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Continuation of the decline in prevalence of anemia in low-income infants and children in five states.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether there is a continuation of the decline in prevalence of anemia among low-income infants and children 6.0 to 59.9 months old from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional trend analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System from the 5 states (Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Vermont) that have been using the same laboratory method for anemia screening since 1984 or earlier. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of anemia decreased substantially in each state from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s as follows: Colorado by 52%; New Mexico by 75%; Oklahoma by 67%; Utah by 57%; and Vermont by 48%. In each state, the prevalence of anemia declined for children of different age groups, birth weights, genders, type of pediatric care visit (screening or follow-up), and most race/ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: The decline in the prevalence of anemia initially observed in the 1980s continued well into the 1990s. This decline is likely attributable to better iron nutrition related to greater usage of iron-fortified products and possibly better iron bioavailability in some of the food products.

Anemia↗

The national survey of Indian Vietnam veterans.

Largely through the efforts of Harold Barse and Frank Montour, Readjustment Counseling Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, formed a working group to deal with the simple lack of information on Indian Vietnam veterans. Barse is founder of the Vietnam Era Veterans Inter-Tribal Association and a counselor for the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Vet Center. Montour is a Vet Center counselor in Lincoln Park, Michigan.

Adult↗

Parasitic infection of Filaroides osleri, Capillaria aerophila and Spirocera lupi in coyotes from the Southwestern United States.

A total of 181 coyotes (Canis latrans) was examined for helminth parasites Filaroides osleri, Capillari aerophila, and Spirocerca lupi. Coyote carcasses were obtained from Kansas, western Oklahoma-northern Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and southern California. Cysts of F. osleri were present in the trachea or bronchial division in 39 (22%) coyotes. C. aerophila were present in only 7 (4%) coyotes. S. lupi lesions were present in the aorta of 59 (33%) coyotes. Esophageal infections of S. lupi were found in only 4 of 142 (3%) coyotes. F. osleri, C. aerophila and S. lupi infections were more prevalent in western Oklahoma-northern Texas, low in southern Arizona-California, and absent in northern Arizona.

Animals↗

Laparoscopic and open appendectomies--average charges, 1997.

During 1997 the average total charge for an open appendectomy (OA) was $9,670 while that for a laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) was $11,290. The 20 study states (those with 50 or more OAs) accounted for 77 percent of the 2,979 OA procedures investigated. The total charges ranged from $12,800 in California to $6,540 in Oklahoma. The hospital charges were more than 30 percent higher than the U.S. norm in California and Florida and more than 30 percent below it in Oklahoma and Washington. New York and New Jersey reported the highest physicians' fees while the Michigan doctors' charges were 35 percent below the average. Length of stay for an open appendectomy averaged 2.92 days across the country and ranged from 3.33 days in New York to 2.33 days in Colorado. The hospital plus physicians' charges for LAs ranged from $14,350 in California (27 percent above the norm) to $9,210 in Colorado (18 percent below). California and Florida reported the highest hospital charges whereas those in New York were the lowest. The physicians' fees ranged from $4,280 in New York to $1,830 in Colorado. The patients with LAs remained in the hospital, on average, 2.22 days. The length of stay ranged from almost three days in Ohio to 1.62 days in Colorado.

Appendectomy↗

Live births resulting from unintended pregnancies: is there variation among states? The PRAMS Working Group.

CONTEXT: States need data on live births resulting from unintended pregnancies in order to assess the need for family planning services; however, many states do not collect such data. Some states may use extrapolated rates from other states. METHODS: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data were assessed to explore the feasibility of extrapolating data on the percentage of live births resulting from unintended pregnancies from states that collect these data to states that do not. Data on women who had live births between 1993 and 1995 were examined for eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New York (excluding New York City), Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia. Logistic regression was used to determine state variation in the odds of delivering a live birth resulting from an unintended pregnancy after adjustment for maternal race, marital status, age, education, previous live birth and participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). RESULTS: The percentage of live births resulting from unintended pregnancy ranged from 33% in New York to 49% in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Compared with women in Alabama, women in Oklahoma were more likely to deliver a live birth resulting from an unintended pregnancy (odds ratio of 1.2, confidence interval of 1.1-1.3) and women in New York State were less likely (odds ratio of 0.7, confidence interval of 0.6-0.8) to have such a birth. However, unmarried white women in New York had lower odds of having a live birth resulting from an unintended pregnancy and married black women in Michigan had higher odds of having a live birth resulting from unintended pregnancy than their counterparts in Alabama. Although the percentages varied, in all eight states women who were black, were unmarried, were younger than 20 years of age, had less than 12 years of education or had more than one child had higher percentages of live births resulting from unintended pregnancy than women with other demographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Data on which women have the greatest risk of delivering a live birth resulting from an unintended pregnancy may be extrapolated from one state to another, but the rate of such births may overestimate or underestimate the problem from one state to another.

