scholarly journals Excess Mortality in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: A Preliminary Report

2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin U. Stephens ◽  
David Grew ◽  
Karen Chin ◽  
Paul Kadetz ◽  
P Gregg Greenough ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackground: Reports that death notices in the Times-Picayune, the New Orleans daily newspaper, increased dramatically in 2006 prompted local health officials to determine whether death notice surveillance could serve as a valid alternative means to confirm suspicions of excess mortality requiring immediate preventive actions and intervention.Methods: Monthly totals of death notices from the Times-Picayune were used to obtain frequency and proportion of deaths from January to June 2006. To validate this methodology the authors compared 2002 to 2003 monthly death frequency and proportions between death notices and top 10 causes of death from state vital statistics.Results: A significant (47%) increase in proportion of deaths was seen compared with the known baseline population. From January to June 2006, there were on average 1317 deaths notices per month for a mortality rate of 91.37 deaths per 100,000 population, compared with a 2002–2004 average of 924 deaths per month for a mortality rate of 62.17 deaths per 100,000 population. Differences between 2002 and 2003 death notices and top 10 causes of death were insignificant and had high correlation.Discussion: Death notices from local daily newspaper sources may serve as an alternative source of mortality information. Problems with delayed reporting, timely analysis, and interoperability between state and local health departments may be solved by the implementation of electronic death registration. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2007;1:15–20)

CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S100-S100
Author(s):  
J. French ◽  
C. Somayaji ◽  
D. Dutton ◽  
S. Benjamin ◽  
P. Atkinson

Introduction: The New Brunswick Trauma Registry is a database of injury admissions from eight hospitals throughout the province. Data tracks individuals in-hospital. By linking this information with vital statistics, we are able to observe outcomes post-discharge and can model health outcomes for participants. We want to know how outcomes for trauma patients compare with the general population post discharge. Methods: Using data from 2014-15, we followed over 2100 trauma registry observations for one year and tracked mortality rate per 1,000 people by age-group. We also compared the outcomes of this group to all Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) entries in the province (circa. 7500 total). We tracked mortality in-hospital, at six months, and one year after discharge. We truncated age into groups aged 40-64, 65-84, and 85 or older. Results: In-hospital mortality among those in the trauma registry is approximately 20 per 1,000 people for those age 40-64, 50 per 1,000 people for those aged 65-84, and 150 per 1,000 people aged 85 or older. For the oldest age group this is in line with the expected population mortality rate, for the younger two groups these estimates are approximately 2-4 times higher than expected mortality. The mortality at six-month follow-up for both of the younger groups remains higher than expected. At one-year follow-up, the mortality for the 65-84 age group returns to the expected population baseline, but is higher for those age 40-64. Causes of death for those who die in hospital are injury for nearly 50% of observations. After discharge, neoplasms and heart disease are the most common causes of death. Trends from the DAD are similar, with lower mortality overall. Of note, cardiac causes of death account for nearly as many deaths in the 6 months after the injury in the 40 -64 age group as the injury itself. Conclusion: Mortality rates remain high upon discharge for up to a year later for some age groups. Causes of death are not injury-related. Some evidence suggests that the injury could have been related to the eventual cause of death (e.g., dementia), but questions remain about the possibility for trauma-mitigating care increasing the risk of mortality from comorbidities. For example, cardiac death, which is largely preventable, is a significant cause of death in the 40-64 age group after discharge. Including an assessment of Framingham risk factors as part of the patients rehabilitation prescription may reduce mortality.


