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Biomedical subjects

R C Holman

Publications and source records attributed to R C Holman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Decreased antibody response among nursing home residents who received recalled influenza vaccine and results of revaccination, 1996-97.

In November 1996, 11 lots of one U.S. manufacturer's 1996-97 trivalent influenza vaccine were voluntarily recalled because of decreasing potency of the A/Nanchang/933/95 (H3N2) component. Because the elderly are at high risk of developing influenza-related complications, we assessed the postvaccination antibody titers of nursing home residents who received recalled vaccine and assessed the antibody response to revaccination. Blood samples were collected 3 weeks after vaccination from 86 residents at three nursing homes who received recalled vaccine and 86 residents at three other nursing homes who received a different manufacturer's vaccine. Medical records were reviewed. Residents of one nursing home were later revaccinated. Blood samples were collected on the day of revaccination and again in 3 weeks. Serum was tested by hemagglutination inhibition for antibody to all three components of the 1996-97 influenza vaccine. The geometric mean antibody titer (GMT) (33 vs 55; p=0.01) and the percentage of residents with an antibody titer > or = 1:40 (52 vs 67%; p=0.04) to the A/Nanchang/933/95 component were lower among residents who received recalled vaccine compared to those who received non-recalled vaccine, but had similar GMTs against the other two vaccine components. After revaccination, the GMT to A/Nanchang/933/95 increased from 24 on the day of revaccination to 39 (p=0.01) in residents from one nursing home. Therefore, vaccination with the recalled vaccine was associated with lower postvaccination antibody titers to A/Nanchang/933/95, but not against the other two vaccine components. Revaccination was moderately effective in increasing antibody titers. With annual changes in influenza vaccine strains, routine post-release stability testing of influenza vaccine should continue.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Bronchiolitis-associated hospitalizations among American Indian and Alaska Native children.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract illness among infants and young children. Respiratory system diseases account for a large proportion of hospitalizations in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children; however, aggregate estimates of RSV-associated hospitalizations among AI/AN children have not been made. METHODS: We used Indian Health Service hospitalization data from 1990 through 1995 to describe hospitalizations associated with bronchiolitis, the most characteristic clinical manifestation of RSV infection, among AI/AN children <5 years old. RESULTS: The overall bronchiolitis-associated hospitalization rate among AI/AN infants < 1 year old was considerably higher (61.8 per 1,000) than the 1995 estimated bronchiolitis hospitalization rate among all US infants (34.2 per 1,000). Hospitalization rates were higher among male infants (72.2 per 1,000) than among females infants (51.1 per 1,000). The highest infant hospitalization rate was noted in the Navajo Area (96.3 per 1,000). Hospitalizations peaked annually in January or February, consistent with national peaks for RSV detection. Bronchiolitis hospitalizations accounted for an increasing proportion of hospitalizations for lower respiratory tract illnesses. CONCLUSIONS: Bronchiolitis-associated hospitalization rates are substantially greater for AI/AN infants than those for all US infants. This difference may reflect an increased likelihood of severe RSV-associated disease or a decreased threshold for hospitalization among AI/AN infants with bronchiolitis compared with all US infants. AI/AN children would receive considerable benefit from lower respiratory tract illness prevention programs, including an RSV vaccine, if and when one becomes available.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1999

Bronchiolitis-associated hospitalizations among US children, 1980-1996.

