A field epidemiological study on the risk factors of injury caused by typhoon / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the risk factors involved in the typhoon episodes and to put forward and evaluate the intervention measures.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We defined a confirmed injury case as: 'a person with fall,scalpel and stab, collision, drowning, injuries and trauma due to flying debris and building collapse, asphyxiation due to entrapment in collapsed buildings by typhoon from 0 am,August 12 to 6 pm, August 14 2004' and a death case as: 'a person with fall, scalpel and stab, collision, drowning, injuries and trauma due to flying debris and building collapse, asphyxiation due to entrapment in collapsed buildings by typhoon from 0 am, August 12 to 12 am, August 18 2004'. We investigated all hospitalized injured cases in ten hospitals and telephoned to those who were not hospitalized and the cases of death. We did case-control study with 1 pair versus 2 cases. 74 cases were selected in ten hospitals. The controls were neighbors of the controls matched by occupation, sex, village, and within 5 years of age without injury in this typhoon. We asked the cases and the controls on their alertness regarding typhoon and what actions taken when typhoon arrived.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 392 injury cases in all ten hospitals and 50 death cases. The attack rate of injury was 27.3 per 100 000. The fatal rate was 11.3% with the death rate 3.1 per 100 000. We investigated 209 injury cases and 31 death cases. The number of cases who were injured from 1 to 6 hours before typhoon landing accounted for 64.6% (155) of all cases. The peak of epidemic curve was 4 hours before the landing of typhoon. Data on the analysis of 74 cases and 148 controls revealed that 42% (31) of the cases were outside their homes before and during typhoon compared to 15% (22) of the controls (OR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.9-7.7). Compared with 20% (30) control persons (OR = 17,95% CI: 4.2-68). 28% (21) cases did not receive the alert of typhoon before it arrived compared with 18% (27) control persons (OR = 3.3, 95% CI:1.3-8.6). 53% (39) of the cases did not pay attention to the alert of typhoon before typhoon arrived.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Staying outdoor, not receiving or did not take seriously about the alert of typhoon seemed to be the risk factors of injury by the typhoon episode, suggesting that the government should increase the emergency preparedness and to raise the awareness on risks associated with typhoon.</p>

Evaluation of Two Lateral-Flow Chromatographic Membrane Immunoassays for Rapid Detection of Influenza Virus in Limited Respiratory Specimens / 임상검사와정도관리

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of influenza based on clinical grounds alone may be inaccurate, because the presenting symptoms of influenza are similar to those caused by other infectious agents. We evaluate two influenza rapid tests, SD BIOLINE Influenza Ag (Standard Diagnostic inc., Yongin, Korea) and QuickVueTM Influenza Test (Quidel corporation, San Diego, USA) with influenza virus culture and RT-PCR. METHODS: The two commercially available rapid test kits, SD BIOLINE Influenza Ag and QuickVueTM Influenza Test, for influenza virus detection were evaluated with 189 respiratory specimens collected during Dec. 2004 to Nov. 2005 in Vietnam and compared with viral culture and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Overall, the SD BIOLINE Influenza Ag and QuickVueTM Influenza Test showed high sensitivities (88.4% and 82.6%, respectively) and high specificities (99.0% and 99.0%, respectively), high positive predictive value (PPV) (98.7% and 98.6%, respectively) and high negative predictive value (NPV) (91.1% and 87.2%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Both SD BIOLINE Influenza Ag and QuickVueTM Influenza Test were easy to perform and showed high sensitivity and can be used as an additional tool for rapid diagnosis of influenza virus.

A Survey on the Environmental Conditions of the CO Patients treated by Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy / 예방의학회지

Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the most serios health problems in Korea, because we have been encountered with the highest incidence of CO poisoning in the world due to the unique heating system in home called "ondal". We opened Hyperbaric chamber unit in the Seoul National University Hospital last Jan, 1969. We have treated 848 patients as of Sept. 30., 1972, around 44 months period. We collected the informations on the environmental conditions of the place where CO intoxication actually occurred by filling up the questionaire from 505 patients. The following finding were obtained. 1. Age distribution showed that the highest incidence was found in the younger age group between age of 10 to age of 29 in both sex. 2. Sex ratio of the patients was 1:1.14. 3. The socio-economic level of the patient was relatively low. 4. Housewife & housemaid were the major victims of the intoxication in the female patients & in the case of the male patient, occupational backgrounds were diverse. 5. Many patients form the middle class experienced the intoxication bu sleeping at newly built room. 6. Many intoxication has been occurred in the structure of houses where communicating doors are existing between living room & kitchen. 7. All findings obtained taught us again that CO poisoning is the serious by-product of the national fuel policy which put emphasis on the use of coal & socio-economic status is very important parameter in this hazards.

A Survey on the Environmental Conditions of the CO Patients treated by Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy / 예방의학회지

Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the most serios health problems in Korea, because we have been encountered with the highest incidence of CO poisoning in the world due to the unique heating system in home called "ondal". We opened Hyperbaric chamber unit in the Seoul National University Hospital last Jan, 1969. We have treated 848 patients as of Sept. 30., 1972, around 44 months period. We collected the informations on the environmental conditions of the place where CO intoxication actually occurred by filling up the questionaire from 505 patients. The following finding were obtained. 1. Age distribution showed that the highest incidence was found in the younger age group between age of 10 to age of 29 in both sex. 2. Sex ratio of the patients was 1:1.14. 3. The socio-economic level of the patient was relatively low. 4. Housewife & housemaid were the major victims of the intoxication in the female patients & in the case of the male patient, occupational backgrounds were diverse. 5. Many patients form the middle class experienced the intoxication bu sleeping at newly built room. 6. Many intoxication has been occurred in the structure of houses where communicating doors are existing between living room & kitchen. 7. All findings obtained taught us again that CO poisoning is the serious by-product of the national fuel policy which put emphasis on the use of coal & socio-economic status is very important parameter in this hazards.