2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert K. Kanter

ABSTRACTBackground: Age-specific pediatric health consequences of community disruption after Hurricane Katrina have not been analyzed. Post-Katrina vital statistics are unavailable. The objectives of this study were to validate an alternative method to estimate child mortality rates in the greater New Orleans area and compare pre-Katrina and post-Katrina mortality rates.Methods: Pre-Katrina 2004 child mortality was estimated from death reports in the local daily newspaper and validated by comparison with pre-Katrina data from the Louisiana Department of Health. Post-Katrina child mortality rates were analyzed as a measure of health consequences.Results: Newspaper-derived estimates of mortality rates appear to be valid except for possible underreporting of neonatal rates. Pre-Katrina and post-Katrina mortality rates were similar for all age groups except infants. Post-Katrina, a 92% decline in mortality rate occurred for neonates (<28 days), and a 57% decline in mortality rate occurred for postneonatal infants (28 days–1 year). The post-Katrina decline in infant mortality rate exceeds the pre-Katrina discrepancy between newspaper-derived and Department of Health–reported rates.Conclusions: A declining infant mortality rate raises questions about persistent displacement of high-risk infants out of the region. Otherwise, there is no evidence of long-lasting post-Katrina excess child mortality. Further investigation of demographic changes would be of interest to local decision makers and planners for recovery after public health emergencies in other regions.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2010;4:62-65)


2008 ◽  
Vol 61 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 503-506
Author(s):  
Nevenka Roncevic ◽  
Aleksandra Stojadinovic

Introduction. Adolescents are the healthiest age group of the population but many studies show that period of adolescence is marked by significant morbidity and mortality. Health indicators of adolescent population have been getting worse during past decades. The aim of this study was to determine mortality rate of adolescents in the Republic of Serbia to determine most common causes of death in adolescence and to explore regional differences in adolescent mortality. Materials and methods: Documentation tables of vital statistics in the Republic of Serbia in 2004, and Documentation Tables of Census 2002 were used. The causes of mortality were classified according to ICD 10. Results and discussion. Specific morality rate in the Republic of Serbia is 32.08 on 100.000 adolescents. The leading causes of death in adolescence are injuries, malignancies and non specified causes, and there are significant regional differences, as well as gender and age differences. The mortality rate of male adolescents is about 2.4 times higher than the mortality rates in female adolescents. The mortality rate of older adolescents is significantly higher than mortality rate of younger adolescents. The mortality of adolescents is higher in Vojvodina than in Central Serbia. Precise data of external causes of death do not exist in vital statistics in our country. Conclusion. The mortality of adolescents is high, especially for older male adolescents (15 to 19 years of age) and majority of deaths among adolescents could be prevented. It is necessary to improve data of vital statistics to get better insight into causes of adolescent death.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 614-621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanlan Zhao ◽  
Boris Erazo ◽  
Elena Ronda ◽  
Francisco Brocal ◽  
Enrique Regidor

Abstract Objectives The objective of this study was to compare mortality rates for the main causes of death and the most frequent sites of cancer in firefighters and all other occupations. Methods Mortality was calculated from a longitudinal study conducted between 2001 and 2011 following a total of 9.5 million men aged 20–64 years old who were in employment in 2001. The age-standardized mortality rate for firefighters was calculated for cancer and other causes of death and compared with that for all other occupations using the mortality rate ratio (MRR). Results No differences were observed between firefighters and all other occupations for overall mortality [MRR = 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.91–1.07] or for mortality from cancer in general (MRR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.89–1.12). No significant differences were observed in mortality by site of cancer, except for mortality from cancer of larynx (MRR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.01–3.09) and hypopharynx (MRR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.31–6.69), which presented a higher magnitude in firefighters. Neither was any significant differences observed between the two groups in mortality due to cardiovascular, respiratory, or digestive diseases or in mortality due to external causes. Conclusions Exposure to carcinogens combined with a possible failure to use respiratory protection when fighting fires may be responsible for excess mortality from laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer in firefighters. In the future, more research is needed on the health of firefighters and strengthening preventive policies for these workers.


2021 ◽  
pp. 070674372110434
Author(s):  
Christophe Huỳnh ◽  
Steve Kisely ◽  
Louis Rochette ◽  
Éric Pelletier ◽  
Kenneth B. Morrison ◽  
...  