CONTEXT: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes more lower respiratory tract infections, often manifested as bronchiolitis, among young children than any other pathogen. Few national estimates exist of the hospitalizations attributable to RSV, and recent advances in prophylaxis warrant an update of these estimates. OBJECTIVES: To describe rates of bronchiolitis-associated hospitalizations and to estimate current hospitalizations associated with RSV infection. DESIGN AND SETTING: Descriptive analysis of US National Hospital Discharge Survey data from 1980 through 1996. PARTICIPANTS: Children younger than 5 years who were hospitalized in short-stay, non-federal hospitals for bronchiolitis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Bronchiolitis-associated hospitalization rates by age and year. RESULTS: During the 17-year study period, an estimated 1.65 million hospitalizations for bronchiolitis occurred among children younger than 5 years, accounting for 7.0 million inpatient days. Fifty-seven percent of these hospitalizations occurred among children younger than 6 months and 81 % among those younger than 1 year. Among children younger than 1 year, annual bronchiolitis hospitalization rates increased 2.4-fold, from 12.9 per 1000 in 1980 to 31.2 per 1000 in 1996. During 1988-1996, infant hospitalization rates for bronchiolitis increased significantly (P for trend <.001), while hospitalization rates for lower respiratory tract diseases excluding bronchiolitis did not vary significantly (P for trend = .20). The proportion of hospitalizations for lower respiratory tract illnesses among children younger than 1 year associated with bronchiolitis increased from 22.2% in 1980 to 47.4% in 1996; among total hospitalizations, this proportion increased from 5.4% to 16.4%. Averaging bronchiolitis hospitalizations during 1994-1996 and assuming that RSV was the etiologic agent in 50% to 80% of November through April hospitalizations, an estimated 51, 240 to 81, 985 annual bronchiolitis hospitalizations among children younger than 1 year were related to RSV infection. CONCLUSIONS: During 1980-1996, rates of hospitalization of infants with bronchiolitis increased substantially, as did the proportion of total and lower respiratory tract hospitalizations associated with bronchiolitis. Annual bronchiolitis hospitalizations associated with RSV infection among infants may be greater than previous estimates for RSV bronchiolitis and pneumonia hospitalizations combined.

Bronchiolitis↗
PubMed1999

Reye's syndrome in the United States from 1981 through 1997.

BACKGROUND: Reye's syndrome is characterized by encephalopathy and fatty degeneration of the liver, usually after influenza or varicella. Beginning in 1980, warnings were issued about the use of salicylates in children with those viral infections because of the risk of Reye's syndrome. METHODS: To describe the pattern of Reye's syndrome in the United States, characteristics of the patients, and risk factors for poor outcomes, we analyzed national surveillance data collected from December 1980 through November 1997. The surveillance system is based on voluntary reporting with the use of a standard case-report form. RESULTS: From December 1980 through November 1997 (surveillance years 1981 through 1997), 1207 cases of Reye's syndrome were reported in patients less than 18 years of age. Among those for whom data on race and sex were available, 93 percent were white and 52 percent were girls. The number of reported cases of Reye's syndrome declined sharply after the association of Reye's syndrome with aspirin was reported. After a peak of 555 cases in children reported in 1980, there have been no more than 36 cases per year since 1987. Antecedent illnesses were reported in 93 percent of the children, and detectable blood salicylate levels in 82 percent. The overall case fatality rate was 31 percent. The case fatality rate was highest in children under five years of age (relative risk, 1.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.5 to 2.1) and in those with a serum ammonia level above 45 microg per deciliter (26 micromol per liter) (relative risk, 3.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.9 to 6.2). CONCLUSIONS: Since 1980, when the association between Reye's syndrome and the use of aspirin during varicella or influenza-like illness was first reported, there has been a sharp decline in the number of infants and children reported to have Reye's syndrome. Because Reye's syndrome is now very rare, any infant or child suspected of having this disorder should undergo extensive investigation to rule out the treatable inborn metabolic disorders that can mimic Reye's syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Trends in hospitalizations associated with gastroenteritis among adults in the United States, 1979-1995.

