Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Chicago”

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 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Evolving clinical problems with Streptococcus pneumoniae: increasing resistance to antimicrobial agents, and failure of traditional optochin identification in Chicago, Illinois, between 1993 and 1996.

Infections due to multidrug-resistant pneumococci are a growing concern. Through December 1995, over 85% of isolates recovered from our patients in Chicago, Illinois, were fully susceptible to penicillin, and only a rare resistant strain was recovered from blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In December 1995, we began to observe bloodstream infections due to Streptococcus pneumoniae with penicillin MICs that represented either intermediate or full resistance to penicillin. S. pneumoniae isolated between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 1996, were tested against 11 different antimicrobial agents. There were 158 from blood or CSF, and 303 from other (primarily respiratory) sources. During 1996, 46% of our total S. pneumoniae isolates were no longer fully susceptible to penicillin, representing a threefold increase from the previous year's experience. In isolates from blood and CSF, more than 90% of strains had been fully susceptible to penicillin through 1995, but since the start of 1996, 29% of our invasive isolates were no longer fully susceptible to penicillin. During 1996, vancomycin was the only currently approved agent that was active against all recovered isolates. We also noted two isolates during 1996 where optochin testing did not accurately identify strains as S. pneumoniae. A major problem with multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae causing both respiratory and invasive diseases appears to have now reached the Chicago area. Laboratories need to be aware of a continued increase in antimicrobial agent resistance exhibited by this pathogen, as well as potential difficulties that can be encountered using traditional laboratory identification methods.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Heat-related mortality during a 1999 heat wave in Chicago.

BACKGROUND: During the summer of 1999, Chicago's second deadliest heat wave of the decade resulted in at least 80 deaths. The high mortality, exceeded only by a 1995 heat wave, provided the opportunity to investigate the risks associated with heat-related deaths and to examine the effectiveness of targeted heat-relieving interventions. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study to determine risk factors for heat-related death. We collected demographic, health, and behavior information for 63 case patients and 77 neighborhood-and-age-matched control subjects and generated odds ratios (ORs) for each potential risk factor. RESULTS: Fifty-three percent of the case patients were aged <65 years, and psychiatric illness was almost twice as common in the younger than the older age group. In the multivariate analysis, the strongest risk factors for heat-related death were living alone (OR=8.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-48.1) and not leaving home daily (OR=5.8; 95% CI, 1.5-22.0). The strongest protective factor was a working air conditioner (OR=0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.7). Over half (53%) of the 80 decedents were seen or spoken to on the day of or day before their deaths. CONCLUSIONS: A working air conditioner is the strongest protective factor against heat-related death. The relatively younger age of case patients in 1999 may be due to post-1995 interventions that focused on the elderly of Chicago. However, social isolation and advanced age remain important risk factors. Individual social contacts and educational messages targeted toward at-risk populations during heat waves may decrease the number of deaths in these groups.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

African-American children are at risk of a measles outbreak in an inner-city community of Chicago, 2000.

BACKGROUND: Since the measles resurgence of 1989-1991, which affected predominantly inner-city preschoolers, national vaccination rates have risen to record-high levels, but rates among inner-city, preschool-aged, African-American children lag behind national rates. The threat of measles importations from abroad exists and may be particularly important in large U.S. cities. To stop epidemic transmission, measles vaccination coverage should be at least 80%. OBJECTIVE: To determine measles vaccination rates and predictors for having received a dose of measles-containing vaccine by age 19 to 35 months among children in an inner-city community of Chicago. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional survey with probability proportional to size cluster sampling. Immunization histories from parent-held records and providers were combined to establish a complete vaccination history. RESULTS: A total of 2545 households were contacted, and 170 included a resident child aged 12 to 35 months. Of these, 97% (N=165 children) agreed to participate. Immunization history from a parent or provider was not available for 20 children. Among children aged 19 to 35 months with available immunization histories, 74% received measles vaccine (n=100); of these, 84% received the vaccine as recommended at ages 12 to 15 months. However, when including children without immunization histories, measles coverage levels among children aged 19 to 35 months were 64% (n=114). Among children with records, predictors for receipt of measles vaccine by age 19 to 35 months were possessing a hand-held immunization card (odds ratio [OR]=16.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]=4.2-67.1); utilizing a public health department provider for a usual source of care (OR=8.9; 95% CI=1.6-47.2); and being up-to-date for vaccines at 3 months of age (OR=5.0; 95% CI=1.8-14.1). CONCLUSIONS: Optimistically assuming that children without immunization histories are as well immunized as children with immunization histories, the measles vaccination rate among Englewood's children aged 19 to 35 months is too low to maintain immunity (74%). Measles coverage levels lagged behind coverage reported in a national survey in Chicago (86%) and the nation as a whole (92%). Efforts to raise and sustain coverage should be undertaken.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2005

