Subtance use and type and severity of injury among hospitalized trauma cases: Ohio, 2004-2007.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether persons who were injured severely enough to require hospitalization suffered more severe injury when substance use was involved. This was accomplished by evaluating four proxy outcome measures with Ohio Trauma Registry data from January 2004 through December 2007.

Method: Four injury outcomes were identified: injury severity score, admission to an intensive care unit, presence of at least one medical complication, and hospital length of stay.

Increasing chronic disease epidemiology capacity without increasing workforce: a success story in Ohio.

In many states the epidemiology capacity of specific chronic disease programs, for example, cardiovascular disease or diabetes, is limited by the skill set of a single epidemiologist who has been assigned to that program. To improve epidemiology support across categorical programs, the Division of Prevention at the Ohio Department of Health initiated a new policy early in 2003 whereby each program epidemiologist is responsible for learning to analyze data from at least two datasets as well as continuing to be the lead data person for his or her program. Now, for each critical dataset at least one epidemiologist is capable of conducting data analysis and providing support to other programs.

Comorbidities among Ohio's nursing home residents with diabetes.

Objective: To determine the magnitude of diabetes mellitus among Ohio nursing home residents and the comorbid conditions affecting residents with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN, METHOD, AND SETTINGS: In certified Ohio nursing homes during 1999, 161,723 residents were eligible for this study because they had been admitted for at least 1 day that year, had been assessed using the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare's Minimum Data Set instrument, were 21 years old or older, and had a known sex and race. Eligible residents with diabetes were compared with those without diabetes with respect to comorbidity.

Evaluating infection control practices among dentists in Vâlcea, Romania, in 1998.

Objectives: To evaluate infection control knowledge and practices, provide training on universal-standard precautions (USP), and improve infection control knowledge and practices among dentists.

Setting: Private and public dental offices in Vâlcea, Romania.

Methods: Information about the use of hepatitis B vaccine, knowledge of and training in USP, perceived risks of disease transmission, and infection control practices was gathered from a sample of dentists through interviews, direct observations, and a survey administered during a training session.

Improving water quality can reduce pyrogenic reactions associated with reuse of cardiac catheters.

Objective: To report the results of our preintervention investigation and subsequent 19-month three-phase intervention study designed to reduce pyrogenic reactions among patients undergoing cardiac catheterization using reprocessed catheters.

Design: A case-control study for the preintervention period and a prospective cohort study for the intervention period.

Setting: A 400-bed hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.