Gastroenteritis (GE) is among the most common illnesses of humans but the burden of disease, its epidemiology, and the distribution of pathogens in adults have not been fully examined. This information is needed to plan prevention strategies particularly for high-risk groups. This study is a retrospective analysis of data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey for the years 1979 through 1995 which describes the disease burden and epidemiology of hospitalizations associated with GE among adults in the United States. Diarrhoea was listed as a diagnosis on an average of 452,000 hospital discharges per year representing 1.5% of all hospitalizations among adults. The annual number of GE hospitalizations has decreased by 20% from approximately 500,000 in 1979 to 400,000 in 1995. The aetiology of 78% of cases coded as GE was undetermined. Until the aetiology of disease can be better established, specific strategies for prevention cannot be developed.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Hidden mortality attributable to Rocky Mountain spotted fever: immunohistochemical detection of fatal, serologically unconfirmed disease.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is the most severe tickborne infection in the United States and is a nationally notifiable disease. Since 1981, the annual case-fatality ratio for RMSF has been determined from laboratory-confirmed cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Herein, a description is given of patients with fatal, serologically unconfirmed RMSF for whom a diagnosis of RMSF was established by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of tissues obtained at autopsy. During 1996-1997, acute-phase serum and tissue samples from patients with fatal disease compatible with RMSF were tested at the CDC. As determined by indirect immunofluorescence assay, no patient serum demonstrated IgG or IgM antibodies reactive with Rickettsia rickettsii at a diagnostic titer (i.e., >/=64); however, IHC staining confirmed diagnosis of RMSF in all patients. Polymerase chain reaction validated the IHC findings for 2 patients for whom appropriate samples were available for testing. These findings suggest that dependence on serologic assays and limited use of IHC staining for confirmation of fatal RMSF results in underestimates of mortality and of case-fatality ratios for this disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Kawasaki syndrome among American Indian and Alaska Native children, 1980 through 1995.

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki syndrome (KS) is a leading cause of acquired heart disease among US children, but the epidemiologic features of KS among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children have not been described. METHODS: We examined Indian Health Service computerized records of hospital discharges for AI/AN children <18 years of age with KS during 1980 through 1995. RESULTS: During 1980 through 1995, 85 AI/AN children were reported with a hospitalization for KS; 10 of the children had an additional KS hospitalization record within 5 months. The average annual KS hospitalization rate for children <5 years of age, based on first KS hospitalization only, was 4.3 cases per 100000 children; the rate for children age <1 year (n = 21) was 8.6 per 100000 and for children ages 1 to 4 years was 3.6 per 100000. The annual rates for children < 5 years of age ranged from 0 to 8.5 per 100000 children. KS hospitalizations for children peaked in January and February; 50.6% of the children were hospitalized during January through April. The overall median length of hospital stay was 4 days (range, 1 to 29 days); the median duration decreased from 8 days from 1980 through 1982 to 4 days from 1993 through 1995. CONCLUSIONS: The overall annual hospitalization rate of KS among AI/AN children <5 years of age was slightly lower than rates for several majority white populations in the United States. (4.6 to 15.2 cases per 100000) and much lower than rates for blacks and Asians/Pacific Islanders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

First rotavirus vaccine licensed: is there really a need?

The first rotavirus vaccine was licensed in the United States on 31 August 1998 for the prevention of severe rotavirus diarrhea in children. Despite this landmark in new vaccines, many pediatricians and public health professionals in Europe are uncertain of the need for this vaccine for the routine immunization of infants. In Europe, ample evidence suggests that rotavirus is the most common cause of hospitalizations for severe diarrhea among children, but proper studies documenting the disease burden of rotavirus or the cost-effectiveness of a rotavirus immunization program have only been conducted in the United Kingdom following epidemiologic models used in the United States. All children are infected with rotavirus during their first few years of life, 30-50% of diarrheal hospitalizations among children <5 years are due to this agent, and, by the age of 5 years, between 1 in 40 and 1 in 77 children in Europe and the United States may be hospitalized for rotavirus. The first vaccine is a live, oral preparation combining four different serotypes of rotavirus and administered in three doses with other childhood immunizations. The good efficacy against severe rotavirus diarrhea, the low risk of adverse side effects and the positive cost-effectiveness equation have led the two major immunization advisory groups in the U.S. to recommend this vaccine for routine use in American infants. European physicians and policy-makers should re-examine the epidemiology and disease burden of rotavirus diarrhea now that an effective method of prevention is at hand.

Child↗
PubMed1999

Intravenous ribavirin for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome: safety and tolerance during 1 year of open-label experience. Ribavirin Study Group.

