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At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Prevalence of Escherichia coli in apple cider manufactured in Connecticut.

Cider samples obtained from 11 cider mills operating in Connecticut during the 1997 to 1998 production season were tested for the presence of Escherichia coli. Cider production began in mid August and continued through March, with peak production in September and October. Of 314 cider samples tested, 11 (4%) were found to contain E. coli. Of the 11 mills, 6 (55%) tested positive for E. coli in the cider at least once during the production year. E. coli was first observed in cider samples produced in mid to late October and was not detected in samples made after January. A trend was observed for cider to decrease in acidity and increase in Brix (soluble sugars) throughout the production season. No correlation between pH and soluble sugars of cider and the presence of E. coli was detected. Eight mills used both dropped apples and tree-picked apples, whereas three mills used tree-picked apples only. The use of dropped apples in cider production began 5 weeks before the first detection of E. coli in cider. E. coli was isolated from cider samples produced using dropped apples and from samples produced using only tree-picked apples. No direct correlation between the use of dropped apples or tree-picked apples and the presence of E. coli in the cider was observed. An association between the time of apple harvest and the appearance of E. coli in cider was noted. For mills providing adequate records, all contaminated cider was produced from apples harvested between mid October and mid November.

Beverages↗
PubMed2006

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of the use of irradiated meat among respondents to the FoodNet Population Survey in Connecticut and New York.

Irradiation of fresh meat to control microbial pathogens received approval from the federal government in February 2000. Food irradiation is a useful, albeit underutilized, process that can help protect the public from foodborne illnesses. The objective of this study was to determine consumer knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward irradiated meat products. Data were obtained from a single-stage random-digit dialing telephone survey of residents of the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) sites conducted in 2002 to 2003, which included supplemental questions about food safety and irradiated meat for residents of the Connecticut and New York sites. Thirty-seven percent of 3,104 respondents knew that irradiated fresh meat was available for purchase; however, only 2% found the product where they shopped. Knowledge of product availability was significantly influenced by whether a respondent lived in a county with one or more grocery stores operated by chain A, which had actively promoted the sale of irradiated fresh ground beef during the survey period. In a logistic regression model, after adjusting for other factors, respondents living in a county with chain A were more likely to know that irradiated products could be purchased than respondents living in other counties (odds ratio 2.0; 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 2.5). This finding suggests that public education efforts by an individual grocery store chain can have an important effect on knowledge of irradiated food.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Spirochetes in ticks and antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in white-tailed deer from Connecticut, New York State, and North Carolina.

Ticks were screened for spirochetes and serum samples from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were assayed for antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi during 1983-1984. Using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled rabbit antibodies produced to B. burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, spirochetes were detected in Ixodes dammini (10.5% of 1,193) and Dermacentor albipictus (0.6% of 157) adults from Connecticut, I. dammini nymphs (49.1% of 108) and adults (64.7% of 99) from Armonk, New York, and in I. scapularis (0.4% of 531) and Amblyomma americanum (3.5% of 173) adults from North Carolina. Infected ticks were either seeking hosts or feeding on deer during the summer and fall. Direct fluorescent antibody staining also revealed spirochetes in two larvae of I. scapularis that emerged from eggs deposited by separate females in the laboratory. Using indirect immunofluorescence tests, antibodies to B. burgdorferi were identified in white-tailed deer living in tick-infested areas of all three states. Aside from minor cross-reactivity, there was no serologic evidence of Treponema or Leptospira infections. Ixodes dammini is a primary vector of B. burgdorferi in northeastern United States, but in North Carolina, other ixodid ticks may transmit this spirochete to humans and wildlife.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Infections of granulocytic ehrlichiae and Borrelia burgdorferi in white-tailed deer in Connecticut.

