Mortality study of asbestos cement workers

The present study describes cause-specific mortality of asbestos cement workers in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. The cohort included workers in ten factories, most of which started operating between 1955 and 1965. Asbestos, mainly chrysotile, constituted 10%–20% of the dry component of the mixture. Crocidolite range between 5% and 50% of total asbestos. Asbestos concentrations up to 44 ff/cc were reported prior to 1975, while in recent years they have usually been below 0–1 ff/cc. The cohort included 3341 workers who had at some time been employed in the ten factories under study. Their mortality experience was compared with that of the population resident in Emilia Romagna. Vital status was ascertained at 1989. Seventy-three subjects were lost to followup (2.2%). Mortality from all causes and from all types of cancer was increased in the cohort. Malignant neoplasms of the respiratory tract showed a significant increase (SMR: 134; 90% confidence interval: 101–175; 40 observed) due to lung cancer (SMR: 124; 90% confidence interval: 91–166; 33 observed) and neoplasms of the pleura, mediastinum, and other parts of the respiratory tract (SMR: 602; 90% confidence interval 237–1267; 5 observed). The discrepancy between observed and expected mortality mainly concerned subjects with at least 20 years of employment in the factories. Five more cases of histologically confirmed mesothelioma occurred after the end of follow-up.     

急性肾功能衰竭136例分析

对136例急性肾功能衰竭患者的病因、透析率及死亡原因等进行分析。病因中以急性中毒占首位(20.59％),次为严重感染(19.12%),严重创伤(15.44%)。64例接受血液透析,29例接受腹膜透析,透析率达68.38%。本组死亡率为43.38%,透析组死亡率36.76%。,非透析组死亡率79.07%,两组有显著差异(P<0.01)。结合文献进行讨论,提出了防治建议。     

Potential risk factors for infection with Candida spp. in critically ill patients

The incidence, risk factors and prognostic factors for candidal infection were determined in a prospective study of 280 infected patients. Thirty-one (11%) patients were infected with Candida spp., sub-divided into 18 (58%) with C. albicans, and 13 (42%) with non-albicans spp. (six C. glabrata, three C. parapsilosis, and one each of C. krusei, C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii and C. lusitaniae). Infection with Candida spp. was always associated with concurrent bacterial infection. By univariate logistic regression analysis, the degree of morbidity and the duration of mechanical ventilation were independent predictive factors for death, but infection with Candida spp., was not. Factors associated with Candida spp. infection were the degree of morbidity, intensive care unit length of stay, alterations of immune response, and the number of medical devices involved. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, the only independent risk factor for candidal infection was intensive care unit length of stay.     

Predictors of mortality in an aging community-based cohort in Korea

Background: Multiple factors related to specific dimensions of health – general, physical and mental – contribute to mortality in the elderly, but their relative contributions to mortality risk is not well‐known. The objectives of this prospective population‐based cohort study were to measure mortality rates and to identify predictors of mortality in community‐dwelling men and women aged 65 years or older in Korea by examining self assessments of general health, objective medical burden, and measurement of cognition, mood and function. Methods: A total of 1245 elderly (529 men; 716 women) were followed up longitudinally for 3.5 years. Fixed predictor variables observed at baseline examined in Cox proportional hazards models were age, sex, education, chronic medical illnesses, self‐rated health, basic activities of daily living, depression measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale, and cognition measured by the Mini‐Mental State Examination. Results: Mortality rates were similar to those of the 2001 Korean population. Older age, male sex, poor self‐rated health and presence of cerebrovascular disease were significant predictors of mortality. Presence of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease at baseline predicted mortality in men, but not in women. Depression predicted mortality only when chronic medical illnesses were excluded from the model. Conclusions: Subjective self‐rated health and objective medical burden are strong independent predictors of mortality in this elderly community population, in addition to age and sex.     

Rising mortality from motor neurone disease in Sweden 1961–1990: the relative role of increased population life expectancy and environmental factors

Recent studies of mortality from motor neurone disease (MND) in Sweden have demonstrated rising levels of mortality from the disease, especially amongst older age groups. Case-control investigations have suggested that certain environmental factors are significantly related to variations in mortality from the disease, and are associated with a probable individual susceptibility to MND. This study applies an innovative epidemiological technique to longitudinal and cohort analysis of Swedish mortality from MND during the period 1961 to 1990. Survival modelling shows that a subpopulation susceptible to MND exists in Sweden, as has been demonstrated in other countries. The increased life expectancy of the Swedish population since 1961 has resulted in more of that susceptible population living to the ages at which MND is expressed, explaining the majority of the increase in mortality from the disease. However, environmental factors may play a role in accelerating the course of MND and may affect the timing of death within the susceptible sub-population.     

