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At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among clients of HIV counseling and testing sites--Connecticut, 1999.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common chronic bloodborne virus infection that affects an estimated 2.7 million persons in the United States. HCV infection causes an estimated 8,000-10,000 deaths each year from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and is the leading reason for liver transplantation. Because injection drug use is a major risk factor for both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HCV transmission, publicly funded HIV counseling and testing sites (HIV CTS) may have a role in HCV prevention. To evaluate the need for HCV services at these sites, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CDPH) conducted an anonymous HCV seroprevalence study among clients of HIV CTS. This report summarizes the results of this analysis, which indicate that, among clients of these HIV CTS, the prevalence of antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) was 9.8%, compared with 1.3% for HIV, with significantly higher prevalence among clients of substance abuse treatment sites (40.2%), compared with other sites (6.9%). HCV counseling and testing should be integrated into all HIV CTS, especially those associated with substance abuse treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Update: investigation of bioterrorism-related inhalational anthrax--Connecticut, 2001.

Since October 3, 2001, CDC and state and local public health authorities have been investigating cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax. As of November 28, a total of 23 cases have been identified; 11 were confirmed as inhalational anthrax, and 12 (seven confirmed and five suspected) were cutaneous. Epidemiologic investigations to identify the source of exposure to Bacillus anthracis continue for a case of inhalational anthrax in a hospital stockroom worker in New York City (NYC) and, most recently, a case of inhalational anthrax in an elderly woman in Connecticut (CT). Antimicrobial prophylaxis is continuing in persons exposed to B. anthracis, and surveillance to detect new cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax is ongoing. This report summarizes the findings of the case investigation in CT.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Syringe source, use, and discard among injection-drug users in New Haven, Connecticut.

We examined syringe source, use, and discard practices of injection-drug users (IDUs) in New Haven, Connecticut, a city with both a legal syringe-exchange program (SEP) and non-prescription availability of syringes through pharmacies. The population demographics, syringe use, and discard practices of IDUs who obtained syringes from various sources were compared using structured interview data. Of the 373 IDUs recruited, 268 (72 percent) resided in the city of New Haven. Among the New Haven IDUs, 111 (41 percent) reported pharmacies, 36 (13 percent) reported the New Haven SEP, 90 (34 percent) reported both, and 27 (10 percent) reported neither as their usual source of syringes in the past six months. No significant differences (p value < 0.05) were observed among New Haven IDUs who relied on pharmacies versus the SEP. However, IDUs who relied on the SEP were significantly less likely to report they threw away used syringes, compared with pharmacy users. Both the pharmacies and the New Haven SEP are important sources of sterile syringes for IDUs in New Haven. The lower frequency of syringe discard by IDUs who obtained their syringes primarily through the SEP indicates another public health benefit of programs such as these.

Connecticut↗
PubMed2002

Psychological and emotional effects of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center--Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, 2001.

To measure the psychological and emotional effects of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York added a terrorism module to their ongoing Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This report summarizes the results of the survey, which suggest widespread psychological and emotional effects in all segments of the three states' populations. The findings underscore the importance of collaboration among public health professionals to address the physical and emotional needs of persons affected by the September 11 attacks.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2002

Well-baby care in Connecticut's Medicaid managed-care program.

OBJECTIVES: 1) To describe well-baby care in Connecticut's Medicaid managed-care program; 2) to determine the effect of well-baby care on emergency care or hospitalization for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Babies born between January 1 and March 31, 2000 who were continuously enrolled for the first year of life were identified (n = 2,054). Encounter data were searched for timely well-baby visits and for emergency care or hospitalization for selected conditions. RESULTS: Thirty-four percent of infants received five or more timely visits during the first year of life. African American and Hispanic babies were less likely than white babies to have had all the recommended care (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.63; OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.69; respectively). Being up-to-date with well-baby care was not associated with a reduced likelihood of emergency care (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.72, 1.09) or hospitalization (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.34). CONCLUSION: Most babies did not get timely care. Well-baby care was not associated with reduced use of emergency care or hospitalization for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions.

