Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Polynesia”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,009 records · Page 56Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Suicide by aboriginal people in South Australia: comparison with suicide deaths in the total urban and rural populations.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the number of recorded deaths by suicide of Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginals in South Australian urban and rural areas over the period 1981-1988. METHOD: The South Australian Coroner's records were examined by one of the authors and an Aboriginal research officer in consultation with members of the South Australian Aboriginal community (who identified Aboriginal suicides wrongly recorded as non-Aboriginal suicides). RESULTS: There was a major increase in suicide by Aboriginal people, both urban and rural, over that period, not marked by a similar increase for non-Aboriginal South Australians. CONCLUSIONS: A comparison can be drawn with reports of suicide by American Indians. It is possible that Aboriginal deaths by suicide can be ascribed to "anomie" (a concept first developed by Durkheim of social disintegration affecting tribal peoples under colonisation). The paper highlights the need for the development of successful intervention programmes in Aboriginal health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Sexually-transmitted disease risk in a Micronesian atoll population.

The potential health threat of AIDS to the native island-based populations in the Pacific is now widely appreciated by those working in the public-health sector throughout the region. Although several countries in the region are yet to identify any cases of AIDS or HIV seropositivity, there is reason to suspect that heterosexual contact may emerge as a predominant mode of spread of HIV infection into native Pacific island populations. Sexual networks and their relationship to potentially 'risky behaviours' are described for a single native Micronesian atoll community on the basis of ethnographic observation and interviewing. This description is combined with the investigation of historic-demographic dimensions of the epidemiology of sexually-transmitted diseases in the same population to draw some conclusions about the opportunities for HIV transmission and acquisition among the sexually-active portions of this community. Although sexually-transmitted diseases have not had an appreciable epidemiological or demographic impact on the population in the past, the sexual networks within the community and beyond provide ample opportunity for the introduction and spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and its sequel AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1999

Hepatotoxicity associated with pyrrolizidine alkaloid (Crotalaria spp) ingestion in a horse on Easter Island.

Since 1984, a significant number of privately owned and feral horses on Easter Island have died of a syndrome consisting of progressive anorexia, weight loss, obtundation, and other central nervous system abnormalities. A single horse experiencing clinical signs of the reported syndrome was identified, examined and necropsied. Clinical signs included inappetence, emaciation, ataxia and icterus. Gross necropsy findings included hepatic enlargement and mottling, ascites and gastric impaction. Histopathological lesions included hepatic hemorrhage and necrosis, periportal megalocytosis, portal fibrosis, bile duct hyperplasia and multinucleate hepatocytes. Crotalaria grahamiana and C pallida, were identified in the pasture of the presenting horse, and found to be widespread on the island. Alkaloid fingerprinting identified grahamine, monocrotalin, and a grahamine analog in C grahamiana. A retrorsine analog and a senecionine analog were identified in C pallida. The highly characteristic lesions and the identification of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the 2 plants strongly suggest that ingestion of 1 or both of the Crotalaria species led to chronic liver damage and hepatic encephalopathy in the presenting horse. Widespread distribution of C grahamiana on the island and reported temporal and seasonal trends in incidence among horses and cattle suggest that C grahamiana may be responsible for extensive morbidity and mortality among horses and cattle on Easter Island.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Meningococcal disease in Auckland, July 1992 - June 1994.