Serum or whole blood samples, obtained from 141 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Connecticut (USA) during 1980, 1991, and 1996, were analyzed to detect past or current infections of Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup organisms and Borrelia burgdorferi. When the BDS or NCH-1 strains of granulocytic ehrlichiae were used separately in indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) staining methods, antibody positivity rates varied from 25 to 64% in 1991 and 1996, respectively. All 50 sera tested from 1980 collections were negative. Although percentages of sera with B. burgdorferi antibodies, as detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, also differed (23 to 53%), there were coexisting antibodies to both bacteria in 20 (49%) of 41 sera. In tests on specificity, 19 deer sera with ehrlichial antibodies also were tested by IFA staining procedures for Anaplasma marginale antibodies; one serum with a titer of 1:5,120 to ehrlichial antigen reacted to A. marginale antigen at a serum dilution of 1:320. In parallel analyses of 69 sera, results of Western blot analyses for ehrlichial infections in deer were concordant (72% agreement) with those of IFA staining methods containing ehrlichial antigen. All positive immunoblots showed bands to peptides of the NCH-1 strain of the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) agent having molecular masses of about 44, 105, or 110 kDa. In polymerase chain reaction (PCR) studies of blood samples from 63 deer, 11 (18%) specimens were positive for 16S ribosomal DNA of an Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup organism, whereas 23 (37%) samples were positive for the DNA of the 44 kDa gene of the HGE agent. White-tailed deer are exposed to different tick-borne bacteria in areas where Ixodes scapularis ticks are abundant and may, in some instances, have had concurrent infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

A comprehensive breast and cervical cancer screening program for medically underserved women in Connecticut.

A comprehensive breast and cervical cancer early detection program supported by federal and state funds and administered by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, is actively recruiting and screening older, uninsured, low income women at contracted health-care facilities throughout the state. The program provides diagnostic testing, treatment referral, outreach, and educational activities. During the first 27 months of the program, 5,509 women were enrolled and screened. Women were recruited primarily through media sources and physician/nurse referrals. The majority of women served were non-Hispanic white, between ages 40 to 59, with annual incomes of less than $10,000, and a high school education or less. Some 62% of enrolled women either never had a mammogram or did not have a repeat mammogram within the time-frames recommended by ACS. Recruitment efforts continue to enroll medically underserved women for breast and cervical cancer screening services. Future efforts will focus on rescreening in order to achieve the program's overall mission of detecting breast and cervical cancers at earlier stages.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Elderly services program: VNA of the Valley community health in Derby, Connecticut.

Since the inception of the mental health program in the VNA of the Valley the concept of providing elderly mental health services has evolved into a well-rounded psychogeriatric program. The growth of services have been reflected in the programs, structures, policies, staffing and number of persons served. Additionally, requests for service from physicians and families are increasing, calling for more creative ways to use the limited resource available. The placement of this service in a home health agency has been important in providing a comprehensive program and allowing all the resources of the agency to be used appropriately. It has been a great benefit to management and staff to have psychiatric nurses in the agency who are available for consultation on those cases that require mental health evaluation or intervention. The collaboration with the local community mental health center and its other affiliates has also been extremely important in assuring that the patient moves along the continuum of care necessary to meet his needs. Too often the elderly get lost in the maze of mental health services that are provided for the younger client who can be vocationally rehabilitated. The state of Connecticut has been progressive in allocating resources to provide services to this population that is indeed at risk for hospitalization and in danger of jeopardizing their quality of life and that of their families.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Environmental exposure to hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and risk of female breast cancer in Connecticut.

Earlier studies have provided inconclusive results relating hexachlorobenzene (HCB), an organochlorine fungicide, to female breast cancer risk. The current study, with a total of 304 breast cancer cases and 186 controls recruited in Connecticut between 1994 and 1997, examined the association by directly comparing breast adipose tissue levels of HCB between incident breast cancer cases and noncancer controls. The cases and controls were patients who had breast biopsies or surgery at the Yale-New Haven Hospital (New Haven, CT) and histologically diagnosed either as breast cancer or benign breast disease. Information on major known or suspected risk factors for breast cancer was obtained through in-person interview by trained interviewers. No significant difference in mean breast adipose tissue levels of HCB was observed between breast cancer patients (21.0 ppb) and controls (19.1 ppb) in this large case-control study. The risk also did not vary significantly by menopausal status, estrogen or progesterone receptor status of the breast cancer cases, breast cancer histology, stage of diagnosis, or type of benign breast disease. Among parous women who reported ever breast feeding, an odds ratio (OR) of 0.5 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.2-1.4] was observed when the highest quartile was compared with the lowest quartile. However, no association was observed among parous women who reported never breast feeding (OR = 0.7; 95% CI, 0.3-1.7 for the fourth quartile). For nulliparous women, the adjusted OR was 2.1 (95% CI, 0.5-8.8) for the third tertile when compared with the lowest based on few subjects. Therefore, our study does not support a positive association between environmental exposure to HCB and risk of breast cancer.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1999

Laboratory practices for prenatal Group B streptococcal screening and reporting--Connecticut, Georgia, and Minnesota, 1997-1998.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis in the United States. CDC, in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends that laboratories adopt optimal screening practices to identify GBS and to promptly report test results so that GBS-colonized pregnant women can receive antibiotics during labor. To assess GBS screening practices in clinical laboratories, state health departments surveyed laboratories in Connecticut, Georgia, and Minnesota, participants in the Emerging Infections Program. The survey found that the practices of some participating laboratories were suboptimal, particularly in their lack of use of selective broth media for culture of GBS.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1999

Testing pregnant women for HIV: a survey of obstetricians and review of patient prenatal/obstetric medical records--Connecticut 1996-1997.