Context Assessing temporal changes in the recorded diagnostic rates, incidence proportions, and health outcomes of substance-related disorders (SRD) can inform public health policymakers in reducing harms associated with alcohol and other drugs. Objective To report the annual and cumulative recorded diagnostic rates and incidence proportions of SRD, as well as mortality rate ratios (MRRs) by cause of death among this group in Canada, according to their province of residence. Methods Analyses were performed on linked administrative health databases (AHD; physician claims, hospitalizations, and vital statistics) in five Canadian provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia). Canadians 12 years and older and registered for their provincial healthcare coverage were included. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes) was used for case identification of SRD from April 2001 to March 2018. Results During the study period, the annual recorded SRD diagnostic rates increased in Alberta (2001–2002: 8.0‰; 2017–2018: 12.8‰), Ontario (2001–2002: 11.5‰; 2017–2018: 14.4‰), and Nova Scotia (2001–2002: 6.4‰; 2017–2018: 12.7‰), but remained stable in Manitoba (2001–2002: 5.5‰; 2017–2018: 5.4‰) and Québec (2001–2002 and 2017–2018: 7.5‰). Cumulative recorded SRD diagnostic rates increased steadily for all provinces. Recorded incidence proportions increased significantly in Alberta (2001–2002: 4.5‰; 2017–2018: 5.0‰) and Nova Scotia (2001–2002: 3.3‰; 2017–2018: 3.8‰), but significantly decreased in Ontario (2001–2002: 6.2‰; 2017–2018: 4.7‰), Québec (2001–2002: 4.1‰; 2017–2018: 3.2‰) and Manitoba (2001–2002: 2.7‰; 2017–2018: 2.0‰). For almost all causes of death, a higher MRR was found among individuals with recorded SRD than in the general population. The causes of death in 2015–2016 with the highest MRR for SRD individuals were SRD, suicide, and non-suicide trauma in Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, and Québec. Discussion Linked AHD covering almost the entire population can be useful to monitor the medical service trends of SRD and, therefore, guide health services planning in Canadian provinces.


1966 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 148-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Richardson ◽  
Milton J. Foter

Summary The use of chemical pest control agents undoubtedly constitutes a calculated risk; nonetheless, the proper use of these agents results in benefits which, at the present time, far outweigh the known potential hazards. Considerable care must be exercised in the selection, storage, and use of pesticide chemicals and in the disposition of the empty containers. Since virtually all pesticides are more or less toxic to man and cumulative and potentiation characteristics are not well defined, regulation through registration and the establishment of residue tolerances is essential. Scientists recognize that the adequate production and preservation of food and fiber and the protection of human health require the use of chemical pesticides. Federal, state, and local health agencies and the food and chemical industries are striving through research and residue surveillance to show the effect of pesticides on human beings and to provide alternative means of pest control. Until these chemical agents are replaced by less toxic means of control, the use of pesticides will continue. As in any scientific venture, the benefit-hazard ratio in the use of pesticides may never be completely established, but we must act on the best available evidence.


2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
pp. 2029-2034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Temkin ◽  
Yehuda Carmeli

Abstract Estimates of the number of deaths from antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections are important data for clinicians and public health officials advocating for resources to prevent and treat these infections. The aims of this article are to describe the various approaches to calculating deaths from AMR infections, to compare the tally of deaths by each approach, and to explain how to interpret the results. Currently, none of the 3 methods employed by vital statistics systems to count deaths from specific causes (underlying cause of deaths, multiple causes of death, and avoidable deaths) count deaths from AMR infections. These deaths can be estimated by 4 approaches: case-fatality rate, infection-related mortality, and excess mortality using controls with antibiotic-susceptible infections or controls without antibiotic-resistant infections. When encountering discrepant estimates of AMR-related deaths, it is important to consider which method was used and whether it was the right method to answer the question being asked.