Intravenous ribavirin was provided non-selectively for investigational open-label use among persons with suspected hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the United States between 4 June 1993 and 1 September 1994. Therapy was initiated prior to laboratory confirmation of hantavirus infection because most deaths from HPS occur within 48 h of hospitalization. Thirty patients with confirmed HPS, 105 patients without HPS and 5 patients without adequate diagnostic testing for HPS were enrolled. This observational study arguably provides the most complete information available on ribavirin-associated adverse effects. Although ribavirin was generally well tolerated, 71% of recipients became anaemic and 19% underwent transfusion. An apparent excess of hyperamylasaemia/pancreatitis was either therapy-associated or due to enrollment bias. The 30 enrolled HPS patients had a case-fatality rate of 47% (14/30). It is not possible to assess efficacy with this study design. However, comparison of survival curves for the 30 enrolled HPS patients and 34 patients who developed HPS during the same time period but were not enrolled did not suggest an appreciable drug effect. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial that enrolls patients during the prodrome phase would be necessary to assess the efficacy and further define the safety of intravenous ribavirin for HPS.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Trends in diarrhea-associated hospitalizations among American Indian and Alaska native children, 1980-1995.

OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in diarrhea- associated hospitalizations among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children and to estimate the morbidity from rotavirus. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of Indian Health Service hospital discharge records. PATIENTS: AI/AN children 1 month through 4 years of age with a diarrhea-associated diagnosis listed on the hospital discharge record. SETTING: Hospitals on or near US Indian reservations from 1980 through 1995. RESULTS: During 1980 through 1995, 21 669 diarrhea-associated hospitalizations were reported among AI/AN children. The annual incidence of diarrhea-associated hospitalizations declined by 76% from 276 per 10 000 in 1980 to 65 per 10 000 in 1995. The median length of hospital stay decreased from 4 days during 1980-1982 to 2 days during 1993-1995. Diarrhea-associated hospitalizations peaked during the winter months (October through March), especially among children 4-35 months of age, with the peaks appearing first in the Southwest during October and moving to the East in March. In the early years of the study (1980-1982), the rate of diarrhea-associated hospitalizations among AI/AN children (236 per 10 000) was greater than the national rate (136 per 10 000). By the end of the study period (1993-1995), the rate for AI/AN children (71 per 10 000) was similar to the national rate (89 per 10 000), although the rate for AI/AN infants remained higher than the national rate for infants. CONCLUSIONS: Diarrhea-associated hospitalization rates for AI/AN children have declined to a level similar to that of the national population. Rotavirus may be an important contributor to diarrheal morbidity among AI/AN children, underscoring the need for vaccines against this pathogen.

Alaska↗
PubMed1999

Use of state hospital discharge data to assess the morbidity from rotavirus diarrhea and to monitor the impact of a rotavirus immunization program: A pilot study in Connecticut.

OBJECTIVES: Now that rotavirus vaccines have been licensed and recommended for routine immunization of US infants, there is an urgent need for data to assess the morbidity from rotavirus diarrhea and to monitor the impact of a rotavirus immunization program. In a pilot study, we have assessed the usefulness of state hospital discharge data on diarrhea in children to provide this information by examining data from Connecticut. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of discharge records from acute care, nongovernmental hospitals in Connecticut. Patients. Children 1 month through 4 years of age with a diarrhea-associated diagnosis listed on the discharge record. Setting. Connecticut, 1987 through 1996. RESULTS: During the 10-year study period, a total of 11 324 diarrhea-associated hospitalizations (49.4 hospitalizations per 10,000 children) were reported. Diarrhea-associated hospitalizations peaked during February through April, especially among children 4 to 35 months of age. The seasonality and age distribution of diarrhea-associated hospitalizations of presumed noninfectious and viral etiologies resembled those of rotavirus-associated hospitalizations. During 1993 to 1996, rotavirus was coded for 10.4% of diarrhea-associated hospitalizations increasing from 8.6% in 1993 to 14.7% in 1996. The unadjusted median cost of a diarrhea-associated hospitalization during 1987 to 1996 and 1993 to 1996 was $1,941 and $2,428, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Diarrhea causes substantial morbidity in children from Connecticut. The winter seasonal peak of diarrhea-associated hospitalizations in children 4 to 35 months of age coinciding with the peak of rotavirus-specific hospitalizations suggests that rotavirus is an important contributor to the overall morbidity. Although our findings suggest incomplete coding of rotavirus cases, state hospital discharge data should provide sensitive and timely information to monitor the impact of a rotavirus immunization program in Connecticut.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1998

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a rotavirus immunization program for the United States.

