Cohort analysis: W.H. Frost's contributions to the epidemiology of tuberculosis and chronic disease

Summary Although Wade Hampton Frost was not the first to develop cohort analysis, it was the post-humous publication of his study of age and time trends of tuberculosis mortality that directed attention to this method of analysis. Frost's developing interest in and contributions to the epidemiology of chronic disease are reviewed in connection with a summary of his professional career.

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Zusammenfassung Obwohl Wade Hampton Frost nicht der erste war, der die Kohortenanalyse entwickelte, war es die posthume Veröffentlichung seiner Studie zu Alter und Zeittrends von Tuberkulose-Mortalität, die die Aufmerksamkeit für diese Analysemethode auf sich zog. Frosts fortschreitendes Interesse an und seine Beiträge zur Epidemiologie von chronischen Krankheiten werden in diesem Artikel zusammen mit einem Überblick über seine berufliche Karriere nachgezeichnet.

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Résumé Bien que Wade Hampton Frost ne fut pas l'inventeur de l'analyse de cohorte, c'est la publication posthume de son étude sur les tendances temporelle et selon l'âge des décès par tuberculose qui a attiré l'attention sur ce type d'analyse. Cet article montre le lien entre la carrière professionnelle de Frost, son intérêt croissant et sa contribution a l'épidémiologie des maladies chroniques.

     

What to expect from routine midtrimester screening for congenital heart disease

The four-chamber view is the standard screening view of the fetal heart. However, it detects only about half of cardiac defects. Because this view does not show the great vessels, only conotruncal abnormalities with substantial septal defects will be seen. Second, septal defects may be too small at the time of screening to be detected. In addition, some defects such as pulmonic stenosis are late appearing. The addition of the aortic outflow tract view increases sensitivity by approximately 20%. Although all components of the four-chamber view may not be seen, there is still considerable information supplied by each of its parts.     

Epidemiologic study of trichomoniasis in normal women

The prevalence of trichomonas vaginalis in a relatively unselected group of 4341 30-45 year old white women from Washington County, Maryland, was examined in Papanicolaou stained smears prepared by the self-administered irrigation smear method. 14.5% of the 4290 satisfactory smears were classified as positive for T. vaginalis. This may have been underestimated since over 1/2 of the group showed few parasites. 2.7% of the total (20% of the positive group) had heavy infestations. There was an insignificant increase between 30-34 and 40-45 year old women (13.6%-15.2%). There was a negative association between the amount of schooling and incidence of infection. Married women had 1/2 the infection incidence of widowed or never married women and one-third the incidence of divorced or separated women, a a pattern which differs from other reports. However, symptomatic unmarried women may have responded to the survey in greater numbers than symptomatic unmarried women, biasing the results. There was a significantly higher incidence of trichomoniasis among women married several times than among women married only once. There was a correlation between age at first marriage and infection incidence. The use of intravaginal contraceptive agents may have an effect on the trichomonads. There was no correlation with religion or size of household. Inverse correlations were noted between income, occupation of husband, crowding and sanitary facilities and trichomoniasis infection with an exception being the low frequency among farm women. Moderate and heavy cigarette smokers had higher infection rates than light and nonsmokers, and there was a high association of trichomoniasis with abnormal cytologic findings. These were all consistent with a venereal mode of transmission.     

Suspected poisoning in children. Study of the incidence of true poisoning and poisoning scare in a defined population in North East Bristol

The distinction between true and suspected poisoning in children has not been made clear in previous work on childhood poisoning. A study of suspected poisoning in children under 15 years of age in a defined population of North East Bristol from November 1970 to July 1973 carried out by the Health Education Council Medical Research Division included 53,000 child-years at risk. The number of suspected poisonings was 3-4/1000 population aged under 15 years per year, with a higher incidence in younger age groups. Detailed investigation of the circumstances of the accidents carried out by a multidisciplinary team showed that at least 65%, and possibly as many as 78% were poisoning scares and not true poisoning. The evidence used by the casualty doctor and by the parents to diagnose poisoning was explored, and in many cases was circumstantial. Children with fathers in nonmanual occupations were over-represented. This may reflect differences in patterns of utilization behaviour rather than true differences in incidence.     

魔芋精粉的降血糖作用

目的：研究魔芋精粉的降糖作用。方法：以不同剂量魔芋精粉ｉｇ正常小鼠和四氧嘧啶糖尿病小鼠,连续１０ｄ后,葡萄糖氧化酶法测定正常小鼠的空腹血糖、糖耐量试验以及四氧嘧 啶糖尿病小鼠的血糖尿病小鼠的血糖,以放射免疫法测定血清胰岛素。结果：魔芋精粉有降低正常小鼠血糖作用,呈一定量效关系趋势;且具有改善小鼠糖耐量作用,能明显降低四氧嘧啶糖尿病小鼠血糖,但因清胰岛素水平无明显影响。结论：魔芋精粉可能是通过影响糖代     

Fetal schistocytic hemolytic anemia and umbilical vein varix

A rare case of schistocytic hemolytic anemia presenting in a fetus secondary to a varix of the intra-abdominal umbilical vein is reported. A patient was referred to our hospital at 32 weeks of gestation because of an abnormal hypoechoic finding in the fetal liver. Prenatal ultrasound showed turbulent flow through a 12-mm diameter dilatation of the fetal intra-abdominal umbilical vein consistent with a varix. Cardiomegaly also was noted. At birth, the 1098-g, growth-retarded, male neonate was in severe congestive heart failure secondary to anemia as the initial hemoglobin was 5 g/dL. Additional evaluation found the anemia to be secondary to schistocytic hemolysis. After the neonate received a transfusion of packed erythrocytes and supportive care, the anemia quickly resolved, and he was discharged to home doing well after a 6-week stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. Prompt recognition of the varix prenatally and thorough evaluation of the newborn postnatally led to appropriate diagnosis and treatment.