Adolescent↗

Willard Carver, LL.B., 1866-1943: doctor, lawyer, Indian chief, prisoner and more.

Willard Carver was a pioneer in chiropractic education who founded seven schools, and ardent legislative leader in Oklahoma, who later suffered indignation from authorities that brought him to the Senate's bar of justice, was convicted and sent to jail. How this episode fostered defeat by a referendum petition of a proposed medical practice act at the polls, laying groundwork for passage of Oklahoma's Chiropractic Act in 1921, is recalled in this paper. Carver became a prolific author of textbooks, a life-long antagonist to Dr. B.J. Palmer, both invested as Indian chiefs, loved and hated by equal numbers of tribesmen and a remarkable chiropractic pioneer of great proportion.

Chiropractic↗

Wilson v. Kuenzi, 17 May 1988.

The parents of a child born with Down's Syndrome brought a wrongful birth action on their own behalf and a wrongful life action on the behalf of their child against their physician, claiming that he had failed to advise the mother of the availability of amniocentesis, thus precluding her from having an abortion to prevent birth. The Court dismissed the actions, ruling that no such actions were recognized in Missouri in 1983, the time that the negligence of the physician was alleged to have occurred. In 1988, other US courts held as follows with respect to wrongful birth, wrongful life, and wrongful pregnancy actions: 1) no recovery allowed for costs of rearing a healthy child born as a result of failed sterilization or abortion (Marciniak vs. Lundborg, Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 15 November 1988 [147 Wis.2d 556]); (Johnson vs. University Hospitals of Cleveland, Court of Appeals of Ohio, 14 January 1988 [1988 Ohio App. Lexis 228]); (Harmath vs. Goler, Court of Appeals of Ohio, 22 December 1988 [1988 Ohio App. Lexis 5196]); (Butler vs. Rolling Hill Hospital, Common Pleas Court of Philadelphia County, 2 March 1988 [17 Phila. 134]); (Goforth vs. Porter Medical Associates, Inc., Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 31 May 1988 [755 P.2d 678]); (Wofford vs. Davis, Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 18 October 1988 [764 P.2d 161]); 2) recovery of expenses allowed for pregnancy, delivery, and pain and suffering, but not for special expenses regarding deformity of child born as the result of a failed tubal ligation (Pitre vs. Opelousas General Hospital, Supreme Court of Louisiana, 12 September 1988 [530 So.2d 1151]); 3) action for wrongful birth not allowed with respect to child born with undiagnosed Down's Syndrome (Rolf vs. Youngblood, Missouri Court of Appeals, 3 May 1988 [753 S.W.2d]); 4) recovery allowed of costs of medical and hospital expenses, physical and mental pain and suffering, lost wages, and punitive damages, but not costs of rearing a healthy child (C.S. vs. Nielson, Supreme Court of Utah, 6 December 1988 [767 P.2d 504]); and 5) recovery of costs of rearing child born with genetic birth defects subsequent to assurances that child would be normal and damages for the mother's emotional distress are allowed, but not extraordinary medical expenses incurred by the child after the parents' death (Gallagher vs. Duke University, US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 28 July 1988 [852 F.2d 773]).