Asthma morbidity and treatment in the Chicago metropolitan area: one decade after national guidelines.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have demonstrated disproportionate hospitalization and mortality rates in US urban areas. Yet, no published population-based studies have examined the burden of asthma on the residents of a particular urban area known to be at high risk for poor asthma outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To examine asthma morbidity and medical care in a population-based sample of adults and children with asthma residing in the greater Chicago, IL, metropolitan area and to explore social and demographic influences on morbidity and treatment. METHODS: A telephone survey of adults living in the Chicago metropolitan area was conducted from November 1999 through December 2000. RESULTS: The final sample included 152 adults and children with active asthma. Emergency department visits and hospitalizations for asthma in the previous year were reported by 25.7% and 6.6% of respondents, respectively. Of current medication users, 32.2% reported current regular use of controller medications. After adjusting for age, sex, income, education, and reported current pharmacotherapy, compared with white individuals, African American individuals remained 6.3 times more likely to have experienced an emergency department visit and 12.3 times more likely to have been hospitalized. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that poorly controlled asthma remains a prevalent problem for persons with asthma in this metropolitan area and that a large gap remains between the goals of asthma therapy and appropriate treatment as defined by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. The reasons for disparate treatment and health outcomes by race/ethnicity and income need further study and intervention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Prevalence and burden of illness for asthma and related symptoms among kindergartners in Chicago public schools.

BACKGROUND: Asthma mortality rates in poor communities of Chicago are among the highest in the country. Possible explanations include increased asthma prevalence, increased severity, and suboptimal health care. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of asthma and asthma-related symptoms among inner-city kindergarten children, and to characterize their burden of illness, asthma-related health care access, and pharmacologic treatment. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of parents of kindergartners was conducted in 11 randomly selected Chicago elementary schools. A self-administered 16-item questionnaire was given to parents of kindergartners. Parents who reported doctor-diagnosed asthma or at least one of several key asthma-related symptoms were then interviewed with a supplemental questionnaire examining asthma-related health care and medication use. RESULTS: Based on data from 638 children [mean age 5.7 (SD = 0.6) years], the prevalence of diagnosed asthma was 10.8%. Sixteen percent of the respondents reported that their child had wheezed in the past year. The prevalence of asthma-related symptoms unassociated with a diagnosis of asthma was 30.1%. The children with diagnosed asthma had evidence of a high burden of illness: over 40% were reported to have had sleep disturbance due to wheezing > or =1 to 2 nights/week and 86.6% reported acute care visits for respiratory symptoms in the past year. Self-reported access to medical care was high. Over 40% of the children with doctor diagnosed asthma were reported to have used a beta2-agonist in the preceding 2 weeks, and 12.2% used an inhaled anti-inflammatory. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that asthma prevalence in school-aged children in inner-city communities may be higher than US estimates. The burden of illness experienced by these children is substantial. Also, a large proportion of children were reported to have respiratory symptoms consistent with asthma, and no asthma diagnosis, suggesting possible undiagnosed asthma. While measures of health care access appear to indicate that the majority of children with asthma experience no identified barriers to health care, there is evidence to suggest undertreatment.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed2006

A comparison of the availability and affordability of a market basket in two communities in the Chicago area.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to characterise the food landscape of an inner city African American neighbourhood and its mixed-race suburban neighbour. Detailed analysis focuses on the relationship between community store mix and price, availability and produce quality. DESIGN: A market basket study was completed by members of the Chicago Food Systems Collaborative. The US Department of Agriculture's standard market basket survey and methodology were used. Additional items and analyses were added in consultation with community members. SETTING: Austin is a lower-middle-class African American community of 117,500 on the western edge of Chicago. Oak Park, which borders Austin, is an upper-middle-income suburb of 52,500 with a mixed racial profile. SUBJECTS: A market basket survey of every retail food store in Austin and Oak Park was completed. A total of 134 were included. RESULTS: Results indicate that Austin has many grocery stores and few supermarkets. Many Austin groceries stores carry produce that is usually competitively priced, but often of unacceptable quality. Supermarkets had the best selection. Prices were lowest at discount supermarkets. Prices of packaged items were higher at independent stores than at chain supermarkets, but fresh items were cheaper. CONCLUSIONS: Food access is related more to store type than number. In this study, item availability and produce quality varied greatly between store types. Price differences were complicated and varied by store type and food category. This has consequences in terms of food purchasing decisions and dietary quality that public health professionals should acknowledge.

