Biomedical subjects

S E Valway

Publications and source records attributed to S E Valway.

39 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1989

Lead absorption in indoor firing range users.

To determine if users of indoor firing ranges may be at risk from lead exposure, we studied a law enforcement trainee class during three months of firearms instruction. Blood lead levels were obtained before training and at four-week intervals during training. Air lead levels were measured three times during instruction. Blood lead levels rose from a pre-training mean of 0.31 mumol/L to 2.47 mumol/L. Mean air lead levels were above 2,000 micrograms/m3, more than 40 times the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's standard of 50 micrograms/m3. Cumulative exposure to lead and the change in blood lead were positively correlated. Control measures need to be studied to determine their efficacy in decreasing or eliminating this health risk.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed1989

Comparison of AIDS and HIV antibody surveillance data in Colorado.

We compared cumulative surveillance data for AIDS (May 1982-December 1986) and persons with positive HIV antibody tests (July 1985-December 1986) to examine the adequacy of each surveillance system in directing public health disease control activities. Neither AIDS nor HIV antibody surveillance data alone described the total extent of HIV infection. The geographic distribution of persons with positive HIV antibody tests was more widespread than the distribution of AIDS cases for all demographic and transmission categories. Ideally, preventive efforts should be based on a comprehensive surveillance system that indicates all persons who are infectious with HIV.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Completeness of tuberculosis case reporting, San Juan and Caguas Regions, Puerto Rico, 1992.

Completeness of tuberculosis case reporting in Puerto Rico was assessed. Cases diagnosed among hospitalized, tuberculosis, and human immunodeficiency virus clinic patients during 1992 were retrospectively reviewed. Hospital discharge diagnoses, pharmacy listings of patients receiving anti-tuberculous medications, laboratory and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome registry data were used for case finding in selected hospitals and clinics. Identified cases were matched to the health department TB case registry to determine previous reporting through routine surveillance. Records of unreported cases were reviewed to verify tuberculosis diagnoses. Of 159 patients with tuberculosis, 31 (19.5%) were unreported. A case was defined according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition. Unreported cases were less likely than previously reported cases to have specimens that were culture positive for M. tuberculosis, 14 of 31 (45.2%) compared with 111 of 128 (86.7%). Excluding the laboratory, tuberculosis diagnoses in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome registry patients had the highest predictive value of finding tuberculosis (94.1%), followed by tuberculosis clinic records (71.7%), and pharmacy listings (45.6%). Tuberculosis discharge diagnoses, however, yielded the largest number of unreported cases (14). Health care providers should be educated regarding the importance of promptly reporting all suspected TB cases regardless of results of laboratory testing.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