Abortion, Induced↗

Abortion surveillance--United States, 2000.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: CDC began abortion surveillance in 1969 to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions. REPORTING PERIOD COVERED: This report summarizes and describes data reported to CDC regarding legal induced abortions obtained in the United States in 2000. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM: For each year since 1969, CDC has compiled abortion data by state or area of occurrence. During 1973-1997, data were received from or estimated for 52 reporting areas in the United States: 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. In 1998 and 1999, CDC compiled abortion data from 48 reporting areas. Alaska, California, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma did not report, and data for these areas were not estimated. In 2000, Oklahoma again reported these data, increasing the number of reporting areas to 49. RESULTS: A total of 857,475 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC for 2000 from 49 reporting areas, representing a 0.5% decrease from the 861,789 legal induced abortions reported by 48 reporting areas for 1999 and a 1.3% decrease for the same 48 reporting areas that reported in 1999. The abortion ratio, defined as the number of abortions per 1,000 live births, was 246 in 2000 (for the same 48 reporting areas as 1999), compared with 256 reported for 1999. This represents a 3.8% decline in the abortion ratio. The abortion rate (for the same 48 reporting areas as 1999) was 16 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years for 2000. This was also a 3.8% decrease from the rate reported for procedures performed during 1997-1999 for the same 48 reporting areas. The highest percentages of reported abortions were for women aged <25 years (52%), women who were white (57%), and unmarried women (81%). Fifty-eight percent of all abortions for which gestational age was reported were performed at < or =8 weeks of gestation, and 88% were performed before 13 weeks. From 1992 (when detailed data regarding early abortions were first collected) through 2000, steady increases have occurred in the percentage of abortions performed at < or =6 weeks of gestation. Few abortions were performed after 15 weeks of gestation; 4.3% were obtained at 16-20 weeks and 1.4% were obtained at > or =21 weeks. A total of 31 reporting areas submitted data stating that they performed medical (nonsurgical) procedures, making up 1.0% of all reported procedures from the 42 areas with adequate reporting on type of procedure. In 1998 and 1999 (the most recent years for which data are available), 14 women died as a result of complications from known legal induced abortion. Ten of these deaths occurred in 1998 and four occurred in 1999; no deaths were associated with known illegal abortion. INTERPRETATION: From 1990 through 1997, the number of legal induced abortions gradually declined. In 1998 and 1999, the number of abortions continued to decrease when comparing the same 48 reporting areas. In 2000, even with one additional reporting state, the number of abortions declined slightly. In 1998 and 1999, as in previous years, deaths related to legal induced abortions occurred rarely (<1 death per 100,000 abortions). PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: Abortion surveillance in the United States continues to provide data necessary for examining trends in numbers and characteristics of women who obtain legal induced abortions and for increasing understanding of one additional aspect of the spectrum of pregnancy outcomes. Policy makers and program planners need these data to improve the health and well-being of women and infants.

Abortion, Legal↗

Childhood obesity: epidemiology, comorbid conditions, psychological ramifications, and clinical recommendations.

The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years, doubling in the last 20 years, and is expected to result in a major public health crisis. This epidemic has left no race, socioeconomic status, or age unaffected. Children in Oklahoma are no exception; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 25% of Oklahoma's adolescents are at risk for overweight or are overweight. In order to address this problem, efforts are underway nationally to institute preventive measures for childhood obesity and its comorbid conditions.

Adolescent↗

Abortion surveillance--United States, 2001.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: CDC began abortion surveillance in 1969 to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions. REPORTING PERIOD COVERED: This report summarizes and describes data voluntarily reported to CDC regarding legal induced abortions obtained in the United States in 2001. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM: For each year since 1969, CDC has compiled abortion data by state or area of occurrence. During 1973-1997, data were received from or estimated for 52 reporting areas in the United States: 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. In 1998 and 1999, CDC compiled abortion data from 48 reporting areas. Alaska, California, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma did not report, and data for these states were not estimated. In 2000 and 2001, Oklahoma again reported these data, increasing the number of reporting areas to 49. RESULTS: A total of 853,485 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC for 2001 from 49 reporting areas, representing a 0.5% decrease from the 857,475 legal induced abortions reported by the same 49 reporting areas for 2000. The abortion ratio, defined as the number of abortions per 1,000 live births, was 246 in 2001, compared with 245 reported for 2000. This represents a 0.4% increase in the abortion ratio. The abortion rate was 16 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years for 2001, the same as for 2000. For both the 48 and 49 reporting areas, the abortion rate remained relatively constant during 1997-2001. The highest percentages of reported abortions were for women who were unmarried (82%), white (55%) and aged <25 years (52%). Of all abortions for which gestational age was reported, 59% were performed at < or =8 weeks' gestation and 88% at <13 weeks. From 1992 (when detailed data regarding early abortions were first collected) through 2001, steady increases have occurred in the percentage of abortions performed at < or =6 weeks' gestation. A limited number of abortions were obtained at >15 weeks' gestation, including 4.3% at 16-20 weeks and 1.4% at > or =21 weeks. A total of 35 reporting areas submitted data stating that they performed medical (nonsurgical) procedures, making up 2.9% of all reported procedures from the 45 areas with adequate reporting on type of procedure. In 2000 (the most recent year for which data are available), 11 women died as a result of complications from known legal induced abortion. No deaths were associated with known illegal abortion. INTERPRETATION: During 1990-1997, the number of legal induced abortions gradually declined. When the same 48 reporting areas are compared, the number of abortions decreased during 1996-2001. In 2000 and 2001, even with one additional reporting state, the number of abortions declined slightly. In 2000, as in previous years, deaths related to legal induced abortions occurred rarely (less than one death per 100,000 abortions). PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: Abortion surveillance in the United States continues to provide the data necessary for examining trends in numbers and characteristics of women who obtain legal induced abortions and to increase understanding of this pregnancy outcome. Policymakers and program planners use these data to improve the health and well-being of women and infants.

