, the interaction between birth weight and gestational age significantly increased the risk of mortality. CONCLUSIONS Through the use of statewide, population-based birth defects surveillance data, a disparity in infant mortality has been identified in a specific subset of the population that could be investigated further and targeted for prevention activities. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 70:580,585, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||