OBJECTIVE: To analyze medical care facilities and resources available for spectators attending football games in the current National Football League (NFL) stadiums. METHODS: A prospective, structured questionnaire regarding facilities, transportation, medications and equipment, personnel configuration, compensation, and communications was mailed to all 28 NFL organizations. Those falling to respond were interviewed by telephone using the identical questionnaire. Data were compiled using Lotus 1-2-3. RESULTS: Data were collected from all 28 NFL organizations. Because two teams use the same stadium, results were calculated for 27 facilities (n = 27). The number of stadium first aid rooms ranges from 1 to 7, with an average of 2.4 +/- 1.3 rooms per stadium (+/- 1 SD) and these vary in size from 120 to 2,000 square feet, with a mean of 434 +/- 377 square feet. Each room is equipped with an average of 3.3 +/- 2.9 stretchers (or tables), with telephones being present in 91% and sinks in 88% of all rooms. To provide contractual EMS coverage, stadiums use standard EMS system designs, including private (n = 19), fire department-based (n = 7), municipal (city/county) (n = 5), volunteer (n = 4), and hospital (n = 3). Nine stadiums employ more than one type of provider. All stadiums have a minimum of one ambulance dedicated on-site for spectators, with a range of 1 to 7, and a mean of 2.9 +/- 1.4. Golf carts are used for intrafacility patient transportation in 17 stadiums, with a range of 1 to 6, and a mean of 2.5 +/- 1.3. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) medications and equipment are present in all NFL stadiums and are provided by the private EMS company (n = 16), stadium (n = 10), fire EMS (n = 7), hospitals (n = 4), municipal EMS (n = 2), and the local NFL organization (n = 1). Several facilities have more than one provider of ACLS medications and equipment. The majority of stadiums dispense acetaminophen (n = 25) and aspirin (n = 24). Some dispense antacids (n = 7) and antihistamines (n = 6). The average stadium staffs 8 EMT-Bs, 7 EMT-Ps, 3 registered nurses, and 2 physicians. Nine stadiums pay a predesignated fee per game to an agency to provide emergency care to spectators. Medical personnel are compensated by an hourly rate (n = 15), a fixed rate per event (n = 9), overtime wages (n = 3), or volunteerism (n = 4). Four NFL organizations pay their medical personnel by more than one type of compensation. Courtesy seats are provided to physicians and nurses in 1 stadium and to just physicians in 8 stadiums, with a range of 2 to 6 and a mean of 3.3 +/- 1.3. All stadiums use two-way radios for the communication and coordination of medical care in the stadium. Additionally, 20 use fixed telephones in the first aid rooms, 3 use cellular telephones, and 2 incorporate a pager system to dispatch personnel within the stadium. CONCLUSION: A wide variety of system designs, facilities, and personnel configurations are used to provide emergency medical care for spectators attending NFL games. This information may be useful for assisting those individuals responsible for organizing stadium medical coverage.

Anniversaries and Special Events↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Comparative cytology of the oral cavities of snuff users.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of smokeless tobacco (snuff) on the epithelium of the oral cavity. STUDY DESIGN: Cytologic smears were taken from the oral cavities of 22 snuff users and 19 control subjects. The samples were stained with the Papanicolaou method and accessed for cellularity, anucleated cells, micronuclei and broken egg nuclei. RESULTS: An average of 7,624 cells per slide were found in the user group and 1,348 in the control. An average of 3,619 (47.5%) anucleated cells in the user group and 33.1 (2.5%) in the control were found per slide. Users with lesions had a significantly higher rate of anucleation than those without lesions. A total of 216 micronuclei were found in the user group and 46 in the control group. The broken egg nucleus was commonly found in both groups. The broken egg phenomenon is described as a nucleus that is in two portions and connected by a thin band of Feulgen-negative material. CONCLUSION: The regular use of snuff causes loss of cell cohesion, hyperkeratosis and an increased incidence of micronuclei. The relationship of these conditions to the development of oral cancer is unclear. The most likely anomaly that may be associated with carcinogenesis is the micronucleus.

Cell Count↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A comparison of frequency, interval, and time-sampling methods of data collection.

Data representing high, medium, and low response rates in constant and nonconstant patterns were generated by electromechanical equipment to determine whether the same data collected by time-sampling, interval recording, and frequency recording would be represented similarly by each method. Results indicated: (1) that time-sampling provided an extremely inaccurate estimate of responding, and (2) that interval recording accurately represented responding of low and medium rates, but grossly underestimated high-rate responding.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The bdr gene families of the Lyme disease and relapsing fever spirochetes: potential influence on biology, pathogenesis, and evolution.

Species of the genus Borrelia cause human and animal infections, including Lyme disease, relapsing fever, and epizootic bovine abortion. The borrelial genome is unique among bacterial genomes in that it is composed of a linear chromosome and a series of linear and circular plasmids. The plasmids exhibit significant genetic redundancy and carry 175 paralogous gene families, most of unknown function. Homologous alleles on different plasmids could influence the organization and evolution of the Borrelia genome by serving as foci for interplasmid homologous recombination. The plasmid-carried Borrelia direct repeat (bdr) gene family encodes polymorphic, acidic proteins with putative phosphorylation sites and transmembrane domains. These proteins may play regulatory roles in Borrelia. We describe recent progress in the characterization of the Borrelia bdr genes and discuss the possible influence of this gene family on the biology, pathogenesis, and evolution of the Borrelia genome.

Abortion, Veterinary↗