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Biomedical subjects

J F Kraus

Publications and source records attributed to J F Kraus.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

When children shoot children. 88 unintended deaths in California.

Between 1977 and 1983, eighty-eight California children 0 to 14 years of age were unintentionally shot and killed either by other children or by themselves. The majority of cases occurred while children were playing with guns they had found. Easy accessibility to guns, the resemblance of guns to toys, and gun malfunctions were all contributing factors. Handguns, particularly those of .22 caliber, were frequently involved.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed1987

Improved estimates of discordance ratios in twin studies.

In the study of monozygotic twins relative to disease and risk factors, particular interest focuses on the subset who are discordant for some suspected risk factor (for example, smoking), since such twins constitute a natural case-control pair. In such studies, questionnaires designed to identify the status of all twin pairs are sometimes error prone and can yield misleading estimates of the concordance-discordance ratios. Greater efforts to verify the characteristics of apparently discordant pairs than to verify those of apparently concordant pairs can result in the 'unequal ascertainment' fallacy. Using the results of a questionnaire with known error rates and the 'apparent' frequencies yielded, we present unbiased, maximum likelihood estimates of the 'true' proportions of concordant and discordant pairs. concordant and discordant pairs. We also present approximate covariances among these estimates.

Diseases in Twins↗
PubMed1987

Incidence, severity, and outcomes of brain injuries involving bicycles.

We performed a population-based study of bicycle-related brain injuries in San Diego, California, residents during 1981. Incidence rates among males were three times higher than for females and were highest at ages 10-14 years for males. Only one-third of bicycle-related brain injuries involved collision with a motor vehicle, and this proportion was independent of age or gender. Brain injuries from motor-vehicle collisions were more severe than those resulting from other causes. Over half the brain-injured bicyclists aged 15 and older who were blood alcohol tested were legally intoxicated.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1987

Homicide while at work: persons, industries, and occupations at high risk.

The purpose of this study is to identify and describe, epidemiologically, work-related homicides in California from 1979 through 1981. Using the California State Computer Mortality File, an algorithm was developed and a search of the death certificates was made using three factors: "injury at work," injury at a work location, and pertinent external-cause-of-death codes. Only 30 per cent of the 466 homicide deaths identified were also found in the logs of the state Occupational Safety and Health agency. The average annual rate of work-related homicides was 1.5 per 100,000 workers. The male-to-female-rate ratio was 4.2:1. Police and security guards and persons in occupations having frequent public contact involving exchange of money, particularly in late afternoon or evening hours, were at highest risk. Controlling exposures of high-risk individuals and developing strict standards for reducing such exposures might greatly reduce assaults and thus prevent senseless loss of life in the workplace.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Drowning in childhood and adolescence: a population-based study.

We present the results of a residence-based study of drownings among Sacramento County, California children and adolescents ages 0-19 years for the years 1974-84. Children ages 1-3 had the highest drowning rates. The majority of drownings in this group, and one-third of all drownings in the study, occurred in residential swimming pools. Males ages 15-19 had a high drowning rate as well; at least 38 per cent of drownings in that age group were alcohol-associated. The implications for preventive efforts are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms in female supermarket checkers.

A survey of supermarket checkers was undertaken early in 1986 to assess the prevalence of symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Following three mailings, 83% of the 1,345 checkers had responded. The analysis, which was restricted to female workers aged 18 to 49 years, showed an overall prevalence of self-reported CTS symptoms of 62.5%. Prevalence rates were related to use of laser scanners, age, years worked as a checker, and average number of hours worked per week. The findings were similar when more restrictive criteria of CTS symptoms were used. Use of estrogens was not positively related to reported CTS symptoms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

The epidemiology of firearm deaths among residents of California.

Firearms are a leading cause of death in the United States, yet the effort to understand their aggregate impact on the public's health has only just begun. There were 26,442 firearm deaths among California residents during the years 1977 through 1983. During this period firearms were the eighth leading cause of death for California as a whole, sixth for male Californians and first for black males aged 15 to 34 years and black females aged 15 to 24 years. A plurality of firearm deaths were suicides; unintentional deaths contributed only 3% of the total. Black men aged 25 to 34 years had the single highest firearm mortality rate; 80% of firearm deaths in that group were homicides. Men 75 years old and older had the highest firearm mortality rate when all races were considered together, however, and 93% of firearm deaths in that group were suicides. The discussion focuses on our current understanding of firearms as a medical and public health problem and suggests directions for future research and intervention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Pediatric brain injuries: the nature, clinical course, and early outcomes in a defined United States' population.

Acute brain injury is the cause of approximately 100,000 pediatric hospital admissions per year in the United States. This report examines the nature of the brain injury, clinical diagnosis, hospital course, and discharge outcome of all pediatric cases in the population of San Diego County, California, for 1981 (N = 709). Brain-injured children were identified from hospital records, death certificates, and coroners' records. Severity of injury was determined using the Abbreviated Injury Scale and the Glasgow Coma Scale. Three percent of brain-injured children died at the accident site; an additional 3% died in the hospital. All in-hospital deaths occurred among the 5% of children with Glascow Coma Scale scores of 8 or less, and in this group the case fatality rate was 59%. Fractures of the skull, present in 23% of cases, seemed to be associated with excess mortality even after type of lesion was considered. Type of lesion, but not presence or absence of a skull fracture, had some predictive power for disability among survivors. Concussion was the most frequent diagnosis. Mildly brain-injured children accounted for 93% of all cases and about 90% of all hospital days.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Incidence, severity, and external causes of pediatric brain injury.

