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Biomedical subjects

T L Chorba

Publications and source records attributed to T L Chorba.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Increasing mortality from thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in the United States--analysis of national mortality data, 1968-1991.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare disease and the epidemiologic features have been incompletely characterized. Because of the historically high case-fatality rate for TTP, we analyzed U.S. multiple cause-of-death mortality data with TTP listed on the death record for the period 1968-1991, in order to estimate the incidence of TTP, to characterize demographic features of the decedents, and to determine if trends in mortality correlate with findings from clinical studies showing improved survival in recent years. There were 4,523 TTP-associated deaths during the 24-year study period. The annual age-adjusted mortality rate decreased initially and reached its lowest point at 0.4 per 1,000,000 residents for the years 1970 through 1973, and then increased steadily to 1.1 during the last 4 years of the study period, 1988 through 1991. We estimate the current incidence of TTP to be approximately 3.7 cases per 1,000,000 residents. Deaths were rare below the age of 20 years, but the age-specific mortality rate for those 20 years and older increased steadily with increasing age. Regardless of age, females were affected more often than males, and the overall female-to-male age-adjusted rate ratio was 1.9 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.8 to 2.0). The greatest age-specific difference was between females and males in their twenties (rate ratio 3.2; 95% CI, 2.6 to 3.9). The mortality rate for blacks, and especially black females, was higher than the mortality rate for whites (black-to-white age-adjusted rate ratio 3.4; 95% CI, 3.2 to 3.6; black female-to-white female age-adjusted rate ratio 3.6; 95% CI, 3.3 to 3.9), although the majority of deaths were among whites (71.5%). Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or an HIV-related diagnosis was reported in 61 (1.3%) decedents overall and in 51 (4.4%) decedents from 1988 through 1991. The TTP mortality rate has increased over time despite reports of significant improvement in survival associated with clinical use of plasma infusion and plasma exchange. This trend in mortality suggests that the incidence of TTP is increasing. Blacks, and black females in particular, are affected at a disproportionately high rate. The increased incidence of HIV infection and related disease may have contributed to some of the increase in TTP mortality in recent years, but it does not explain the majority of the increase, which began before the onset of the HIV epidemic.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Patterns of alcohol use and the risk of drinking and driving among US high school students.

Approximately one third of deaths among persons aged 15 to 24 years are the result of motor vehicle-related crashes. Data from a national sample of US high school students were used to assess patterns of alcohol use among adolescents in relation to the risk of drinking and driving. Prevalence and odds ratios were calculated for drinking and driving associated with patterns of alcohol use. Drinking and driving increased with increasing frequency of alcohol use and binge drinking and when alcohol was used in addition to other drugs. Efforts to reduce drinking and driving among adolescents should address underage drinking that is frequent or heavy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Chronic liver disease mortality in the United States, 1979 through 1989.

OBJECTIVES: Rates and trends for chronic liver disease mortality in the United States were examined. METHODS: National Center for Health Statistics data on underlying cause of death for chronic liver disease for the United States from 1979 through 1989 were analyzed. Four groups of diseases and conditions included under the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, code for chronic liver disease were assessed separately. RESULTS: From 1979 through 1989, there were 303,875 deaths from chronic liver disease; 48% were in the cirrhosis without alcohol group, 42% in the alcohol-related liver disease group, 8% in the liver disease without alcohol group, and 1.5% in the biliary cirrhosis group. Chronic liver disease death rates for Blacks were more than 1.5 times greater than those for Whites and for other races. Chronic liver disease mortality declined 22% overall among both sexes. The largest decreases were for liver disease without alcohol (42%) and cirrhosis without alcohol (25%), followed by alcohol-related liver disease (14%) and biliary cirrhosis (12%). CONCLUSION: Although declines in US chronic liver disease deaths have been attributed to declining alcohol consumption, these analyses suggest that greater declines have occurred in deaths not coded as alcohol related.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Changes in longevity and causes of death among persons with hemophilia A.

