[Effects of air pollution on daily mortality in the city of Zaragoza, Spain, 1991-1995]. / Efectos de la contaminación atmosférica sobre la mortalidad diaria en la ciudad de Zaragoza, España, 1991-1995.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the short-term impact of air pollution on daily mortality in the City of Zaragoza (Spain). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This ecologic study was conducted in Zaragoza, Spain, from 1991 to 1993. Poisson autoregressive models were constructed to assess the association between air particulate matter and sulphur dioxide SO2 and daily deaths. Four outcome variables were studied: overall mortality (excluding external deaths), mortality in subjects over 69 years of age, mortality due to respiratory disease, and mortality due to cardiovascular disease. A sample size was not obtained. Data analysis was conducted using the statistical software EGRET and SPSS. RESULTS: SO2 levels were significantly associated with cardiovascular deaths (RR = 1.018 IC 95%: 1.001-1.036) and particulate matter levels with respiratory deaths (RR = 1.028 IC 95%: 1.006-1.051). During the warm season, a significant relationship was found between particulate mater and cardiovascular deaths (RR = 1.020 IC 95%: 1.001-1.040). CONCLUSIONS: Low levels of air pollution were found in Zaragoza, with considerable variation in the concentration of air pollutant concentrations and daily respiratory and cardiovascular deaths, particularly during the warm season. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html

[The EMECAM project: the Spanish Multicenter Study on the Relationship between Air Pollution and Mortality. The background, participants, objectives and methodology]. / El proyecto EMECAM: Estudio Multicéntrico Español sobre la Relación entre la Contaminación Atmosférica y la Mortalidad. Antecedentes, participantes, objetivos y métodología.

In recent years, a growing number of studies suggests that increases in air pollution levels may have short-term impact on human health, even at pollution levels similar to or lower than those which have been considered to be safe to date. The different methodological approaches and the varying analysis techniques employed have made it difficult to make a direct comparison among all of the findings, preventing any clear conclusions from being drawn. This has led to multicenter projects such as the APHEA (Short-Term Impact of Air Pollution on Health. A European Approach) within a European Scope. The EMECAM Project falls within the context of the aforesaid multicenter studies and has a wide-ranging projection nationwide within Spain. Fourteen (14) cities throughout Spain were included in this Project (Barcelona, Metropolitan Area of Bilbao, Cartagena, Castellón, Gijón, Huelva, Madrid, Pamplona, Seville, Oviedo, Valencia, Vigo, Vitoria and Saragossa) representing different sociodemographic, climate and environmental situations, adding up to a total of nearly nine million inhabitants. The objective of the EMECAM project is that to asses the short-term impact of air pollution throughout all of the participating cities on the mortality for all causes, on the population and on individuals over age 70, for respiratory and cardiovascular design causes. For this purpose, with an ecological, the time series data analyzed taking the daily deaths, pollutants, temperature data and other factors taken from records kept by public institutions. The period of time throughout which this study was conducted, although not exactly the same for all of the cities involved, runs in all cases from 1990 to 1996. The degree of relationship measured by means of an autoregressive Poisson regression. In the future, the results of each city will be combined by means of a meta-analysis.

[The short-term effects of air pollution on mortality. The results of the EMECAM project in Saragossa, 1991-1995. Estudio Multicéntrico Español sobre la Relación entre la Contaminación Atmosférica y la Mortalidad]. / Efectos a corto plazo de la contaminación atmosférica sobre la mortalidad. Resultados del proyecto EMECAM en Zaragoza, 1991-1995.

BACKGROUND: To assess the short-term impact of pollution on the respiratory death rate in the city of Saragossa throughout the 1991-1995 period and to pinpoint whether any differences exists in terms of age and time of the year. METHODS: The relationship of daily concentrations of smog and SO2 to the daily deaths due to respiratory diseases (CIE-9 460-486) and chronic lung blockage disease and similar EPOC-EA (490-496) was analyzed using Poisson models in keeping with the EMECAM procedure. Possible differences in the impact on those below and over age 70 and according to the six-month period in question were researched. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence, intervals (CI95%) WERE CALCULATED FOR 10 micrograms/m3 rises in pollutant. RESULTS: A relationship was found to exist between the respiratory and smog death rate (RR 1.028 CI95% 1.006-1051), the highest risk being during the six-months period of warm weather. For those individuals over age 70, the relationship remained the same throughout this six-month period and was negative for those individuals under age 70. The RR's for the death rate based on EPOC-EA were, overall, 1.038 (CI95% 1.002-1075) and of 1.068 (CI95%: 1.004-1.137) for the six-month period of warm weather. The SO2 pollution showed a positive relationship to the respiratory death rate for the warm period for all ages, RR 1.093 (CI95%: 1.006-1.187) and for those under age 70 (RR 1.240 CI95%: 1.028-1.496). The impact was not conclusive for the cases of pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: Low levels of air pollution can have a significant impact on the respiratory death rate, especially among the elderly and during the six-month period of warm weather.

[Parotiditis in postvaccination period. Epidemiologic pattern and vaccine effectiveness in an epidemic outbreak]. / La parotiditis en época posvacunal. Patrón epidemiológico y efectividad vacunal en un brote epidémico.

BACKGROUND: Upon the detection of an excess number of cases of parotiditis in La Almolda (Zaragoza) a descriptive study of the epidemic was carried out with vaccination efficacy being quantified. METHODS: The definition and system of detection of the cases was established. To calculate the rate of infection the available demographic data were used as denominators. A study of retrospective groups was designed to calculate the vaccination efficacy including one group of vaccinated subjects and another of non vaccinated subjects. Age and viral contact were considered as inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Fifty-two cases of parotiditis were detected. The rate of infection in a population of under 30 years of age was 18.9%. The most affected age group corresponded to the interval of between 10-14 years of age with a specific rate of 46.5%. The risk of infection was greatest amongst public school students (RR = 5; p = 0.00015). Vaccination efficacy was 74.68%. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the tendency that parotiditis affects older subjects during the prevaccination period. The vaccination efficacy found to be 74.68% was lower the efficacy determined from seroconversion studies.

[Hepatitis B virus vaccination in the province of Saragossa]. / Vacunación de hepatitis B en la provincia de Zaragoza.

We have studied 3001 hepatitis B vaccination protocols, during the period 1982-89, in three hospitals of Zaragoza. 87.24% of the vaccinations have been conducted on health staff, meanwhile other epidemiological important groups (drug users) don't have been attended. The seroprevalence of HBsAg was 0.96% at the prevaccination study. The cleaning staff and the hemodialyzed patients had the greatest ones (5.69% and 3.33%). The administration of the vaccine failed due to rejection in 25.50% and to withdrawal in 8.09%. Only 8.65% don't have developed antibodies after vaccination.