High rates of prenatal testing are needed to identify all HIV-infected pregnant women and prevent transmission to their offspring. To evaluate HIV testing of pregnant women in Connecticut, a survey was conducted in 1998 of licensed obstetricians and a review was performed of 992 randomly sampled prenatal and obstetric medical records for births occurring in 1996. Results of the survey indicated that 78.8% of respondents routinely offered HIV counseling and 76.4% routinely offered HIV testing to pregnant patients in 1997. However, only 44% reported that greater than half of their patients were being tested. Providers who had an HIV testing policy that included HIV-testing unless the patient refused had the highest rate (80.8%; P < 0.05). The review of medical records revealed that only 28.8% of women who delivered in 1996 had an HIV test performed during prenatal care. Maternal characteristics associated (P < 0.05) with testing included Hispanic ethnicity (51.8% tested), younger age (53.6%, < 20 years old), having Medicaid (48.0%), hospital clinic services (44.6%), and history of intravenous drug use (IDU) (76.9%). Testing rate varied by hospital from 0% to 82.8%. These results indicate that considerable modification of provider and hospital practices and policies is needed to raise HIV screening rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Diminished socioeconomic and racial disparity in the detection of early-stage breast cancer, Connecticut, 1986-1995.

Annual counts, proportional distributions, and age-adjusted incidence rates of disease by stage at diagnosis are reported for 27,970 in situ and invasive breast cancers from the Connecticut Tumor Registry, 1986-1995. Odds ratios for the likelihood of late-stage disease by year of diagnosis, age category, race/ethnicity, and the socioeconomic level of community of residence are presented. More breast cancer is diagnosed today at earlier, treatable stages than was previously the case. Nonetheless, young women, non-whites, and residents of low-to-moderate income census tracts were all at increased risk of being diagnosed with late-stage disease than were their respective reference groups. From 1986 through 1990, there was little change in the greater likelihood that non-whites and disadvantaged women would be diagnosed with late-stage disease. For 1990-95, however, the disparity in late-stage diagnosis by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic standing was greatly decreased.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Managed care organizations' arrangements with nurse practitioners: a Connecticut perspective.

Executives in more than 50% of managed care organizations (MCOs) in New York and Connecticut were interviewed for information on the roles, participation, and listing of NPs as primary care providers. MCO executives are highly satisfied with their primary care provider NPs, particularly in women's health and geriatrics, secondary to spending more time teaching and explaining procedures than physicians. Among both health care professionals and the general public there is an overall lack of current knowledge and/or confusion about NPs and their practice. Eighty-two percent of executives in MCOs thought their organization should encourage the use of NPs as primary care providers. Beginning in the early 1960s, advanced practice nursing has shown steady growth. Research has found that NPs provide cost-effective, quality-driven patient care (Brown & Grimes, 1995; Cohen & Juszczak, 1997; Frampton & Wall, 1994; Hardy & Evans, 1995). Many thought health care reform would lead to an expansion of advanced practice nurses (APNs) and other nonphysician providers as primary care providers (Aiken & Salmon, 1994). Funding for and enrollment in graduate nursing programs rose nationwide (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 1996). Anecdotal reports indicated that NPs were not included in MCO primary care provider panels. The purpose of this study was to explore MCO arrangements with nurse practitioners and the factors that influence them.

Connecticut↗
PubMed1999

The physician-assisted suicide policy dilemma: a pilot study of the views and experiences of Connecticut physicians.

Development of fully informed public policy regarding physician-assisted suicide (PAS) requires a thorough understanding of the experiences, attitudes, and beliefs of physicians with respect to this issue. This study gathered data on physician characteristics, attitudes toward PAS, factors influencing attitudes toward PAS, and sensitivity to the role of depression in a sample of 397 psychiatrists, internists, and family practitioners in Connecticut. Central considerations included: the influence of religious values, professional discipline and practice patterns, and ability to diagnose depression in a single evaluation. Psychiatrists were significantly more likely to be supportive of PAS than were internists or family practitioners. Most respondents expressed concern regarding the influence of depression on PAS requests. A subset of physicians endorse PAS yet do not share such concern about risks, suggesting substantial challenges for policy-makers.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1999

Ethical and human rights concerns of Connecticut nurses: survey and implications for the profession.