Connecticut↗
PubMed2002

Should disagreement about physician-assisted suicide discourage professional societies from engaging in public debate? A survey of 677 Connecticut internists.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether physicians within a state-level professional association who disagree about the ethics of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) also disagree about organized professional engagement in public discussions regarding PAS. DESIGN: Anonymous mail questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS: Connecticut members of the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine as of February 1999. MEASUREMENTS: Attitudes toward the legalization of PAS and organized participation in public discussions about PAS, and demographic and religious characteristics. MAIN RESULTS: The mean age of 677 respondents was 51 years and 20% were women. The legalization of PAS was favored by 28% of respondents, and opposed by 53%, but 84% favored organized participation in appropriate public discussions regarding PAS. Differences in religious affiliation were strongly associated with disagreements about PAS: physicians with Jewish affiliation or no affiliation were more likely to favor legalizing PAS than those with Catholic or other Christian affiliations (45%, 38%, 14%, and 19%, respectively, P < .001). Religious affiliation was not associated with differences in attitude toward organized participation in public discussions about PAS. Statistically significant differences in attitude toward public participation were found between some subgroups according to differing attitudes toward PAS, but in each case at least 80% of physicians still supported participation. CONCLUSIONS: Internists in this state-level organization widely supported organized participation in public discussions regarding PAS despite disagreements about its legalization, and support for organized participation was not affected by differences in religious affiliation nor substantially attenuated by differences in attitudes toward PAS.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2002

Management of cancer-related and noncancer-related chronic pain in Connecticut: successes and failures.

Findings are reported from a survey of Connecticut HMO patients who had one of three conditions associated with pain: cancer, arthritis, and neuropathic diagnoses. From each group, 145 patients were randomly selected to receive a mailed survey. The overall eligible response rate was 73%. About two thirds had experienced pain for over a year, and the same percentage was experiencing pain at the time of the survey. Seventy-three percent of respondents with cancer pain (RCs) rated their pain in the moderate range, compared to 37.5% of respondents with arthritis pain (RAs) and neuropathic pain (RNPs). More RAs and RNPs (41.5%) rated their pain in the severe range. Twenty-three percent of both RCs and RAs and 31% of RNPs had received no effective treatment for their pain. The percentage of respondents using prescription narcotics at the time of the survey was low (16%), and had dropped by almost half from the proportion using them in the past (29%). Side effects of pain medications and attitudes toward opioids were implicated as reasons for discontinuing pain medications. Respondents described substantial negative impact of pain on their abilities to perform various activities, but this had improved from the time when they first experienced their pain. Overall, the findings indicate that improvements have been made in the treatment of pain, particularly for patients with cancer pain. There is still room for improvement, particularly for individuals with chronic neuropathic pain. Specific recommendations are discussed.

Analgesics, Opioid↗
PubMed2003

Utilization of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) detection systems in microbiology laboratories: survey of Connecticut hospitals from 1998-2002.

There has been recent concern raised over the detection, prevalence, and clinical implications of infection with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. which produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). These enzymes hydrolyze beta-lactams including the cephalosporins (i.e., ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime), thus frequently leading to treatment failures. Standard in vitro testing may report these isolates as susceptible when in fact they are resistant in vivo. As a result of this phenomenon, additional testing for suspected isolates is recommended nationally. We surveyed 28 Connecticut hospitals from 1998-2002 to determine if these institutions utilized screening and confirmation methods for suspected isolates. The number of hospitals which have implemented ESBL detection systems doubled from 11 to 22 over the study period. Currently, 15 of the 22 laboratories conduct both screening and confirmatory testing. This expanded testing will be of great assistance to clinicians in optimizing the clinical care of patients with Gramnegative infections.