Abortion, Legal↗

Economic importance of the health-care sector in a rural economy.

INTRODUCTION: Leaders in rural communities around the world are struggling to provide primary health-care services. Common reasons for this situation include low population density, low incomes in that population, and inadequate medical payment policies. Per capita incomes in many rural Oklahoma communities, like rural areas in most other US States, are lower than the State average due to higher unemployment, higher proportion of income derived from transfer payments (government subsidies) and fewer higher paying employment opportunities. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this paper is to measure the economic impact that the health sector has on a community's economy. METHODS: A model, which measures the direct and secondary employment and income impacts of the health sector, is presented using Atoka, a rural county located in south-eastern Oklahoma, USA, as case study. The model is applied to the county's five health-sector components (hospitals, doctors, nursing homes, pharmacies and others). Employment and payroll data are obtained for these sectors and the model measures the employment and payroll generated throughout the community as the health businesses and employees spend dollars in the community. RESULTS: The total employment impact of the health sector in Atoka County represents approximately 18.5% of the total non-farm employment. Secondary impacts of health-sector activity include the creation of jobs in other industries due to business and household spending. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the economic importance of the rural-health sector by quantifying its impacts on employment and payroll. The relationships among the existence of quality health care, industry attraction and quality of life for senior members of the rural community are suggested. By using a tool such as the IMPLAN model presented, rural community leaders are offered assistance to make important decisions about the provision of health-care services, particularly when the possible closure of the local hospital becomes an issue.

Journal Article↗

Abortion surveillance--United States, 2002.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: CDC began abortion surveillance in 1969 to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions. REPORTING PERIOD COVERED: This report summarizes and describes data voluntarily reported to CDC regarding legal induced abortions obtained in the United States in 2002. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM: For each year since 1969, CDC has compiled abortion data by state or area of occurrence. During 1973-1997, data were received from or estimated for 52 reporting areas in the United States: 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. In 1998 and 1999, CDC compiled abortion data from 48 reporting areas. Alaska, California, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma did not report, and data for these states were not estimated. For 2000-2002, Oklahoma again reported these data, increasing the number of reporting areas to 49. RESULTS: A total of 854,122 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC for 2002 from 49 reporting areas, representing a 0.1% increase from the 853,485 legal induced abortions reported by the same 49 reporting areas for 2001. The abortion ratio, defined as the number of abortions per 1,000 live births, was 246 in 2002, the same as reported for 2001. The abortion rate was 16 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years for 2002, the same as for 2001. For the same 48 reporting areas, the abortion rate remained relatively constant during 1997-2002. The highest percentages of reported abortions were for women who were unmarried (82%), white (55%), and aged <25 years (51%). Of all abortions for which gestational age was reported, 60% were performed at < or =8 weeks' gestation and 88% at <13 weeks. From 1992 (when detailed data regarding early abortions were first collected) through 2002, steady increases have occurred in the percentage of abortions performed at < or =6 weeks' gestation. A limited number of abortions was obtained at >15 weeks' gestation, including 4.1% at 16-20 weeks and 1.4% at > or =21 weeks. A total of 35 reporting areas submitted data stating that they performed and enumerated medical (nonsurgical) procedures, accounting for 5.2% of all known reported procedures from the 45 areas with adequate reporting on type of procedure. INTERPRETATION: During 1990-1997, the number of legal induced abortions gradually declined. When the same 48 reporting areas were compared, the number of abortions decreased during 1996-2001, then slightly increased in 2002. In 2000 and 2001, even with one additional reporting state, the number of abortions declined slightly, with a minimal increase in 2002. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: Abortion surveillance in the United States continues to provide the data necessary for examining trends in numbers and characteristics of women who obtain legal induced abortions and to increase understanding of this pregnancy outcome. Policymakers and program planners use these data to improve the health and well-being of women and infants.

