PCP Abuse in New Orleans: A Six-Year Study

Abstract

Methods for determination of PCP in body fluids are presented and a rapid screening method is suggested. The demographics, psychiatric profiles, forensic aspects, and diagnostic problems of PCP abuse are discussed.     

Vibrio gastroenteritis in Louisiana: a prospective study among attendees of a scientific congress in New Orleans

The incidence of diarrhea associated with infection by Vibrio species was investigated among attendees at the 1986 Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy held in New Orleans. Twelve percent of respondents reported diarrhea; the risk of diarrhea was significantly higher in those who ate raw or cooked oysters (relative risk = 1.5, P = .005). At least one Vibrio species was recovered from 51 (11%) of 479 persons submitting stool specimens; however, only 15 (29%) of those with a positive stool culture also reported diarrhea. Of the five Vibrio species identified, V. parahaemolyticus was most common and was most strongly associated with diarrhea. V. cholerae serogroup O1 was not isolated despite the occurrence of a cholera outbreak during the same time period in Louisiana. Cultures of raw and cooked seafood served in local restaurants yielded five different Vibrio species. Although asymptomatic passage of Vibrio organisms was common among persons eating seafood, the risk of Vibrio gastroenteritis was low.     

Leptospirosis in New Orleans

Leptospirosis is an unusual but reemerging zoonotic infectious disease in the United States where the diagnosis may not be suspected when patients initially present. The case report of a patient from New orleans who presented with jaundice, hypotension and acute kidney injury is presented. in this patient, a broad differential diagnosis was considered on presentation and serologic testing for leptospirosis eventually confirmed the diagnosis. A review of the clinical manifestations, diagnostic studies and treatment are discussed so that leptospirosis will be considered more carefully in the initial evaluation and management of similar patients.     

Estimating the prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse and dependence among New Orleans arrestees

The Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program collects self-report drug use data and urine specimens from adult arrestees across the United States. Despite high levels of drug use among arrestees, few studies have examined need for alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment within this population. To address this limitation, a secondary analysis was undertaken with a sample of 940 New Orleans arrestees surveyed in 2001. Fifty-nine percent of the sample was diagnosed as needing AOD treatment. Because "need for treatment" was operationalized as a diagnosis of abuse or dependence, the current results should be viewed as liberal estimates of treatment need. Drug treatment implications for criminal populations are discussed.     

甲状腺静态显像诊断双异位甲状腺的6年回顾性研究

目的 回顾性分析拟诊存在异位甲状腺的患者中,双异位甲状腺的发生率,并对比甲状腺不同异位情况患者临床指标的差异.方法 回顾2008年6月至2014年6月因拟诊存在异位甲状腺而就诊患者的临床资料.甲状腺静态显像在静脉注射99TcmO4-后30 min进行,根据显像结果判断异位甲状腺的位置和数目.所有患者均测定血清甲状腺激素水平并行颈部超声检查.其中,共有122例患者被筛检出,根据甲状腺静态显像结果分为3组,单异位甲状腺组、双异位甲状腺组、无甲状腺组.结果 在122例异位甲状腺患者中,3组所占比例分别为单异位甲状腺组(83/122,68.03％)、双异位甲状腺组(7/122,5.74％)、无甲状腺组(32/122,26.23％).随着异位甲状腺个数的增加,患者的年龄、游离T3、游离T4水平呈显著上升趋势(F =110.42,69.70,64.51,P均＜0.01),而促甲状腺激素水平呈显著下降趋势,其中以双异位甲状腺组为著,与其他两组间差异均有统计学意义(F=21.71,P＜0.01).双异位甲状腺组有女性4例、男性3例,其中6例异位部位均为舌下区和舌骨下区,1例为舌根部和舌骨下区.4例甲状腺功能减退症、2例甲状腺功能正常、1例亚临床甲状腺功能减退症.结论 在本研究中,双异位甲状腺在拟诊存在异位甲状腺患者中的发生率为5.74％.大多数患者甲状腺功能正常或轻度减退,异位部位常在舌根部、舌下区和舌骨下区.     

Reconstruction of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: a research perspective

Four propositions drawn from 60 years of natural hazard and reconstruction research provide a comparative and historical perspective on the reconstruction of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Decisions taken over its 288-year history that have made New Orleans so vulnerable to Katrina reflect a long-term pattern of societal response to hazard events--reducing consequences to relatively frequent events, and increasing vulnerability to very large and rare events. Thus Katrina's consequences for New Orleans were truly catastrophic--accounting for most of the estimated 1,570 deaths of Louisiana residents and $40-50 billion in monetary losses. A comparative sequence and timing of recovery provides a calendar of historical experience against which to gauge progress in reconstruction. Using this calendar, the emergency post-disaster period appears to be longer in duration than that of any other studied disaster. The restoration period, the time taken to restore urban services for the smaller population, is in keeping with or ahead of historical experience. The effort to reconstruct the physical environment and urban infrastructure is likely to take 8-11 years. Conflicting policy goals for reconstruction of rapid recovery, safety, betterment, and equity are already evident. Actions taken demonstrate the rush to rebuild the familiar in contrast to planning efforts that emphasize betterment. Because disasters tend to accelerate existing economic, social, and political trends, the large losses in housing, population, and employment after Katrina are likely to persist and, at best, only partly recover. However, the possibility of breaking free of this gloomy trajectory is feasible and has some historical precedent.     

Inhalant abuse and juvenile delinquency: a control study in Albuquerque, New Mexico

This paper examines the relationship between inhalant abuse and delinquency among juveniles in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The arrest records of 100 juvenile delinquents identified as chronic inhalant abusers are compared with two control groups (N = 100 each) of other delinquents from Albuquerque. One control group was stratified on age, sex, and ethnicity, and the other was a simple random sample. The demographic characteristics of inhalant abusers indicated an overrepresentation of young, male Hispanics from large, poor, disrupted families where siblings were involved in both the abuse of inhalants and a variety of other delinquent activities. The inhalant abusers were much more likely to be arrested for virtually every type and category of delinquent activity. Specifically, inhalant abusers are considerably more criminal regarding total offenses committed, status offenses, crimes against property, crimes against persons, and criminal and violent offenses. Therefore, this study has indicated a strong relationship between inhalant abuse and juvenile delinquency.     

Heat stroke New Orleans style

An in-depth discussion of Classic Heat Stroke (CHS) and Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS) Syndromes occurred during morning report at a large metropolitan teaching institution during a New Orleans heat wave. The opportunity arose to compare the syndromes via case reports of two patients admitted the same day to the same housestaff teams. The physiology of the hyperthermic state, maladaptions predisposing the hyperthermic syndrome and current heat stroke management updates are reviewed in detail. This report should compel the reader to remain attentive to the subtleties and differences presented in life-threatening high-heat and humidity-related illnesses and how to act rapidly and prudently in management of the illnesses.     

Parental smoking and respiratory illness during early childhood: a six-year longitudinal study

The relationship between parental smoking habits and lower respiratory illness and symptoms during the first 6 years of life was studied in a birth cohort of New Zealand children. This showed that maternal (but not paternal) smoking was associated with significant increase in rates of lower respiratory infection and lower respiratory symptoms during the child's first 2 years. This association persisted when a range of perinatal, social, and familial factors were taken into account statistically. After two years there was no detectable association between parental smoking habits and lower respiratory infection. Further, there was no evidence to suggest that children whose parents smoked had increased risks of asthma or rates of asthmatic attacks during early childhood.