To examine recent changes in longevity and the causes of death among persons with hemophilia A, we evaluated death certificate data for persons who died in the United States from 1968 through 1989 and had hemophilia A or congenital Factor VIII disorder (ICD code 286.0) listed on the death certificate as one of the multiple causes of death. Multiple-cause-of-death mortality data for the United States from 1968 to 1989 were examined to compare death rates by year, focusing on death rates and causes of death for 1979-1981, 1983-1985, and 1987-1989. Gender, age group, race, geographic region, and median age at death of persons with hemophilia A and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related disease listed as a cause of death were compared with those with hemophilia A without HIV-related disease. From 1968 through 1989, 2,792 hemophilia A deaths were reported. The death rate increased from 0.5 to 1.3 per 1,000,000 persons. From 1979-1981 through 1987-1989, mortality increased in all age groups above 9 years of age and age at death shifted markedly to lower ages. Median age at death decreased from 57 years in 1979-1981 to 40 years in 1987-1989. The percentage of deaths due to hemorrhage or diseases of the circulatory system decreased markedly as the result of the increase in deaths associated with HIV infection or infections other than HIV infection. Spread of HIV-1 infection in persons with hemophilia A has disrupted the reduction in mortality seen with factor replacement therapy, implementation of home care, and use of comprehensive hemophilia treatment centers. It is hoped that advances in the care of HIV-infected persons will improve survival in the hemophilia community.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Cost savings associated with increased safety belt use in Iowa, 1987-1988.

Although safety belt use increases after passage of a safety belt law, the statewide direct and indirect cost savings associated with increased safety belt use after a belt use law has been enacted is not known. We analyzed a subset of data from the Iowa Safety Restraint Assessment consisting of 997 injured motor vehicle occupants treated at any of 11 Iowa hospitals from throughout the state between November 1987 and March 1988. We found that injuries were more serious and that more deaths and cases of permanent disability occurred among persons who did not wear safety belts. Failure to use safety belts was independently associated with higher payments to hospitals by health care insurers and individuals in nearly all age, sex, and vehicle speed categories. Lifetime direct and indirect cost savings associated with Iowa's safety belt law for persons injured in one year were estimated to be $69.5 million.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Increases in crash involvement and fatalities among motor vehicle occupants younger than 5 years old.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether increased exposure as car occupants could be a major contributor to increases observed in deaths of young children in car crashes. DESIGN AND SETTING: Crash data from police reports for Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Washington for various years from 1982 through 1990 were examined to compare annual age mix of injured and uninjured occupants in crashes involving at least two passenger vehicles. Aggregate national data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System were also examined over the same time period and compared to population estimates for children younger than 5 years old to assess temporal trends in number of occupants in this age group who were involved in motor vehicle crashes in which a fatality occurred in fatal crashes and the number of them killed in passenger vehicles. RESULTS: In regression analyses for each state, the number of car occupants younger than 5 involved in crashes increased during the years studied; their percentage among nondriver occupants involved also increased. At a national level, similar analyses showed increases in the number of occupants younger than 5 involved in crashes in which a fatality occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Despite overall increases in the use of restraint devices (ie, both child safety seats and adult restraints), fatalities among restrained children have increased. Given that exposures to crash environments are increasing, clinicians need be aware of the importance of child restraints as a means of reducing the likelihood of injury.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1992

Hodgkin disease mortality in the United States: 1979-1988.

Mortality trends for Hodgkin disease in the United States were examined from 1979 to 1988 with the use of mortality data for multiple causes of death, which were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics. A progressive decrease in the death rate from Hodgkin disease was observed over this period. The decrease in death rate was greatest among white patients. Patients who were 55 years or older had the highest death rate. Analysis by geographic region showed decreases in each of the regions, with no significant difference among groups of states with high and low incidences of acquired immune deficiency syndrome. However, the decrease in the South was approximately 35% greater than that in the North-east. In 1988 the most significant difference in death rates between male and female patients was in the 35-54-year age group, whereas a significant difference in death rates between white and black patients was seen only in patients who were 55 years of age or older. In summary, although there has been a significant reduction in deaths resulting from Hodgkin disease between 1979 and 1988, the decreases observed have varied between sexes and among age groups, racial groups, and geographic regions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Survival of hemophilic males with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with and without risk factors for AIDS other than hemophilia.

