Journal of public health
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Prior to the introduction of legislation in the United Kingdom, observational road-side studies showed that approximately 2 per cent of drivers use a mobile phone while driving. We studied the change in the usage rate of hand-held mobile phones from 10 weeks before to 10 weeks after the legislation came into force in December 2003. ⋯ This change is attributed to the legislation. The effect of the legislation on accident and injury rates is unknown.
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Journal of public health · Mar 2005
Case ReportsTetanus in an unvaccinated child in the United Kingdom: case report.
Tetanus is a serious infectious disease that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. It is uncommon in developed countries like the United Kingdom due to widespread immunization. ⋯ He presented with trismus and muscle spasms needing ventilation in Paediatric Intensive Care for 3 weeks. The case highlights the importance of vaccinating newly arrived children.
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Journal of public health · Mar 2005
Are we falling at the first hurdle? Estimating under-recording of falls in Accident and Emergency.
Accident and Emergency (A and E) is the first port of call for most people who have experienced an injurious fall. This provides the potential for identifying patients who may benefit from preventative interventions. This study aims to estimate the percentage of falls attendances that are not recorded on computerised A and E records. ⋯ A and E could play an important role in secondary falls prevention. Improving recording of falls in A and E is an essential prerequisite.
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Journal of public health · Mar 2005
Regional surveillance of accident and emergency department attendances: experiences from the West Midlands.
Information is collected on every patient that attends accident and emergency (A and E). However, there is currently no central collection of these data. In 1999 it was decided to collect data on all A and E attendances in the West Midlands region. ⋯ Despite this, routinely collected A and E data have great potential for surveillance and the data have been used in original research and to guide local policy. The West Midlands system is the largest source of A and E data in the United Kingdom. This information is of use to a wide range of organizations.
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Journal of public health · Mar 2005
The epidemiology and management of self-harm amongst adults in England.
Previous research into the epidemiology and management of self-harm has been largely based in centres with a special interest in this behaviour or focused on hospital admissions only. There are no national data on the characteristics and management of people presenting to hospital following self-harm. ⋯ Non-fatal self-harm is one of the strongest predictors of suicide, yet nearly half of all hospital attendances in England following self-harm do not lead to a specialist assessment. Patterns of service provision should take account of the observation that most self-harm attendances occur outside normal working hours and those at greatest risk of repetition are the least likely to receive assessments.