Author(s):  
Igor V. Bukhtiyarov ◽  
Oleg O. Salagai ◽  
Galina I. Tikhonova ◽  
Anastasiya N. Churanova ◽  
Tatyana Yu. Gorchakova

Introduction. In Usolye-Sibirskoye, after the liquidation of the town-forming enterprise "Usoliekhimprom", the socio-economic and demographic situation sharply worsened, and environmental problems accumulated since the 30s of the twentieth century aggravated. For the period 1990-2019, the city's population decreased by almost 30%. The study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the mortality rate of the male and female population of Usolye-Sibirskoye, the Irkutsk Oblast and Russia and assess the contribution of a certain age and gender groups (children, working-age, and post-working age) to the formation of super-mortality in the population. Materials and methods. The study base was the primary data of the Federal State Statistics Service (Table C-51 "The number of deaths by sex, age and specific causes of death" and 2PN "Population by sex and age"). We calculated the age-specific for 5-year age groups and age-standardized mortality rates from all causes of death separately for the male and female population of Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk Oblast and Russia for ten years (2010-2019) and traced them dynamics. Standardization was carried out by a direct method (the standard is the population of Russia according to the 2010 census). Considering the small population of the city and the resulting fluctuations in the mortality rate in individual years, to obtain stable indicators, we summarized the data on mortality for ten years (2010-2019) and calculated the average coefficients. We performed similar calculations for the region and country. We also assessed the contribution of certain age and gender groups (children, working and post-working ages) to the formation of excess mortality. Results. During 2010-2019 among the male and female populations of Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk Oblast and Russia, there was a steady decrease in mortality, but in the city, higher rates and slower rates of their decline were recorded compared to the region and the country. As a result, at the end of the observation period, the gap between the city's mortality rate and the compared territories increased even more. The most significant demographic losses occurred in the working age, where the average mortality rate for men and women over ten years was 28 and 37%, respectively, higher than the regional and 1.8 and 2.2 times the national average. Conclusion. Thus, the main contribution to the excess mortality of the population of Usolye-Sibirskoye is made by men and women of working age (from 53.6% to 72.5% depending on the comparison area), which, on the one hand, maybe a consequence of the influence of harmful and dangerous working conditions. In combination with a polluted environment, on the other hand, it may be due to the termination of the operation of a city-forming enterprise and the inevitable increase in unemployment and socio-economic tension in these conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 30049.1-30049.9
Author(s):  
Flora Farivarnia ◽  
◽  
Rasool Entezarmahdi ◽  
Mohammad Delirrad ◽  
◽  
...  

Background: This article presents the most recent mortality data in West Azerbaijan Province (WAP) of Iran in 2016 based on selected characteristics, including age, sex, state of residence, and cause of death. Methods: After the local Ethics Committee approval, we obtained the data for this systematic database study from the local health registration office. The causes of death are processed following the International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision (ICD-10). The vital statistics were refined from the yearbooks of the National Organization for Civil Registration. Results: In 2016, a total of 14688 deaths were registered in the Health Death Registration System (HDRS) and 14622 in the Civil Death Registration System (CDRS) of WAP (~4% of Iran’s mortality). The Crude Mortality Rate (CMR) was 4.30 per 1000, showing an increase of 7.5% from the 2011 rate. Of the deceased, 56.9% were males, and 60% were attributed to urban areas. On average, men died 4 years earlier than women (61.2 vs 65.3 years, respectively). The major causes of death in 2016 remained the same as in 2011. Conclusion: The pattern of human mortality in WAP is comparatively consistent with the other regions of Iran except for the higher rate of neoplasms (19.6% compared to 10.7% of the country average) and the lower ratio of certain infectious and parasitic diseases (1% compared to 3.8% of the national average). There was a significant difference in registering the state of residence between HDRS and CDRS, which is highly recommended for further investigation in future studies.


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