Abortion, Legal↗

Cardiovascular disease risk factor awareness in American Indian communities: the strong heart study.

OBJECTIVE: To use data from the longitudinal Strong Heart Study (SHS) to determine the level of awareness about risk factors for heart disease among 13 populations of American Indians in Arizona, Oklahoma, and South/ North Dakota. The aim of this study is to assess awareness of nine major risk factors for heart disease among participants in SHS. METHODS: During July 1993 to December 1995 (phase II of SHS), 3638 participants ages 46 to 80 years (mean age 60) were asked if nine known risk factors for cardiovascular disease affect a person's chances of getting heart disease; 3226 (89%) participants completed the study and met the method reliability criteria for inclusion. RESULTS: Among each of the nine risk factors, the percentage of correct answers provided by study participants ranged from 70% (family history of heart disease) to 90% (being very overweight). Participants with hypertension (90% vs 86%, P<.05) and diabetes mellitus (81% vs 71%, P<.05) were more likely than those without these disorders to know they were heart disease risk factors. For all nine risk factors, the percentage of correct answers was lower (P<.05) among smokers than among nonsmokers. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, female sex, advanced education, and being from Oklahoma were significantly associated with heart disease awareness. CONCLUSION: Although overall risk factor awareness for heart disease was high, subgroups were identified who could benefit from culturally appropriate health education and other interventions to motivate health prevention actions, especially for smoking.

Aged↗

Abortion surveillance--United States, 2003.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: CDC began abortion surveillance in 1969 to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions. REPORTING PERIOD COVERED: This report summarizes and describes data voluntarily reported to CDC regarding legal induced abortions obtained in the United States in 2003. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM: For each year since 1969, CDC has compiled abortion data by state or area of occurrence. During 1973-1997, data were received from or estimated for 52 reporting areas in the United States: 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. In 1998 and 1999, CDC compiled abortion data from 48 reporting areas. Alaska, California, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma did not report, and data for these states were not estimated. During 2000-2002, Oklahoma again reported these data, increasing the number of reporting areas to 49, and for 2003, Alaska again reported and West Virginia did not, maintaining the number of reporting areas at 49. RESULTS: A total of 848,163 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC for 2003 from 49 reporting areas, representing a 0.7% decline from the 854,122 legal induced abortions reported by 49 reporting areas for 2002. The abortion ratio, defined as the number of abortions per 1,000 live births, was 241 in 2003, a decrease from the 246 in 2002. The abortion rate was 16 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years for 2003, the same as for 2002. For the same 47 reporting areas, the abortion rate remained relatively constant during 1998-2003. During 2001-2002 (the most recent years for which data are available), 15 women died as a result of complications from known legal induced abortion. One death was associated with known illegal abortion. The highest percentages of reported abortions were for women who were unmarried (82%), white (55%), and aged <25 years (51%). Of all abortions for which gestational age was reported, 61% were performed at < or =8 weeks' gestation and 88% at <13 weeks. From 1992 (when detailed data regarding early abortions were first collected) through 2002, steady increases have occurred in the percentage of abortions performed at < or =6 weeks' gestation, with a slight decline in 2003. A limited number of abortions were obtained at >15 weeks' gestation, including 4.2% at 16--20 weeks and 1.4% at > or =21 weeks. A total of 36 reporting areas submitted data documenting that they performed and enumerated medical (nonsurgical) procedures, making up 8.0% of all known reported procedures from the 45 areas with adequate reporting on type of procedure. INTERPRETATION: During 1990-1997, the number of legal induced abortions gradually declined. When the same 47 reporting areas are compared, the number of abortions decreased during 1996-2001, then slightly increased in 2002 and again decreased in 2003. In 2000 and 2001, even with one additional reporting state, the number of abortions declined slightly, with a minimal increase in 2002 and a further decrease in 2003. In 2001 and 2002, as in the previous years, deaths related to legal induced abortions occurred rarely. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: Abortion surveillance in the United States continues to provide the data necessary for examining trends in numbers and characteristics of women who obtain legal induced abortions and to increase understanding of this pregnancy outcome. Policymakers and program planners use these data to improve the health and well-being of women and infants.