United states non-Hodgkin's lymphoma surveillance by occupation 1984-1989: A twenty-four state death certificate study

Death certificates from 23,890 male and female non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) cases and 119,450 noncancer controls from 24 states for the period 1984-1989 were used to generate hypotheses regarding occupational associations. Cases were frequency matched by age, race, and gender with five controls per case. Odds ratios were calculated for 231 industries and 509 occupations. Significant associations were observed for a variety of white-collar professionals (i.e., real estate agents, secretaries, bookkeepers, teachers, postal employees, business agents, engineers, chemists, and medical professionals) and blue-collar occupations (i.e., firefighters, farm managers, aircraft mechanics, electronic repairers, mining machine operators, and crane and tower operators). © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Reduction of Mortality in the Stockholm Ischaemic Heart Disease Secondary Prevention Study by Combined Treatment with Clofibrate and Nicotinic Acid

Consecutive survivors of a myocardial infarction from the Southern Hospital, below 70 years of age, were randomized into a Control group (n=276) and a Treatment group (n=279). The latter was openly prescribed the combination of clofibrate and nicotinic acid for serum lipid lowering. Each patient should remain in the study for 5 years and be seen regularly every 4 months at a special IHD outpatient clinic within the hospital. The concentration of serum cholesterol and triglyceride was lowered by 13% and 19%, respectively, in the Treatment group compared to the Control group. Total mortality was 82 cases in the Control group and 61 in the Treatment group, a 26% reduction (p<0.05). For patients above 60 years of age in the Treatment group the reduction in mortality was 28% (p<0.05). IHD mortality was reduced by 36% (p<0.01)in the Treatment group compared to the Control group. The beneficial effect of the serum lipid lowering treatment was related to the serum triglyceride concentration in two ways. First, it only occurred in patients with a triglyceride level >1.5 mmol/l (n=216). Secondly, it was most pronounced in the 44% of the treated patients who had a lowering of the serum triglyceride concentration by 30% or more, and in this subgroup the reduction of IHD mortality was 60% (p<0.01). For serum cholesterol there were no such relations. The difference between serum triglycerides and cholesterol concerning these relations to the treatment outcome may be due to the fact that hypertriglyceridaemia was the most common hyperlipidaemia among our patients, occurring in 50%, while hypercholesterolaemia only occurred in 13 %. Caution should be exercised in the interpretation of the results as the trial was not blind. However, the fact that the decrease in IHD deaths was directly related to the degree of serum triglyceride lowering indicates that it was the drug effect on serum lipids that was reponsible for the beneficial effect of the treatment.     

A cohort mortality study among cobalt and sodium workers in an electrochemical plant

We have studied the mortality between 1950 and 1980 of a cohort of 1,143 workers in an electrochemical plant producing cobalt and sodium. The mortality of the whole cohort is significantly lower than in the French population for all causes of death (SMR = 0.77), and especially for deaths from circulatory system diseases (SMR = 0.59). However, among cobalt production workers, there is a relative over-mortality, especially from lung cancers (SMR = 4.66, 4 cases). The relationship between cobalt production and lung cancer mortality was supported by a case-control study nested in the cohort study. The authenticity of the occupational origin of this risk could not be established due to the low number of cases and because the role of tobacco consumption could not be taken into account. Other studies should be carried out in plants producing or using cobalt.     

加强保健措施 降低孕产妇死亡率的试点研究

经调查河南省七县1988～04～1989～03孕产妇死亡率为136.1/10万,高于全国平均水平(94.7/10万)。从七县中选择了死亡率偏高的三个县(147.9/10万)为样本.进行厂降低农村孕产妇死亡率保健措施的研究。自1990年4月1日～1992年3月31日。在三县采取了以下保健措施:①加强基层妇幼卫生建设,特别是中心乡卫生院的建设,②整顿和完善三级保健网;③建全孕产妇系统管理制度,高危妊娠筛查,转化和转诊制度,④配备必要设备,建立联合小产院,实行定点接生。两年内孕产妇死亡率,由1989年的147.9/10万下降到67.7/10万,下降幅度为54.44%,最高达72.1%。此工作为实现2000年孕产妇死亡率下降一半的规划目标提供了依据。     

床旁临时起搏器作为AMI的常备急救设备及其在基层医院推广应用研究

目的 床旁临时起搏器作为急性心肌梗死（AMI）的常备急救设备的价值及其在基层医院推广应用的可行性研究。方法 回顾性研究分析2001-2003年间不能床旁植入临时起搏器与2004-2005年能床旁植入临床起搏器抢救AMI的住院病死率、心衰、心源性休克、2mo后再次住院发生率。临时起搏器植入术安全性的指标比较。结果 不能床旁植入临时起搏器组的住院病死率为14．58％，心衰发生率为27．08％，心源性休克发生率为12．5％，2mo后再次住院发生率为16．67％。床旁植入临时起搏器组的住院病死率为3．57％，心衰发生率为7．14％，心源性休克发生率为3．57％，2mo后再次住院发生率为3．57％，两组相比p〈0．01有显著性差异。而起搏器植入的安全性指标：起搏器植入成功率为100％，脱位率为10．7％，并发症发生率为14.3％，住院病死率3．57％。结论 床旁临时起搏器抢救AMI住院病死率低，心衰发生率、心源性休克发生率及2mo后再次住院发生率低，应作为AMI抢救的常备急救设备，另外床旁临时起搏器植入是安全的、有效的，成功率高，操作不难，在基层医院（二甲医院）可推广应用。