A survey of a random sample of Connecticut registered nurses' experiences with issues of ethics and human rights found a strong focus on protecting patient rights and dignity, adequacy of staffing patterns, informed consent, and respecting advance directives. Ethics committees were commonly available but were infrequently used. Participants reported high levels of ethics education but also desired more such education. The character of the issues is consistent with other studies and largely reflects conflicts over which nurses do not have independent control. Consideration is given to issues of nurses' moral agency in health care organizations.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Physician-assisted suicide in Connecticut: physicians' attitudes and experiences.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined aspects of physician attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide (PAS) not fully examined to date: evaluation of risks related to PAS, particularly the presence of depression, and the influence of religious and professionally-based values. DESIGN: Anonymous, self-administered mailed questionnaire using Dillman methodology. PARTICIPANTS: Targeted sample of physicians licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health in 1997 (n = 2,805 completed surveys; 40% response rate). DATA INCLUDE: Physician and patient characteristics, attitudes toward physician assisted suicide, and confidence in treating depression. RESULTS: Religious affiliation, religiosity, ethnicity and medical specialty were strongly associated with views on PAS. Seven percent of respondents had been asked to write a lethal prescription during the past year, 15% of whom (n = 24) had complied with at least one request. CONCLUSIONS: Most respondents expressed concern regarding certain risks associated with PAS, including movement toward involuntary euthanasia and the influence of undetected depression. Findings raise practical issues to be addressed through statutory or professional safeguards if PAS were to be legalized.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Seven steps to a profitable faculty practice plan. A case study in success at Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

A newly formed pediatric faculty practice plan had to overcome numerous hurdles blocking profitability, patient satisfaction, and time for clinical care, teaching and research. The authors describe the seven-point strategy that took the Connecticut Children's Medical Center Faculty Practice Plan from instability and disorganization to success as a high-volume clinical enterprise.

Child↗
PubMed1999

First year experience at the University of Connecticut with NSF design projects to aid persons with disabilities.

This paper provides an overview of the first year experience at University of Connecticut (UConn) with National Science Foundation (NSF) Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons with Disabilities. Devices and software to aid persons with disabilities often need custom modification, are prohibitively expensive, or even nonexistent. Much of the disabled community does not have access to custom modification of available devices, and other benefits of current technology. Moreover, when available, engineering and support salaries make the cost of any custom modifications beyond the reach of most disabled individuals. The NSF in 1988 started to provide a mechanism whereby student engineers at universities throughout the United States designed and constructed devices for persons with disabilities. This program combined the academic requirement of a design experience with enhanced educational opportunities for students, and improved the quality of life for disabled individuals. Students and university faculty provided, through their normal ABET accredited senior design class, engineering time to design and build the device or software, and the NSF provided funds, competitively awarded to universities, for supplies, equipment and fabrication costs for the design projects. Described in this report are first year experiences at UConn with this NSF program including lecture topics, site visits to clients and project selection, required reports and the WWW, course structure and organization.

Biomedical Engineering↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Connecticut Children's Medical Center multi-year branding campaign.

As the only children's hospital in the state, Connecticut Children's Medical Center was challenged by the inherent complacency of parents. It met the challenge through a multi-level marketing effort which included television and radio, community outreach and strong media relations. By emphasizing the unique nature of children, the campaign affirms the need for a specialized children's health center.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Firearm-related fatality surveillance in Hartford County, Connecticut.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a firearm fatality surveillance system in Hartford County, Connecticut. METHODS: Medical examiner, police, and crime lab data were collected for firearm deaths occurring in Hartford County during 1997. Data included characteristics of victims, suspects, and firearms. We used standard criteria for evaluating an epidemiological surveillance system. RESULTS: The surveillance system detected 52 firearm-related fatalities; 31 were suicides and 21 were homicides. Handguns accounted for 50% of the suicides and 72% of the homicides. Sensitivity was 96%, specificity was 100%, representativeness adequate, simplicity enhanced by a common case identifier, flexibility constrained by the use of existing data, timeliness varied by data source, and system acceptable to all data sources. Estimated statewide cost is $200 per case, or $52,000 per year. CONCLUSION: Firearm injury surveillance in Hartford County is feasible and expansion to statewide coverage possible. The surveillance yielded considerable data at reasonable costs.

Connecticut↗