Preventive health measures in volcanic eruptions.

Medical treatment has only a small role in severe volcanic eruptions and so preventive measures are paramount if injuries and loss of life are to be reduced. The health team must be incorporated in emergency planning and response at the earliest stage. Guidance on the interpretation of geological information about a volcano and the appropriate health measures that should be adopted before and after an eruption are summarized for the benefit of health workers.

Immediate public health concerns and actions in volcanic eruptions: lessons from the Mount St. Helens eruptions, May 18-October 18, 1980.

A comprehensive epidemiological evaluation of mortality and short-term morbidity associated with explosive volcanic activity was carried out by the Centers for Disease Control in collaboration with affected state and local health departments, clinicians, and private institutions. Following the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a series of public health actions were rapidly instituted to develop accurate information about volcanic hazards and to recommend methods for prevention or control of adverse effects on safety and health.

Dandruff: infection or not?

Synopsis The presence of apparently normal corneocytes as well as parakeratotic material in dandruff scales suggests that atypical keratinization in the scalp epidermis has not been of long duration. Abundance of hair fat on the scalp after puberty, colonization by fat-splitting micro-organisms (notably yeasts of the genus Pityrosporum) and transitory upsurges of epidermal mitosis in response to fatty acids produced by lipolysis of sebum triglycerides within the hair follicles, especially those in the anagen phase, seem likely to be implicated in the generation of dandruff scaling. Antidandruff efficacy apparently calls not only for antifungal potency demonstrable in vitro but also for the ability, when incorporated in a suitable formulation, to reach the microflora within the hair follicles and to inhibit the metabolic activity of these microorganisms even in the presence of sebum.

Work therapy and return to work.

In summary, data were selected for 1 year on patients treated in the Work Tolerance Program at the Hand Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia. The type of information obtained has been used to obtain a profile of the patient population in the Work Tolerance Program. Statistical analysis was used, not only to formulate patient demographics, but also to evaluate the length of treatment of patients in the Work Tolerance Program.

Occupation and cancer in London: an investigation into nasal and bladder cancer using the Cancer Atlas.

The Atlas of Cancer Mortality for England and Wales showed pronounced excesses of male mortality from nasal and bladder cancer in certain London boroughs. These excesses were investigated by case-referent studies using death certificate data for male deaths, 1968-78. Nasal cancer was found to be significantly associated with occupations involving heavy exposure to wood dust.

Acute renal failure following cardiopulmonary bypass in children: results of treatment.

Following open heart surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, 18 (4%) of 441 operated children required treatment with peritoneal dialysis for acute renal failure or refractory oliguria. Nine recovered renal function (50%) and 5 (28%) survived. Only 2 died from renal causes.

Effect of feeding on the fate of orally administered phenylbutazone, trimethoprim and sulphadiazine in the horse.

Phenylbutazone, sulphadiazine and trimethoprim were administered to three horses on two occasions, recently fed and unfed, and the effect of feeding on the pharmacokinetics of the three drugs assessed. The mean peak concentrations of phenylbutazone and trimethoprim were reduced by feeding by 34 and 75 per cent, respectively. The pharmacokinetics of sulphadiazine were not significantly affected.

Severe ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. Two and a half years' survival with normal development.

The clinical course and management of a boy with severe ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency are described. In addition to treatment with sodium benzoate and amino acid keto analogues, mannitol may be useful in hyperammonaemia and nocturnal gavage feeding aids maintenance treatment.

Urinary mutagenicity assays: a problem arising from the presence of histidine associated growth factors in XAD-2 prepared urine concentrates, with particular relevance to assays carried out using the bacterial fluctuation test.

The appearance of mutagenic activity in urine samples from a group of nurses and from unexposed individuals has been investigated using the bacterial fluctuation test. Apparent mutagenic activity was seen in samples from all subjects and did not appear to be related to any specific occupational or environmental exposure. This activity seems to be related to the presence of histidine or histidine-related auxotrophic growth factors in the urine concentrates, not completely removed by the recommended XAD-2 column procedure.