Biomedical subjects

Stephen C Redd

Publications and source records attributed to Stephen C Redd.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Epidemiologic investigations of bioterrorism-related anthrax, New Jersey, 2001.

At least four Bacillus anthracis-containing envelopes destined for New York City and Washington, D.C. were processed at the Trenton Processing and Distribution Center (PDC) on September 18 and October 9, 2001. When cutaneous anthrax was confirmed in a Trenton postal worker, the PDC was closed. Four cutaneous and two inhalational anthrax cases were identified. Five patients were hospitalized; none died. Four were PDC employees; the others handled or received mail processed there. Onset dates occurred in two clusters following envelope processing at the PDC. The attack rate among the 170 employees present when the B. anthracis-containing letters were sorted on October 9 was 1.2%. Of 137 PDC environmental samples, 57 (42%) were positive. Five (10%) of 50 local post offices each yielded one positive sample. Cutaneous or inhalational anthrax developed in four postal employees at a facility where B. anthracis-containing letters were processed. Cross-contaminated mail or equipment was the likely source of infection in two other case-patients with cutaneous anthrax.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease surveillance--United States, 1971-2000.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema but has been defined recently as the physiologic finding of nonreversible pulmonary function impairment. This surveillance summary reports trends in different measures of COPD during 1971-2000. REPORTING PERIOD COVERED: This report presents national data regarding objectively determined COPD (1971-1994); COPD-associated activity and functional limitations (1980-1996); self-reported COPD prevalence, COPD physician office and hospital outpatient department visits, COPD hospitalizations, and COPD deaths (1980-2000); and COPD emergency department visits (1992-2000). DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEMS: The Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics conducts the National Health Interview Survey annually, which includes questions concerning COPD and activity limitations. The National Center for Health Statistics collects physician office-visit data in the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, emergency department and hospital outpatient department data in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, hospitalization data in the National Hospital Discharge Survey, and death data in the Mortality Component of the National Vital Statistics System. Data regarding pulmonary function were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) I (1971-1975) and III (1988-1994), and data regarding functional limitation were obtained from NHANES III, Phase 2 (1991-1994). RESULTS: During 2000, an estimated 10 million U.S. adults reported physician-diagnosed COPD. However, data from NHANES III estimate that approximately 24 million United States adults have evidence of impaired lung function, indicating that COPD is underdiagnosed. During 2000, COPD was responsible for 8 million physician office and hospital outpatient visits, 1.5 million emergency department visits, 726,000 hospitalizations, and 119,000 deaths. During the period analyzed, the most substantial change was the increase in the COPD death rate for women, from 20.1/100,000 in 1980 to 56.7/100,000 in 2000, compared with the more modest increase in the death rate for men, from 73.0/100,000 in 1980 to 82.6/100,000 in 2000. In 2000, for the first time, the number of women dying from COPD surpassed the number of men dying from COPD (59,936 vs 59,118). Another substantial change observed is that the proportion of the population aged < 55 years with mild or moderate COPD, on the basis of pulmonary function testing, decreased from 1971-1975 to 1988-1994, possibly indicating that the upward trends in COPD hospitalizations and mortality might not continue. INTERPRETATION: COPD is a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and disability in the U.S. Despite its ease of diagnosis, COPD remains an underdiagnosed disease, chiefly in its milder and more treatable form.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Lung disease and asthma severity in adults with asthma: data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination.

Risk factors for obstructive or restrictive lung disease among persons with asthma are not well defined. Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to determine predictors of poor lung function among 1063 adults, aged 20 years and older, who self-report physician-diagnosed asthma any time during their life regardless of current asthma status. Obstructive lung disease and restrictive lung disease were defined by using spirometry and modified Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria. Reported symptoms were used to grade asthma severity. Logistic regression models were used to examine associations between lung disease, respiratory symptom severity, and adults who ever had asthma. Risk factors for spirometry-defined obstructive lung disease included increasing age, body mass index < 18.5, current asthma, and non-white race (p < 0.05). Risk factors for spirometry-defined restrictive lung disease included older age at asthma diagnosis, low socioeconomic status, current asthma, and being female (p < 0.05). Risk factors for moderate or severe respiratory symptoms included older age at diagnosis and current smoking status (p < 0.05). Asthma is a known risk factor for chronic obstructive lung disease; these data also suggest that adults, particularly females, who are older at the time of asthma diagnosis, may be at risk to develop spirometry-defined restrictive lung disease as well. These data also suggest that a significant proportion of people with lifetime asthma have impaired lung function; however, it is unclear if more aggressive therapy for asthma would prevent these complications. To further examine the role of these factors in predicting poor lung function among adults with asthma, additional information is needed on these patients' asthma therapy, natural history, and environmental exposures.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sex differences in COPD and lung cancer mortality trends--United States, 1968-1999.

PURPOSE: Cigarette smoking by U.S. women in the 1940s and 1950s caused large increases in smoking-related lung disease among women. To determine the magnitude of these increases, we compared the mortality trends for males and females in the United States for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer for 1968-1999. METHODS: We used the national mortality data files compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC and U.S. census data to calculate age-adjusted (2000) death rates for COPD, lung cancer, and all causes. RESULTS: COPD death rate for females increased by 382% from 1968 through 1999, whereas for males it increased by 27% during the same period. As a result, the COPD death rate for U.S. females is approaching that for males. The lung cancer death rate for females increased by 266% from 1968 to 1999, whereas for males, it increased by 15%. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians, women, and groups interested in women's health issues need to be aware of these trends and target prevention strategies toward females.

Female↗