Chicago↗
PubMed2002

Differing postneonatal mortality rates of African-American and white infants in Chicago: an ecologic study.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine whether neighborhood impoverishment explains the racial disparity in urban postneonatal mortality rates. METHODS: Stratified and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed on the vital records of all African-Americans and whites born in Chicago by means of a linked 1992-1995 computerized birth-death file with appended 1990 U.S. census income and 1995 Chicago Department of Public Health data. Four community-level variables (low median family income, high rates of unemployment, homicide, and lead poisoning) were analyzed. Communities with one or more ecologic risk factors were classified as impoverished. RESULTS: The postneonatal mortality rate of African-Americans (N = 104,656) was 7.5/1000 compared to 2.7/1000 for whites (N = 52,954); relative risk (95% confidence interval) equaled 2.8 (2.3-3.3). Seventy-nine percent of African-American infants compared to 9% of white infants resided in impoverished neighborhoods; p < 0.01. In impoverished neighborhoods, the adjusted odds ratio (controlling for infant and maternal individual-level risk factors) of postneonatal mortality for African-American infants equaled 1.5 (0.5-4.2). In nonimpoverished neighborhoods, the adjusted odds ratio of postneonatal mortality for African-American infants equaled 1.8 (1.1-2.9). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that urban African-American infants who reside in nonimpoverished neighborhoods are at high risk for postneonatal mortality.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2003

The Chicago School of Arrhythmology: revisited.

The Chicago School of Arrhythmology (Katz, Langendorf and Pick) dominated the field of arrhythmias for at least 20 years until the advent of intracardiac electrophysiology in the late sixties. Thereafter they still played a fundamental role. Whereas other arrhythmologists also made contributions, they did not develop "schools" in the classical Platonic sense. The Chicago School's intuitive, deductive and inductive contributions to the understanding of multiple electrophysiological mechanisms were well appreciated, recognized and corroborated by basic and clinical electrophysiologists. Less known was their ability to propagate this knowledge in semi-tutorial courses which were so unique in explaining complex arrhythmic concepts that it is still used today by those who inherited their prominent position in the ever expanding world of invasive electrophysiology.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed1990

Spinal cord injury care system: fifteen-year experience at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

A statistical study of 15 years of the spinal cord injury care system of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is reported. The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) is the rehabilitation component of the Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System, a collaborative programme with Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University. Data are reported on 1382 patients, a representative sample of the over 2000 patients treated since the inception of the centre. The sample was predominantly male (83%, N = 1147) and caucasian (64%, N = 888). The most common aetiology was motor vehicle accidents (36%, N = 505). During the 15-year period there were significant decreases in both acute and rehabilitation lengths of stay. Ninety three per cent of the patients were discharged home. Rehabilitation benefits were demonstrated by improvements in the Modified Barthel Index. The research, educational and clinical programmes are described.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Economic distress and cause-of-death patterns for black and non-black men in Chicago: reconsidering the relevance of classic epidemiological transition theory.

The mortality disadvantage of African Americans is well documented, but previous studies have not considered its implications for population theory in the general case of industrialized nation states with high levels of income inequality. This paper examines the relevance of classic epidemiological theory to the extremes of income and mortality observed in Chicago, one of America's most racially divided cities. We analyze cause-specific death rates for black and non-black male populations residing in Chicago's community areas by using linked data from the 1990 Census and from 1989-1991 individual death certificates. The same cause-of-death patterns explain much of the mortality of black and non-black men. These two major structures include one, degenerative diseases, the other, "tough-living" causes (accidents, homicides, and liver disease). Community socioeconomic status is strongly related to tough-living deaths within each racial group, and to degenerative deaths for African Americans. Black men's tough-living mortality is much greater than non-blacks', but their younger age structure suppresses their degenerative death rates. Aggregate unemployment and social disorganization account for the most salient disparities in mortality across racial groups. This patterning of mortality along a socioeconomic continuum supports epidemiological theory and extends its applicability to highly unequal populations within industrialized countries.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2003