CONTEXT: Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in children, and a live, oral vaccine may soon be licensed for prevention. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the economic impact of a national rotavirus immunization program in the United States. DESIGN: Cost-effectiveness was analyzed from the perspectives of the health care system and society. A decision tree used estimates of disease burden, costs, vaccine coverage, efficacy, and price obtained from published and unpublished sources. INTERVENTION: The proposed vaccine would be administered to infants at ages 2, 4, and 6 months as part of the routine schedule of childhood immunizations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total costs, outcomes prevented, and incremental cost-effectiveness. RESULTS: A routine, universal rotavirus immunization program would prevent 1.08 million cases of diarrhea, avoiding 34000 hospitalizations, 95000 emergency department visits, and 227000 physician visits in the first 5 years of life. At $20 per dose, the program would cost $289 million and realize a net loss of $107 million to the health care system-$103 per case prevented. The program would provide a net savings of $296 million to society. Threshold analysis identified a break-even price per dose of $9 for the health care system and $51 for the societal perspective. Greater disease burden and greater vaccine efficacy and lower vaccine price increased cost-effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: A US rotavirus immunization program would be cost-effective from the perspectives of society and the health care system, although the cost of the immunization program would not be fully offset by the reduction in health care cost of rotavirus diarrhea unless the price fell to $9 per dose.

Child↗
PubMed1998

Diarrheal mortality in US infants. Influence of birth weight on risk factors for death.

OBJECTIVES: To examine diarrhea-associated deaths among very low-birth-weight (VLBW) (< 1500 g) infants and low- and normal-birth-weight (LNBW) (> or = 1500 g) infants at birth and to identify specific interventions to prevent these deaths. DESIGN: Retrospective analyses of linked infant and birth death data on diarrhea of all causes compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. PATIENTS: Infants aged 27 days through 11 months who died with diarrhea. SETTING: United States, 1991. RESULTS: A majority (56%, n = 143) of the 257 diarrhea-associated deaths reported among US infants in 1991 occurred among VLBW infants. Compared with LNBW infants, VLBW infants had a 100-fold greater diarrheal mortality (269 deaths per 100,000 live births for VLBW infants vs 2.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for LNBW infants), died at a younger age, and more often died in the hospital. Diarrhea-associated deaths among VLBW infants were strongly associated with prematurity and a low 1-minute Apgar score whereas African American race, less maternal education, and a low 1-minute Apgar score were associated with increased diarrheal mortality among LNBW infants. CONCLUSIONS: Infants of VLBW are at an increased risk for diarrheal deaths and new efforts are required to understand and improve the diagnosis of and therapy for diarrhea among these infants. For LNBW infants, diarrheal deaths remain a social problem and efforts need to focus on improved education and home-based rehydration therapy for children whose mothers fit the high-risk profile and who may lack adequate access to health care.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1998

Hospitalizations associated with rotavirus diarrhea in the United States, 1993 through 1995: surveillance based on the new ICD-9-CM rotavirus-specific diagnostic code.

The introduction of a specific International Classification of Diseases code for rotavirus diarrhea in 1992 prompted examination of the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) for trends in rotavirus-associated hospitalizations among US children aged 1 month through 4 years. During 1993-1995, 13.5% of hospitalizations were associated with diarrhea (n = 162,478/year). Rotavirus was the most common pathogen identified, coded in 16.5% of diarrhea cases (n = 26,798/year), and increased from 13.3% in 1993 to 18.9% in 1995. The age distribution and seasonality of hospitalizations of presumed noninfectious and viral etiology resembled those associated with rotavirus. Rotavirus was reported as a cause of diarrhea more frequently by hospitals that were large (> or =100 beds), proprietary-owned, or in the West/Midwest. Although these findings suggest incomplete detection of rotavirus diarrhea cases, the large number of rotavirus-associated hospitalizations underscores the need for vaccines and indicates that NHDS data could be used to monitor the impact of a US rotavirus immunization program.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1998

Epidemiology of diarrheal disease among children enrolled in four West Coast health maintenance organizations. Vaccine Safety Datalink Team.