The number of fatal brain injuries and hospital admissions for brain injuries in children up to 15 years old in San Diego County, California, were ascertained from emergency room and hospital records, coroners' reports, death certificates, and nursing home and extended-care records for 1981. The annual brain-injury rate per 100 000 children was 185 (235 for boys and 132 for girls). The major causes of pediatric brain injury were falls (35%), recreational activities (29%), and motor vehicle crashes (24%). The case-fatality ratio was six deaths per 100 injured children. Of those children admitted to a hospital alive, 88% had a mild brain injury and 44% had no evidence of loss of consciousness. Two thirds of children with mild brain injuries and one third of those with serious brain injuries were transported to a hospital in private nonemergency vehicles.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1986

The relationship of family income to the incidence, external causes, and outcomes of serious brain injury, San Diego County, California.

Among residents of San Diego County, California the incidence and external causes of serious brain injury were related to the median family income of the census tract of residency. Low income tracts had high incidence rates--a finding not changed by adjustment for age and race/ethnicity. For those injured, the type of emergency transport, time from injury to treatment, and outcome of treatment were not related to the median income of the census tract of residency.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMed1985

Multiple primary cancers, with special reference to occupational exposure.

Multiple primary cancer (MPC) relating to occupational exposure was studied. The study consisted of a literature survey, survey of on-going research and our project on the frequency and nature of MPC in an occupational cohort of Japanese dyestuff workers followed from 1962 through 1983. From the review of the literature and on-going research there is little information on MPC and existing findings are mostly incomplete. However, a few occupational agents known to be carcinogenic to more than two organs, i.e. arsenic or radium, have been reported to cause MPC. In our follow-up of occupational bladder cancer cases, increased MPCs compared with a matched control group of nonoccupational cases were observed, but further investigation is necessary for a final conclusion. Finally, epidemiologic problems inherent to the study of MPC, including occupational studies, are discussed.

Coloring Agents↗
PubMed1985

Incidence, external causes, and outcomes of work-related brain injuries in males.

Little published information is available on the incidence of brain injury from work-related activities. A study of brain injury of residents of San Diego County, California, showed that the overall work-related injury rate for males was 19.8 per 100,000 workers (45.9 per 100 million hours). The incidence rates for male civilian and military personnel were 15.2 and 37.0 per 100,000 workers, respectively. In addition, the annual incidence of such injuries was 9.9 per 100 million work hours for males in the work force (18.5 per 100 million hours for military personnel and 7.6 per 100 million hours for civilians). Among military personnel, more than half of all work-related brain injuries were transportation related, primarily from off-road vehicles. Among civilians, more than half were due to falls. For both the military and civilian groups, work-related brain injury rates were markedly higher among young workers than among older ones.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1984

The application of a modified follow-up life table technique to the study of outpatient clinic services for sickle-cell patients.

A cohort of 60 matched pairs of sickle-cell anaemia (SS) patients from Ibadan, Nigeria and Oakland, California, were compared in a follow-up study. The null hypothesis tested was that there was no significant difference in the morbidity associated with sickle-cell anaemia among Ibadan SS patients receiving antimalarial prophylaxis and Oakland SS patients. Proportions of all clinic visits during which the patients had crises or infections associated with sickle cell anaemia (SSINF) were used as measures of morbidity. A modification of the follow-up life table was used for the analysis. Plots of PX and its confidence bands against frequency of clinic visits due to crises and SSINF were drawn. The Kruskal Wallis test was used to determine any significant differences in the probability of SS patients from either of the two centres visiting the clinic because of crises or SSINF. The results showed no significant differences in these probabilities.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1984

The incidence of acute brain injury and serious impairment in a defined population.

Studies on the incidence and epidemiologic features of brain injury and the immediate medical outcomes are few, and published results have serious methodological inconsistencies which prohibit comparisons. This study provides incidence rates of brain injury among the residents of San Diego, California. Cases had clinical confirmation and onset of injury occurred during 1981. The 3358 cases identified represent a rate of 180/100,000 with males having a 2.2 times higher rate than females. Rates were highest for males aged 15-24 years and, for both genders, those over age 70. Forty-eight per cent of all cases were from transport-related causes, followed by falls (21%) and assaults (12%). Over 11% were dead-on-arrival, and 16% were classified as having moderate or severe brain damage on admission to a hospital. Age- and sex-specific incidence rates varied according to external cause of injury. For example, for most subcategories of motor vehicle crashes and for assaults, the incidence rate was highest among males aged 15-24, while for brain injuries from falls or firearms, highest incidence rates were observed in older age groups. Almost 7% of all cases discharged alive from an acute care hospital had significant neurologic sequelae. The impact of brain injury is discussed as a major unresolved public health problem.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1984

Occupational status and suicide.

The relationship between occupational status and suicide was examined using data from Sacramento County, California. Data were obtained from coroner's records filed routinely on all cases of sudden, violent, or unexpected death since 1925. Occupation- and age-specific suicide rates were calculated for males and age-adjusted for overall comparison for the decades 1945-1954, 1955-1964, and 1965-1974. Findings show an inverse relationship between occupational status and suicide for all age groups over the past 30 years. Over time, male suicide rates have increased particularly for employed males over 65, employed males aged 14 to 24, and males in low-status occupations. General economic insecurity among workers of low socioeconomic status (SES), particularly the elderly, is suggested as a contributing factor to these trends.

Adolescent↗