Between January 1, 1981, and June 30, 1990, 1,514 hemophilia-associated acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases in males were diagnosed in the United States. In 1,394, hemophilia was reported as the sole risk factor. For an additional 120, other risk factors were reported: of 101 of these, 40 had homosexual/bisexual activity, 53 had a history of intravenous drug use, and 8 had both of these risk factors. We examined the demographic data and the survival data of two principal groups: males for whom hemophilia was the sole reported risk factor for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exposure, and hemophilic males for whom homosexual/bisexual activity, intravenous drug use, or both of these additional risk factors were reported. The survival curves showed marginal differences between the hemophilia-only and the multiple risk groups; the median survival times were 13.1 and 14.6 months, with the cumulative probability of survival at 1 year as 52.7% and 54.0%, respectively. Kaposi's sarcoma was among AIDS indicator diseases more commonly found in the multiple risk factor group. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was the sole reported diagnosis indicative of AIDS for 34.4% of those in the hemophilia-only group, compared with 20.8% of those with multiple risk factors. The principal demographic difference between the two groups was the age distribution; those in the multiple risk factor group were primarily between 20 and 44 years of age. Restricting the analysis to those between 20 and 44 years resulted in a slightly longer survival time in the hemophilia-only group and no appreciable difference between the disease distributions and survival curves of the two groups.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Epidemiology of AIDS in females with hemophilia and other chronic bleeding disorders in the United States: comparisons with males with chronic bleeding disorders and AIDS and with nonhemophilic female blood-transfusion recipients with AIDS.

From January 1, 1981 through June 30, 1990, 32 females with chronic bleeding disorders were diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the United States. Most (81.3%) were white and greater than or equal to 30 years of age, with a median age of 37.5 years. Eighteen (56.3%) had von Willebrand's disease. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was reported for 16 (50%). None had Kaposi sarcoma. The median survival time was 10.8 months, with a cumulative probability of survival at 1 year of 47.3% and at 2 years of 27.6%. We compared the demographic data and survival times of these females with those of males with a chronic bleeding disorder and AIDS, and with those of nonhemophilic females with AIDS whose exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was through receipt of blood transfusions, blood components, or tissue. The principal demographic difference was age distribution. The females with chronic bleeding disorders tended to be younger than the transfused, nonhemophilic females, but older than the males. The survival time from AIDS diagnosis to death for the females with chronic bleeding disorders did not differ statistically from that of the other two groups, although older nonhemophilic females whose exposure was transfusion may progress more rapidly to AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

The influence of safety belt laws on self-reported safety belt use in the United States.

We assessed rates and trends in safety belt use by presence and type of safety belt law using data from states participating in the 1984-1989 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. State(s) with a safety belt law allowing law enforcement officers to stop vehicles for occupants' failure to use safety belts (primary enforcement law) had greater and more rapid increases in safety belt use rates than did states with laws requiring that vehicles must first be stopped for some other violation before a citation or fine for occupants' failure to use safety belts could be imposed (secondary enforcement law). Larger and sustained increases in safety belt use occurred when safety belt laws became effective or when fines were imposed for violations than when laws were first enacted. These data suggest that primary enforcement laws result in greater and more rapid increases in safety belt use than do secondary enforcement laws, and that initial increases in safety belt use following implementation of laws are sustained.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Assessing technologies for preventing injuries in motor vehicle crashes.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In the Haddon matrix, crashes are divided into three phases and factors affecting each phase. In the context of this matrix, the effectiveness, use, and legislation of safety belts and airbags are discussed, using process, injury, and economic outcome measures.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1991

Timeliness of national reporting of communicable diseases: the experience of the National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance.

The timeliness of reporting four nationally notifiable diseases was examined using data reported via the National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance. Timeliness of reporting varied by disease (bacterial meningitis: median 20 days; salmonellosis: median 22 days; shigellosis: median 23 days; and hepatitis A: median 33 days) and by state. These findings indicate a need to standardize surveillance definitions and to account for reporting differences between states in interpreting regional disease trends or detecting multistate disease outbreaks.

Communicable Diseases↗
PubMed1990

Patterns of transmission of epidemic hysteria in a school.

An outbreak of epidemic hysteria, in which 210 students at a North Carolina elementary school became ill and 102 were evaluated in hospital emergency departments, is described in terms of an outbreak of infectious disease. The outbreak began when a radiator boiler was fired for the first time in the 1985-1986 school year. The most common symptoms were headache, light-headedness, abdominal pain, and nausea; anxiety was later proposed to be the agent of illness. The outbreak appeared to have propagated by friend-to-friend transmission of anxiety within social (grade, race, and sex) cohorts, and by other audiovisual cues in the absence of person-to-person contact. An environmental survey found no plausible toxic or infectious cause of the outbreak. Separation of vectors and susceptible hosts preceded recovery from the outbreak, and reassurance and discussion of the findings of the investigating team with students, teachers, and parents may have prevented the recurrence of symptoms by alleviating anxiety.

Adolescent↗