Antimicrobial resistance in Staphylococcus aureus at the University of Chicago Hospitals: a 15-year longitudinal assessment in a large university-based hospital.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a longitudinal profile of resistance to beta-lactam antimicrobials among isolates of Staphylococcus aureus at a large university teaching hospital and to evaluate the impact of the methicillin resistance phenotype on resistance trends for non-beta-lactam antimicrobials. DESIGN: Retrospective evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibility data for all 17,287 S. aureus isolates obtained from January 1986 through December 2000. SETTING: The University of Chicago Hospitals, a family of tertiary-care, university-affiliated hospitals in Chicago, Illinois, consisting of 547 adult and pediatric beds. RESULTS: The annual rate of resistance to methicillin increased from 13% in 1986 to 28% in 2000 (P < .001) and has not plateaued. For each non-beta-lactam antimicrobial tested, the annual rates of resistance were far higher among methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates than among methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates. The annual rates of resistance to the macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin (MLS) antimicrobials erythromycin and clindamycin increased among MSSA isolates (P < .01), but remained lower than 20%. Resistance to the MLS antimicrobials was higher among MRSA isolates (higher than 60%), but the annual rate decreased significantly during the study (P < .01). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of methicillin resistance among S. aureus isolates has continued to increase; resistance to non-beta-lactam antimicrobials is far more common among MRSA isolates. Recent decreases in the proportion of MRSA isolates resistant to non-beta-lactam antimicrobials suggest important changes in the epidemiology of this pathogen.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1996

Neurocysticercosis among children in Chicago.

Neurocysticercosis has been diagnosed increasingly in the United States as a consequence of increased immigration from and travel to areas of endemic cysticercosis. We report a retrospective series of 47 pediatric cases of neurocysticercosis in our large children's hospital in Chicago, which has a large immigrant population. Neurocysticercosis was diagnosed on the basis of any of the following three criteria: (1) surgical biopsy findings, (2) radiographic findings consistent with neurocysticercosis as well as diagnostic serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid titers, or (3) consistent radiographic findings and a compatible epidemiologic history (without diagnostic serological findings). Epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory, and radiographic data were analyzed. Neurocysticercosis is a relatively common cause of afebrile seizures in children who present to our emergency department in Chicago. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are both important modalities in evaluation of children with neurocysticercosis. Laboratory studies are neither sensitive for nor predictive of the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. Therapy is well tolerated. The long-term prognosis for treated patients appears to be excellent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in Latino residents of Chicago.

In 1970, 250,000 Spanish-speaking persons resided in Chicago, 80,000 of whom were Puerto Rican. Because migration to Chicago is constantly occurring from areas where intestinal parasites are endemic, a survey was conducted in a predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood to determine the prevalence of these parasites and to provide impetus for further case finding and treatment programs. The survey was part of an epidemiologic and cutreach workers going door-to-door obtained histories, hematocrits, and single stool specimens from 358 individuals. An overall intestinal parasite prevalence rate of 18.6% (67 persons) was found. Specific rates were Trichuris trichiura 13.9% (50 cases), hookworm 6.6% (24 cases), Giardia lamblia (3.9% (14 cases), and Strongyloides stercoralis 1.7% (6 cases). There were no cases of Ascaris lumbricoides or ENTAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA, Although several nonpathogenic protozoa were found. The most affected age groups were 15--24 years followed by 5--14. Two of the Giardia cases were individuals never out of the continental United States. An incidental finding was a high rate of low hematocrit readings not correlated with the parasite findings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Comparative head trauma experiences in two socioeconomically different Chicago-area communities: a population study.

Although a few epidemiologic studies of head injuries have appeared recently, none have examined the incidence, causes and risk factors for an inner city environment. To overcome this deficiency, the authors visited 35 hospitals and the Office of the Medical Examiner and abstracted data from every chart that described a head injury that had been sustained during a 12-month interval by residents of either of two Chicago-area communities: one located in the inner city, comprised almost entirely of blacks; the other the city of Evanston, a Chicago suburb, about 21% black and 75% white. Denominators came from the 1980 Census. Age-adjusted incidence rates, per 100,000 population, were 403 for the inner city community, 394 for Evanston blacks and 196 for Evanston whites. In each race-community category, males were about 2.5 times more likely than females to sustain a head injury. Mortality rates from head trauma were 32 for the inner city community, 19 for Evanston blacks and 11 for Evanston whites. The leading cause of head trauma and death from head trauma was interpersonal attacks for the inner city residents and vehicle accidents for Evanston residents. Community differences, revealed in this study, and in a comparison of this study with previous reports, are discussed. Finally, methodological differences among these studies are examined in an effort to determine which differences in results reflect actual differences in head trauma experience.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1992

Random digit dialing in Chicago CARDIA: comparison of individuals with unlisted and listed telephone numbers.