Aztreonam↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of dental caries and enamel defects in Connecticut Head Start children.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental caries and enamel defects in a sample of predominantly African American and Hispanic children from an inner city Head Start program located in Connecticut. METHODS: A total of 517 children were examined for dental caries and enamel defects. Children's caries experience was described using the dmfs/t indices, and dental defects were described using a modified developmental defects of enamel index. RESULTS: The mean dmfs was 3.0, and 38% of the children had caries. The prevalence of enamel defects was 49%. When analyzed by race/ethnicity no significant differences in dmfs scores or the prevalence of defects were observed. The majority of defects were located on anterior teeth, and the type of defect varied with the location. On the buccal surface of canines, hypoplasia accounted for 70% of the lesions. On maxillary anterior teeth, linear opacities accounted for 50% of the lesions. A positive association between enamel defects and caries was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of caries and defects in these Head Start children was high, with most defects located on anterior teeth. Enamel defects were associated with an increased caries incidence.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mycobacterium marinum infection in Connecticut: report of four cases.

Mycobacterium marinum is emerging as an important human pathogen in the United States. We report four cases incidentally diagnosed from culture of biopsy specimens of wrist lesions at a Connecticut inner city hospital between 1996 and 1999. There was no clear association with aquatic exposure and only one patient recalled prior trauma. All were successfully treated with ethambutol and rifampicin. The current literature on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and management of Mycobacterium marinum infections is reviewed.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Occupational disease in Connecticut, 2001.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the magnitude and patterns of occupational disease in Connecticut. METHODS: Collecting and standardizing data on occupational diseases from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey, workers' compensation reports, and physician reports for the 2001 calendar year, and using capture-recapture analysis to estimate unreported cases. RESULTS: The rate of occupational illnesses dropped to 35.1 cases per 10,000 workers in 2001 (from 6,396 cases reported in 2000 to 5,514 in 2001). Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) accounted for more than half of the cases. There was a low proportion of cases that were reported to both workers compensation and the Department of Public Health, indicating widespread under-reporting of cases; it is estimated that there are actually over 30,000 cases of occupational disease each year. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational disease is one of the highest incident conditions of any type of medical condition, and there is a high level of under-reporting.

Connecticut↗
PubMed2004

The University of Connecticut Biomedical Engineering Mentoring Program for high school students.

For the past four years, the Biomedical Engineering Program at the University of Connecticut has offered a summer mentoring program for high school students interested in biomedical engineering. To offer this program, we have partnered with the UConn Mentor Connection Program, the School of Engineering 2000 Program and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Summer Laboratory Apprentice Program. We typically have approximately 20-25 high school students learning about biomedical engineering each summer. The mentoring aspect of the program exists at many different levels, with the graduate students mentoring the undergraduate students, and these students mentoring the high school students. The program starts with a three-hour lecture on biomedical engineering to properly orient the students. An in-depth paper on an area in biomedical engineering is a required component, as well as a PowerPoint presentation on their research. All of the students build a device to record an EKG on a computer using LabView, including signal processing to remove noise. The students learn some rudimentary concepts on electrocardiography and the physiology and anatomy of the heart. The students also learn basic electronics and breadboarding circuits, PSpice, the building of a printed circuit board, PIC microcontroller, the operation of Multimeters (including the oscilloscope), soldering, assembly of the EKG device and writing LabView code to run their device on a PC. The students keep their EKG device, LabView program and a fully illustrated booklet on EKG to bring home with them, and hopefully bring back to their high school to share their experiences with other students and teachers. The students also work on several other projects during this summer experience as well as visit Hartford Hospital to learn about Clinical Engineering.

Biomedical Engineering↗
PubMed1992

Work-related injury among Connecticut minors.

Work-related injuries have recently been shown to be a significant cause of morbidity among adolescents. This study represents a population-based work-related injury profile for Connecticut minors. Review of 796 worker compensation reports for adolescents from 14 through 17 years of age submitted over 12 months revealed an overall age-specific injury rate of 15 per 1000 employed 16- and 17-year-olds; frequency of injury increased with age. Social and recreational workers had an injury rate of more than 20%, predominantly sprains and contusions. Among all other occupations and industries, cuts were the major type of injury (34%); more than one third of cutting injuries were associated with use of case cutters, another third with knives. There were no work-related deaths among minors in this study. Minors in the workplace are at high risk of injury compared with adults. This study suggests that identification of specific patterns of work-related injury could lead to targeted intervention strategies.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2003

Reducing disparities in utilization of mamography: reaching dually eligible women in Connecticut.

