The Control of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Blood Stream infections in England

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infection (BSI) is a major healthcare burden in some but not all healthcare settings, and it is associated with 10%–20% mortality. The introduction of mandatory reporting in England of MRSA BSI in 2001 was followed in 2004 by the setting of target reductions for all National Health Service hospitals. The original national target of a 50% reduction in MRSA BSI was considered by many experts to be unattainable, and yet this goal has been far exceeded (∼80% reduction with rates still declining). The transformation from endemic to sporadic MRSA BSI involved the implementation of serial national infection prevention directives, and the deployment of expert improvement teams in organizations failed to meet their improvement trajectory targets. We describe and appraise the components of the major public health infection prevention campaign that yielded major reductions in MRSA infection. There are important lessons and opportunities for other healthcare systems where MRSA infection remains endemic

Arsenic Concentrations in Private Bedrock Wells in Southeastern New Hampshire

The quality of drinking water obtained from private wells in New Hampshire is not regulated; consequently, private wells are often not sampled for arsenic unless individual well owners choose to do so. To provide private well owners and Federal and State environmental and health officials with accurate information on arsenic concentrations from private wells in this region, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted an arsenic occurrence and distribution study, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA New England), New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), New Hampshire Estuaries Project, and with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NHDHHS). This report describes the results of this study to determine the range of arsenic concentrations from ground water in the three counties of southeastern New Hampshire by analyzing water samples collected by a randomly selected group of well owners from this area

EPA Radon Risk Assessment Table for Smokers and Non-Smokers

This chart gives the long term effects of radon on smokers and non-smokers

Ozone and your health

Ozone, the main ingredient of smog, presents a serious air quality problem in many parts of the United States. Even at low levels, ozone can cause health effects. You can take simple steps, described in this pamphlet, to protect your health from ozone

A European union and Canadian review of public health nursing preparation and practice.

This study explores the preparation and role of the public health nurse (PHN) across European Union (EU) countries (Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) and Canadian provinces (Alberta, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island)

Hazards of Delayed Coker Unit (DCU) Operations

This is a report on the hazards of delayed coker unit (DCU) operations

Children's exposure to second hand smoke at home : a cross-sectional study in Portugal

Second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) is a major indoor pollutant that causes serious health problems for all exposed, especially children. Children are often exposed to SHS at home, due to parental or other households’ or guests’ smoking. This study describes Portuguese children's exposure to SHS at home (total and by Portuguese main regions). In 2010/2011, a questionnaire was applied to a sample of Portuguese children in the 4th grade (N = 3187, mean age 9.05 ± 0.7 years, 51.1% male). Descriptive analysis, chi-square tests and crude odds ratios were performed. Of the participants, 62.9% of those with smoking parents and 19.2% of those with non-smoking parents were exposed to SHS at their home. Parental smoking varied significantly among regions and was significantly associated with children's exposure to SHS at home. Children's exposure to SHS at home was high, especially if their parents smoke. Children living in Lisbon Region presented the highest SHS exposure rate. The association of SHS exposure with geographic regions suggests the influence of social and contextual factors on smoking behaviour and on tobacco control effectiveness. Our findings highlight the need to effectively prevent children's SHS exposure at their home and to develop tailored tobacco control measures by region.This work was supported by FEDER through the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade - COMPETE (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-009117), and by FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (Ref. PTDC/CPE-CED/098281/2008)