Abortion, Legal↗

Tree hole Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) of the Central Plains in the United States.

Three-hundred eleven tree holes were sampled for Culicoides at 27 localities in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Of the 311 samples taken, 170 produced specimens, and 2,899 Culicoides were collected including 12 species. The 5 most common species (number collected) were C. guttipennis (1,468), C. arboricola (355), C. paraensis (292), C. elemae (186) and C. footei (159). Other species collected were C. villosipennis, C. nanus, C. hinmani, C. oklahomensis, C. snowi, C. lahillei and C. byersi. New state records include C. byersi and C. arboricola for Colorado; C. arboricola for Wyoming; and C. lahillei, C. elemae, C. nanus and C. paraensis for Oklahoma. Culicoides byersi, whose larval habitat was previously unknown, was reared from a cottonwood tree hole.

Animals↗

Utilization of the quantitative assay of lipoprotein X in the differential diagnosis of extraphepatic obstructive jaundice and intrahepatic diseases.

Quantitative determination of LP-X, abnormal serum low density lipoprotein, was performed on the sera of 620 patients with jaundice in two medical centers, one in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the other in Birmingham, England. The results of serial assays over a period of 5 to 8 days after patient admission to hospital or after onset of jaundice, if this occurred in hospital, correlated best with the type and management of jaundice. In some cases of early cholestatic disease of extrahepatic origin LP-X may be absent, but after the observation period it was found that only 1 of 81 (98%) patients with obstruction of the extrahepatic bile duct system remained negative. Of the remainder, 74 (91%) had or developed levels of LP-X exceeding 300 mg per 100 ml. In addition, 43 (88%) of 49 subjects followed serially showed increases in LP-X concentration, with no change in 3 patients. Of 539 subjects with intrahepatic disease, 14 (26.5%) were LP-X positive and 27 (19.4%) of these had initial LP-X levels higher than 300 mg per 100 ml. During the follow-up period, 35 (74%) of 47 patients with intrahepatic disease showed a reduction of LP-X; of the remaining 12 patients 4 had mitochondrial antibody-positive primary biliary cirrhosis, and 6 had severe cholestasis associated with acute infectious hepatitis and high aspartate transaminase levels. Similar figures for alkaline phosphatase showed less consistent changes during the follow-up period. In this retrospective appraisal the trends and absolute levels of LP-X, in addition to the use of similarly followed levels of the routine liver function tests, allowed better differentiation of jaundice requiring surgical correction from that remediable by medical means exclusively than did the use of the routine liver function tests alone. In addition, LP-X is specific for liver dysfunction, whereas other routine liver function tests are not.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Update: surveillance of outbreaks--United States, 1990.

Although disease outbreaks are often preventable public health problems, no uniform national system exists in the United States for surveillance of outbreaks. In 1988, CDC's Epidemiology Program Office participated with the epidemiology programs in four states (Maryland, New York, Oklahoma, and Washington) in a 5-month trial of an electronic system for the timely surveillance of outbreaks (1). This report updates the initial trial by summarizing a pilot project of surveillance of outbreaks in nine states--Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Washington.

Computer Communication Networks↗

Enterococcus: an old pathogen with new tricks.

Recent clinical enterococcal isolates from the Oklahoma City Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center were screened for high-level aminoglycoside resistance, vancomycin resistance, beta-lactamase production, and hemolysin production. Twenty-nine of 53 (55%) enterococcal isolates had high-level resistance to gentamicin, kanamycin, or streptomycin; 27 of these isolates were from the blood and 16 (59%) showed high-level gentamicin resistance. Twenty-one percent of 259 enterococcal isolates from blood, urine, stool, and other sources were hemolytic. Of thirteen blood isolates tested for both high-level gentamicin resistance and hemolysin production, 6 (46%) showed both characteristics. Vancomycin-resistant or beta-lactamase-producing isolates were not found. Nineteen of 21 charts from patients with premortem enterococcal blood isolates were reviewed, and no correlation was found between appropriate antibiotic treatment for high-level gentamicin-resistant or susceptible enterococcal bacteremia and outcome. Enterococci with multiple high-level aminoglycoside resistance, but not vancomycin resistance or beta-lactamase production, are common at this referral medical center. Clinical microbiology laboratories in Oklahoma should routinely screen enterococcal isolates causing potentially serious infections (eg, from blood or cerebral spinal fluid) for high-level aminoglycoside resistance.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