BACKGROUND: We used information from the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) about approximately 1 million children enrolled in four health maintenance organizations to assess the morbidity from diarrhea and estimate the disease burden of rotavirus. METHODS: We examined trends of diarrhea-associated hospitalizations and emergency room (ER) visits among VSD children ages 1 month through 4 years during October, 1992, through September, 1994 (two rotavirus seasons) and estimated the morbidity from rotavirus on the basis of characteristic patterns of age and seasonality. RESULTS: Overall diarrhea was associated with 6.3% of hospitalizations and 4% of ER visits. During a child's first 5 years of life, we estimated that 1 in 57 was hospitalized and 1 in 21 required an ER visit because of diarrhea. Each year the number of diarrhea-associated hospitalizations and ER visits was greatest in winter among children ages 4 to 23 months and peaked in November in California and during February in Oregon and Washington. The winter seasonality of diarrhea-associated hospitalizations reflected the trends for diarrhea of presumed noninfectious and viral etiologies, which together accounted for most (92.9%) hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: Diarrhea is an important cause of morbidity among VSD children. The epidemiologic patterns of diarrhea-associated hospitalizations and ER visits resembled those reported previously for rotavirus diarrhea, suggesting that rotavirus may be a major contributor to the overall morbidity from diarrhea. Enhanced surveillance by screening for rotavirus in a sample of children with diarrhea will permit a more accurate assessment of the disease burden of this pathogen and the cost effectiveness of a rotavirus immunization program.

California↗
PubMed1998

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in the United States, 1979-1994: increased mortality associated with HIV infection.

To examine trends in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) mortality in the United States, we analyzed PML death rates and deaths for 1979 through 1994, using US multiple cause-of-death data. During the 16-year study period 3,894 PML deaths were reported. The age-adjusted death rate increased more than 20-fold, from less than 0.2 per million persons before 1984 to 3.3 per million persons in 1994. The increase was attributable to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which was recorded on 2,267 (89.0%) of 2.546 death records from 1991 through 1994. PML age-adjusted death rates increased abruptly for all males beginning in 1984 and for black females in 1990. Only a small increase was observed for white females. In 1994, PML was reported in 2.1% of white males who died with HIV-associated disease compared with 1.2% of white females and 1.0% of black males and females who died of similar causes. The epidemic of PML deaths is increasing in parallel with the AIDS epidemic. The increase in HIV-associated PML deaths, first noted among males, has also become apparent among females and probably reflects the increasing importance of drug use and heterosexual transmission of HIV. The reason for the higher prevalence of PML among white males with HIV infection is unknown.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1998

Decline in sepsis-associated neonatal and infant deaths in the United States, 1979 through 1994.

BACKGROUND: Infant mortality in the United States has continued to decline in recent years, but changes in sepsis-associated deaths among infants have not been evaluated previously. METHODS: Data from US death records were analyzed for the period 1979 through 1994 to assess trends in sepsis-associated deaths among newborns and older infants. RESULTS: Annual neonatal mortality associated with sepsis declined by 25% from 50.5 deaths per 100 000 live births in 1979 through 1981 to 38.0 deaths per 100 000 live births in 1992 through 1994. Although infant mortality associated with sepsis declined from 71.7 to 56.4 per 100 000 live births over the same period, this decline was attributable to lower sepsis-related mortality among newborns. The rates of sepsis-associated deaths declined for both preterm and term deliveries. Approximately 2260 infants (1521 of whom were newborns) died of sepsis per year in 1992 through 1994. Sepsis-associated death was more likely to occur among infants who were male, black, preterm, or born in the South. Among black infants, the racial gap in sepsis-associated mortality was greater for term than for preterm infants. CONCLUSIONS: Despite declines in the overall sepsis-related mortality among newborns, racial and regional gaps in mortality persisted over the 16-year study period. Almost half of the sepsis-related deaths occurred among infants who were born prematurely. Disproportionate rates of prematurity among blacks and infants born in the South may have contributed to persistently high sepsis-related mortality in these groups. Future efforts to reduce the incidence of sepsis-associated deaths will depend on targeting higher risk populations and reducing prematurity.

Age Distribution↗