Young adult blacks and whites aged 18-30 years of both low and high educational levels were recruited through random digit dialing to participate in the Chicago, Illinois, portion of a longitudinal study, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA). Overall, 31% of randomly selected persons eligible to participate had unlisted telephone numbers--about 50% of black men and women and 11% and 17% of white men and women, respectively. There was no difference in proportions of numbers unlisted by educational level, except for white men, who were more likely to have unlisted numbers at a low educational level than at a high educational level. There was no consistent pattern of differences in rates of participation across race, sex, or education subgroups for unlisted and listed numbers, and there were no significant differences for selected health measures, except smoking. The findings suggest that in Chicago, there is a potential bias in estimates of sociodemographic characteristics from the exclusion of unlisted numbers, but it is likely to be insignificant if recruitment is stratified according to race, sex, and education. Within strata, there was little bias with respect to the attributes measured. Ideally, to guard against possible bias, random digit dialing is recommended as the preferred way to select a representative population-based sample.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

The University of Chicago Neurosurgical Program.

The current members of the faculty at the University of Chicago are acutely aware of the great historic tradition they have inherited. Like all academic medical centers, they are challenged by the current socioeconomic climate, but with the vast intellectual resources of the University of Chicago and its secure place in the community, both locally and nationally, we are confident of our ability to make a continuing contribution to the development of neurosurgery.

Chicago↗
PubMed1997

Redefining the growth of the heterosexual HIV/AIDS epidemic in Chicago.

UNLABELLED: A dramatic shift in the relative distribution of the five categories of heterosexual transmission for AIDS cases diagnosed in Chicago since 1991 prompted a mode-of-transmission validation study of what had become the most frequently reported heterosexual exposure: heterosexual relations with a person with AIDS (PWA) or documented HIV infection whose risk is not specified. METHODS: For 395 cases with originally reported heterosexual exposure, one or more of three supplemental data sources were employed: medical records were reviewed, medical providers were interviewed, and patients or proxies (i.e., spouse, significant other, or family member) were interviewed when possible. When reported HIV exposure could not be validated or reclassified, the transmission category employed was "no identifiable risk" (NIR). RESULTS: Eighty-five percent (336 of 395 cases) were reclassified into different transmission categories. Most notably, 69% (272 of 395 cases) were reclassified into transmission categories that did not involve heterosexual contact, including NIR. The cumulative percentage of cases attributable to heterosexual contact declined from 8% to 5% as a result of reclassification. Additionally, reclassification resulted in a reduction of nearly 50% in the number of AIDS cases attributable to heterosexual contact diagnosed in 1993 and 1994. CONCLUSIONS: In Chicago, an emerging problem in AIDS surveillance appears to be the use of an ambiguous heterosexual exposure category as a default when other information is not readily available. This study has found the growth in AIDS cases among persons exposed to HIV through heterosexual contact to be much slower than previously perceived. This finding may have important implications for the national debate over the extent to which heterosexual people are being infected and how funding and prevention strategies should be prioritized.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1978

A hypertension control program based on the workplace. Report on the Chicago Center.

In several large Chicago companies and institutions, workplace screening of 7,151 persons yielded 833 suspect hypertensives. Of these, 91% attended a follow-up verification visit, where for 513 persons high diastolic pressure was confirmed. One-half of these persons were referred to their physicians for treatment and one-half were randomly assigned to be treated directly by HDFP, in a step-wise pharmacologic regimen to normalize diastolic pressure. Of the 257 persons assigned to program treatment, 94% accepted such treatment, and over 90% of these still living in the community were active participants at one year. Average diastolic pressure of these active participants was 83.1 mm Hg at one year, compared to 102.6 at first screen and 98.8 at the second confirmatory screening. A strenuous effort has been made to reduce or eliminate obstacles to treatment, including lack of understanding of the need for long-term therapy, cost barriers and barriers of inconvenience of treatment. The medical team conducting the program combined physicians with nonphysician therapist-health counselors, plus "outreach" staff, to maximize program adherence. Preliminary experiences in the Chicago Center of the Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program (HDFP) give encouraging evidence that the workplace is a useful base for successful hypertension control efforts.

Chicago↗