Vascular access hemorrhages contribute to deaths among hemodialysis patients.

In 2007 the Maryland Medical Examiner noted a potential cluster of fatal vascular access hemorrhages among hemodialysis patients, many of whom died outside of a health-care setting. To examine the epidemiology of fatal vascular access hemorrhages, we conducted a retrospective case review in District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia from January 2000 to July 2007 and a case-control study. Records from the Medical Examiner and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were reviewed, from which 88 patients were identified as fatal vascular access hemorrhage cases.

Elevated lead in drinking water in Washington, DC, 2003-2004: the public health response.

Background: In 2003, residents of the District of Columbia (DC) experienced an abrupt rise in lead levels in drinking water, which followed a change in water-disinfection treatment in 2001 and which was attributed to consequent changes in water chemistry and corrosivity.

Objectives: To evaluate the public health implications of the exceedance, the DC Department of Health expanded the scope of its monitoring programs for blood lead levels in children.

Methods: From 3 February 2004 to 31 July 2004, 6,834 DC residents were screened to determine their blood lead levels.

Pediatric patient asthma-related emergency department visits and admissions in Washington, DC, from 2001-2004, and associations with air quality, socio-economic status and age group.

Background: The District of Columbia (DC) Department of Health, under a grant from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, established an Environmental Public Health Tracking Program. As part of this program, the goals of this contextual pilot study are to quantify short-term associations between daily pediatric emergency department (ED) visits and admissions for asthma exacerbations with ozone and particulate concentrations, and broader associations with socio-economic status and age group.

Methods: Data included daily counts of de-identified asthma-related pediatric ED visits for DC residents and daily ozone and particulate concentrations during 2001-2004.

Demographics and tumor characteristics of colorectal cancers in the United States, 1998-2001.

Background: Descriptions of population characteristics for intestinal cancers frequently combine colon and rectal sites. However, some studies suggest that cancers of subsites in the intestinal tract may differ both by demographics and biology. Examination of colon and rectal cancers' characteristics separately could identify different risk profiles for these sites.

The National Capitol Region's Emergency Department syndromic surveillance system: do chief complaint and discharge diagnosis yield different results?

We compared syndromic categorization of chief complaint and discharge diagnosis for 3,919 emergency department visits to two hospitals in the U.S. National Capitol Region.