Telemedicine in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Telemedicine (other than costly long distance telephone and facsimile messages) in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) started approximately 4 years ago with the establishment of Internet access in the State of Yap. A local access, for medical use only, via already established trunk lines maintained by Continental Airlines was established. It provided a connection to CompuServe at a baud rate of 300 bps. FSM TeleCom provided this free service. While this connection was slow, it allowed medical staff at Yap State Hospital to send and receive text based e-mail regarding patient management. By its use interest was generated in both medical and non-medical individuals to develop a commercial full scale Internet service. In March 1996, TeleCom became a full scale commercial Internet Service Provider in Yap. Rates were reasonable and the CompuServe access was phased out. The full scale internet allowed medical personnel to engage in telemedicine activities, including email; email attachments; the search and retrieval of medical literature; transmission to medical specialists of X-rays, ECG's and other images; and real-time teleconferencing over the Internet with both audio and video. In addition, to the improvement of medical care, this allowed for greater efficiency in arranging referral of patients for medical treatment outside of the FSM.

Epidemic of dengue-4 virus in Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia, and implication of Aedes hensilli as an epidemic vector.

A dengue fever/dengue hemorrhagic fever (DF/DHF) outbreak in Yap State caused by dengue-4 virus was confirmed serologically and by virus isolation from serum samples collected on each of three island groups. Most DF/DHF cases occurred during a three-month period between mid-May and early August 1995. Five fatal cases, three of which were in children between the ages of four and 11, occurred between June 20 and July 26. A serosurvey conducted in late August revealed anti-dengue IgM prevalence rates of 18% on Yap, 36% on Eauripik, and 6% on Woleai. The majority of residents (93-100%) on the three islands were positive for anti-dengue IgG antibodies, indicating widespread exposure to dengue viruses. The IgG titers indicative of secondary antibody response were noted on Eauripik (6.5%) and Woleai (17%), but were rare on Yap (0.7%). Entomologic investigations implicated the native mosquito species, Aedes hensilli, a member of the Scutellaris Group of Aedes (Stegomyia), as a previously unrecognized epidemic vector of dengue viruses. Aedes hensilli was the most abundant and widespread member of Ae. (Stegomyia) in Yap State, the only species of Ae. (Stegomyia) on Woleai, and the only mosquito species present on Eauripik. New distribution records for mosquito species are reported.

Genetic and biochemical factors relevant to alcoholism.

Important biochemical clues from animal and human studies as well as epidemiologic studies of twins and adoptees suggest that genetic factors may predispose to alcohol addiction. This paper critically examines the epidemiology and biochemistry literature to assess the strength of the evidence supporting a genetic element in alcohol addiction. Then, a biochemical hypothesis is presented that involves the identification of specific metabolic pathways, pathway controls, and metabolites that may be unique to alcoholics, and which has been tested by experiment.

Sentinel Health Events (occupational): a basis for physician recognition and public health surveillance.

A Sentinel Health Event (SHE) is a preventable disease, disability, or untimely death whose occurrence serves as a warning signal that the quality of preventive and/or therapeutic medical care may need to be improved. A SHE (Occupational) is a disease, disability, or untimely death which is occupationally related and whose occurrence may: 1) provide the impetus for epidemiologic or industrial hygiene studies; or 2) serve as a warning signal that materials substitution, engineering control, personal protection, or medical care may be required. The present SHE(O) list encompasses 50 disease conditions that are linked to the workplace. Only those conditions are included for which objective documentation of an associated agent, industry, and occupation exists in the scientific literature. The list will serve as a framework for developing a national system for occupational health surveillance that may be applied at the state and local level, and as a guide for practicing physicians caring for patients with occupational illnesses. We expect to update the list periodically to accommodate new occupational disease events which meet the criteria for inclusion.

2,3-butanediol: an unusual metabolite in the serum of severely alcoholic men during acute intoxication.

In a controlled experiment 15 (79%) of 19 severely alcoholic men but only 1 of 22 controls had a serum concentration of greater than or equal to 5 mumol/l 2,3-butanediol after ingestion of distilled spirits. Another diol, 1,2-propanediol, was found in a concentration of greater than or equal to 5 mumol/l in all patients' specimens after drinking; but it was also present in lower concentrations in the reference specimens of most of the patients. These data are consistent with the experimental evidence that ethanol can be metabolised in rats to produce 2,3-butanediol and with the epidemiological hypothesis that severely alcoholic men metabolise ethanol by a different pathway than do control subjects.

Measuring the quality of medical care. A clinical method.

We outline the implementation of a new method of measuring the quality of medical care that counts cases of unnecessary disease and disability and unnecessary untimely deaths. First of all, conditions are listed in which the occurrence of a single case of disease or disability or a single untimely death would justify asking, "Why did it happen?" Secondly, we have selected conditions in which critical increases in rates of disease, disability, or untimely death could serve as indexes of the quality of care. Finally, broad categories of illness are noted in which redefinition and intensive study might reveal characteristics that could serve as indexes of health. We describe how these inth of the general population and the effects of economic, political, and other environmental factors upon it, and to evaluate the quality of medical care provided both within and without the hospital to maintain health and to prevent and treat disease.