This article describes a two-pronged intervention by the health care Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Connecticut to address the disparity in rates of mammography screening between women eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (i.e., "dually eligible") and other Medicare beneficiaries. The interventions were directed beneficiaries. One intervention addressed information and access needs of the target population: an education session was followed by a mobile mammography van session at low-income housing sites in specific geographic areas. The second intervention was a culturally-sensitive direct mailing to dually eligible beneficiaries across the state. Implementation methods are described including: defining and identifying the target population; specifying the disparity; developing community collaboration; and testing the mail materials. Preliminary results of the education sessions and community testing of the direct mail materials generated information about the target population. Issues in implementation and analysis include: reaching the target population, building community relations, and developing design approaches to test the intervention.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Hospital admissions syndromic surveillance--Connecticut, September 200-November 2003.

On September 11, 2001, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CDPH) initiated daily, statewide syndromic surveillance based on unscheduled hospital admissions (HASS). The system's objectives were to monitor for outbreaks caused by Category A biologic agents and evaluate limits in space and time of identified outbreaks. Thirty-two acute-care hospitals were required to report their previous day's unscheduled admissions for 11 syndromes (pneumonia, hemoptysis, respiratory distress, acute neurologic illness, nontraumatic paralysis, sepsis and nontraumatic shock, fever with rash, fever of unknown cause, acute gastrointestinal illness, and possible cutaneous anthrax, and suspected illness clusters). Admissions for pneumonia, gastrointestinal illness, and sepsis were reported most frequently; admissions for fever with rash, possible cutaneous anthrax, and hemoptysis were rare. A method for determining the difference between random and systemic variation was used to identify differences of >/=3 standard deviations for each syndrome from a 6-month moving average. HASS was adapted to meet changing surveillance needs (e.g., surveillance for anthrax, smallpox, and severe acute respiratory syndrome). HASS was sensitive enough to reflect annual increases in hospital-admission rates for pneumonia during the influenza season and to confirm an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness. Follow-up of HASS neurologic-admissions reports has led to diagnosis of West Nile virus encephalitis cases. Report validation, syndrome-criteria standardization among hospitals, and expanded use of outbreak-detection algorithms will enhance the system's usefulness.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2005

Collecting information on race, Hispanic ethnicity, and birthplace of cancer patients: policies and practices in Connecticut hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer incidence, treatment, and prognosis show important disparities by race, Hispanic ethnicity, and birthplace, but hospital policies and procedures in obtaining this information are poorly documented. This study documented policies and procedures in a state (Connecticut) with a high-quality population-based cancer registry. METHODS: Directors of medical records and/or admissions at all 30 hospitals were surveyed, and hospital records were abstracted for a sample of 220 minority (African-American/Black, Asian, and Hispanic) cancer patients diagnosed in 2000-2001 at three hospitals of various sizes. RESULTS: At least one staff member at 86% of the 28 responding hospitals reported a hospital policy to ask patients about their race, vs 25% for ethnicity and 57% for birthplace, and patient self-reports were reportedly used to obtain race in 100% of hospitals vs 54% for ethnicity. Race was regarded as "very important" or "important" by staff at 89% of hospitals, vs only 46% for ethnicity and 61% for birthplace, and 68% of hospitals reported using a single item for both race and ethnicity. Results of record abstraction for the 220 minority patients at the three selected hospitals were generally consistent with data from surveys of hospital staff. Ethnicity was rarely recorded on any specific type of document, although preferred language was usually recorded. Disagreement in recorded race or ethnicity on different documents was rare (2%-3%). CONCLUSIONS: Efforts are needed to educate hospital staff on the importance of collecting information on Hispanic ethnicity and birthplace. Similar studies are needed in other states.

Connecticut↗