AIMS: To assess two years of meningococcal disease in the Auckland area, the outcomes and management issues, and the specific socio-geographic groups that are affected. METHODS: Using the nationally agreed case definition, a retrospective chart review was undertaken. Case finding was through the National surveillance system at ESR, backed by hospital laboratory and coroner case findings. RESULTS: There were 106 cases of meningococcal disease, both adult and paediatric, from July 1992 to June 1994. Group B (n=61), was predominant throughout this period especially in the winter months. There were two main age groups most affected. The first, and most striking, was in Maori and New Zealand Pacific Island children younger than five years, with rates of 52.6 and 54.2/100,000 respectively. The second peak was in European, and to a lesser extent Maori, 15-24 year-olds, (rates 11.7 and 8.5/100,000, respectively). The annual incidence was 5.6/100,000 with an overall case fatality rate of 6.6%, (n=7). South Auckland had the greatest proportion of cases with 42/106. Two-thirds of the cases were referred for hospital admission by a general practitioner. From both general practitioner and self-referred groups, two-thirds had a petechial/purpuric rash on arrival at hospital. For general practitioner referred cases, 24 received parenteral antibiotics on referral, and from these cases there was one death, (1/24). Those not treated with antibiotics (general practitioner or self-referred) had a mortality of 2/41. There were 31 cases of paediatric meningococcal meningitis. Nineteen cases had dexamethasone in appropriate dose and timing; no hearing loss occurred in the 17 cases that survived (0/17), compared to 2/12 not treated with dexamethasone. This compares to a published rate of 5-7%. CONCLUSIONS: Meningococcal disease, predominantly serogroup B, is of high incidence in Auckland. The highest rates of disease are occurring in the under five-year-olds, where an effective group B vaccine is awaited. The benefit of dexamethasone is suggestive. There was no clear benefit in outcome by pre-treatment with parenteral antibiotics for paediatric meningococcal disease though no suggestive detrimental effect either.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

The 1996 pertussis epidemic in New Zealand: vaccine effectiveness.

AIM: To assess if reduced vaccine effectiveness may have accounted for increased hospitalisations in the 1996 pertussis epidemic. METHODS: Vaccine effectiveness was estimated by comparing vaccine coverage of the population (derived from a literature review) with that of cases (from notification data available from 1 June 1996) -- the screening method. Only three doses of pertussis vaccine were in the immunisation schedule until 1996, so vaccine effectiveness was calculated for three or more doses. RESULTS: Most likely estimates of vaccine effectiveness for Europeans were 88% (95% confidence interval 71 to 95%) for 5- to 14-month-olds, 80% for 15-month to 4-year-olds (66 to 88%) but lower for children aged 5 years and older with confidence limits including zero. Vaccine effectiveness estimates for Maori were less for each age group but based on few observations. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in hospitalisations for young children in the 1996 epidemic cannot be directly attributed to a reduced vaccine effectiveness, as vaccine effectiveness estimates for preschool Europeans are in line with international evidence. Additionally, the vaccine effectiveness estimates in this study are likely to be underestimates due to bias. The lower estimates for vaccine effectiveness among Maori are likely to reflect increased pressure of these biases, although a biological basis for the difference or clustering of factors that cause failure are also possible. The vaccine effectiveness estimates decrease with age, a likely combination of waning vaccine immunity and the cross-sectional nature of the screening method itself for determining vaccine effectiveness.

Child↗
PubMed1975

Poisoning and overdosage.

Admissions to Waikato Hospital during 1973 for poisoning and drug overdosage are compared with the figures for 1963, with allowances for population growth. The figures are analysed on the basis of age, sex, race and residential area. A real reduction is shown in poisoning of children, but a large increase has occured in adults, especially young adults and particularly in drug overdosage. Some possible factors in this are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Non-compliance and errors of drug administration in patients discharged from acute medical wards.

Three hundred and fifteen patients discharged from acute general medical wards over an 18-month period were studied prospectively to determine deficiencies in medication ingestion from that expected by the hospital clinicians. Thirteen percent did not receive an entirely correct written prescription at the time of discharge from hospital. In 4.5 percent this was the sole reason for treatment failure. Excluding these patients, 40.5 percent of the remainder admitted to medication variations over a 1-6 week period. Non-compliance proved to be a cause of drug default by patients three times as frequently as simple error. Where all errors were considered the ratio was 2 : 1. Whereas non-compliance (indicating volitional intent) was a more common basis for medication variation in Europeans, simple error was a more common cause in Polynesians. Two out of every five of the latter group took incorrect or incomplete therapy because of misinterpretation of instructions, either provided by hospital clinical staff, or printed upon their medication containers. The reasons for non-compliance and simple error are elucidated and the problem of non-delivery of expected medication is discussed. In devising methods for improving accuracy of drug self-administration after discharge from hospital the entities of simple error and non-compliance warrant individual attention.

Drug Prescriptions↗