MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Jan 2007
Case ReportsInfant deaths associated with cough and cold medications--two states, 2005.
Cough and cold medications that contain nasal decongestants, antihistamines, cough suppressants, and expectorants commonly are used alone or in combination in attempts to temporarily relieve symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection in children aged <2 years. However, during 2004-2005, an estimated 1,519 children aged <2 years were treated in U. S. emergency departments for adverse events, including overdoses, associated with cough and cold medications. ⋯ Because of the risks for toxicity, absence of dosing recommendations, and limited published evidence of effectiveness of these medications in children aged <2 years, parents and other caregivers should not administer cough and cold medications to children in this age group without first consulting health-care provider and should follow the provider's instructions precisely. Clinicians should use caution when prescribing cough and cold medications to children aged <2 years. Moreover, clinicians should always ask caregivers about their use of over-the-counter combination medications to avoid overdose in children from multiple medications that contain the same ingredient.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Dec 2006
Case ReportsGastrointestinal injuries from magnet ingestion in children--United States, 2003-2006.
Ingestion of nonfood objects, inadvertently or intentionally, is common among young children and also occurs with older children and adolescents. Unless the objects are large or sharp, they usually pass through a child's digestive system without health consequences. However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has become aware of toy products containing small, powerful rare-earth magnets that pose unique health hazards to children. ⋯ This report describes three selected cases and summarizes the 20 cases of magnet ingestion identified by CPSC that occurred during 2003-2006. Caregivers should keep small magnets away from young children and be aware of the unique risks (e.g., volvulus and bowel perforation) that magnets pose if ingested. When evaluating children who have ingested objects, health-care providers should be aware of potential complications if magnets might be involved.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Nov 2006
Toxicology testing and results for suicide victims--13 states, 2004.
In 2003, an estimated 31,484 suicides (10.7 per 100,000 population) occurred in the United States. Suicide was the fourth leading cause of death among persons aged 10-64 years and the second and third leading causes of death among persons aged 25-34 and 10-24 years, respectively. Few studies have attempted to determine the contribution of substance use to suicide. ⋯ This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which determined that 1) the percentage of suicide victims tested varied among states, ranging from 25.9% to 97.7%; 2) of those victims tested, 33.3% were positive for alcohol, and 16.4% were positive for opiates; and 3) similar percentages of poisoning suicide (i.e., suspected intentional overdose) and nonpoisoning suicide victims tested positive for alcohol or other drugs, with the exception of opiates. These results underscore the need to continue monitoring toxicology test results of suicide victims, which might identify patterns of substance use that can help guide development of effective suicide interventions. Such data can be enhanced by uniform, comprehensive, toxicology testing practices on a state and national basis.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Nov 2006
Correctable visual impairment among persons with diabetes--United States, 1999-2004.
Persons with diabetes are more likely to be visually impaired than persons without the disease. In 2005, CDC estimated that 14.6 million persons in the United States had diagnosed diabetes and an additional 6.2 million had undiagnosed diabetes. Despite the importance of detecting and treating vision problems caused by refractive errors (i.e., correctable visual impairment [CVI]), a limited number of studies have attempted to determine the proportion of persons with diabetes whose poor vision could be corrected with accurately prescribed glasses or contact lenses. ⋯ This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that among U. S. adults aged > or =20 years with diabetes, 11.0% had visual impairment (i.e., presenting visual acuity worse than 20/40 in their better-seeing eye while wearing glasses or contact lenses, if applicable) and approximately 65.5% of these cases of visual impairment were correctable. Health-care providers and persons with diabetes should be more aware that poor vision often is correctable and that visual corrections can reduce the risk for injury and improve the quality of life for persons with diabetes.
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MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. · Oct 2006
State-specific prevalence of current cigarette smoking among adults and secondhand smoke rules and policies in homes and workplaces--United States, 2005.
Smoking causes premature death and disease in children and adults who do not smoke but are exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). To assess the state-specific prevalence of current smoking among adults in the United States and the proportions of adults who report having smoke-free home rules and smoke-free policies in their workplace, CDC analyzed data from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated a threefold difference (from lowest to highest) in self-reported cigarette smoking prevalence in 50 states, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico (PR), and the U. ⋯ Virgin Islands (USVI) (range: 8.3%-28.7%). Wide variations also were observed in USVI and the 14 states that assessed prevalence of smoke-free home rules (from 63.6% [Kentucky] to 82.9% [Arizona]) and smoke-free workplace policies (from 54.8% [Nevada] to 85.8% [West Virginia]). Evidence-based, comprehensive tobacco prevention and control programs that focus on decreasing smoking initiation, increasing smoking cessation, and establishing smoke-free workplaces, homes, and other venues should be continued and expanded to reduce smoking prevalence, exposure of nonsmokers to SHS, and smoking-related morbidity and mortality.