Population-based laboratory surveillance for Giardia sp. and Cryptosporidium sp. infections in a large Canadian health region

BACKGROUND: Giardia lamblia (intestinalis) and Cryptosporidium parvum are the two most important intestinal parasites infecting North Americans but there is a paucity of active population-based surveillance data from Canada. This study determined the incidence of and demographic risk factors for developing Giardia sp. and Cryptosporidium sp. infections in a general Canadian population. METHODS: Population-based laboratory surveillance was conducted among all residents of the Calgary Health Region (CHR; population ≅ 1 million) during May 1, 1999 and April 30, 2002. RESULTS: Giardia sp. infection occurred at a rate of 19.6 per 100,000 populations per year. Although the yearly incidence was stable, a significant seasonal variation was observed with a peak in late summer to early fall. Males were at higher risk for development of this infection as compared to females (21.2 vs. 17.9 per 100,000/yr; relative risk (RR) 1.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00–1.40, p = 0.047), and there was a significant decrease in risk associated with an increasing age. Cryptosporidium sp. infection occurred at an overall rate of 6.0 per 100,000 populations per year although a large outbreak of Cryptosporidium sp. infections occurred in the second half of the summer of 2001. During August and September of 2001, the incidence of cryptosporidiosis was 55.1 per 100,000 per year as compared to 3.1 per 100,000 per year for the remainder of the surveillance period (p < 0.0001). Cryptosporidiosis was largely a disease of children with an incidence of 17.8 per 100,000 per year occurring among those aged < 20 years of age compared to 1.25 per 100,000 per year for adults ≥ 20 years of age (RR 14.19; 95% CI, 9.77–21.11; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: This study provides important information on the occurrence and demographic risk groups for acquisition of giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis in a non-selected Canadian population

Drinking to ease the burden: a cross-sectional study on trauma, alcohol abuse and psychopathology in a post-conflict context

Ertl V, Saile R, Neuner F, Catani C. Drinking to ease the burden: a cross-sectional study on trauma, alcohol abuse and psychopathology in a post-conflict context. BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16(1): 202.Background It is likely that alcohol use and abuse increase during and after violent conflicts. The most prominent explanation of this phenomenon has been referred to as self-medication hypothesis. It predicts that psychotropic substances are consumed to deal with conflict-related psychic strains and trauma. In northern Uganda, a region that has been affected by a devastating civil war and is characterized by high levels of alcohol abuse we examined the associations between war-trauma, childhood maltreatment and problems related to alcohol use. Deducing from the self-medication hypothesis we assumed alcohol consumption moderates the relationship between trauma-exposure and psychopathology. Methods A cross-sectional epidemiological survey targeting war-affected families in post-conflict northern Uganda included data of male (n = 304) and female (n = 365) guardians. We used standardized questionnaires in an interview format to collect data on the guardians’ socio-demography, trauma-exposure, alcohol consumption and symptoms of alcohol abuse, PTSD and depression. Results Symptoms of current alcohol use disorders were present in 46 % of the male and 1 % of the female respondents. A multiple regression model revealed the unique contributions of emotional abuse in the families of origin and trauma experienced outside the family-context in the prediction of men’s alcohol-related symptoms. We found that alcohol consumption moderated the dose-effect relationship between trauma-exposure and symptoms of depression and PTSD. Significant interactions indicated that men who reported more alcohol-related problems experienced less increase in symptoms of PTSD and depression with increasing trauma-exposure. Conclusions The gradual attenuation of the dose-effect the more alcohol-related problems were reported is consistent with the self-medication hypothesis. Hence, the functionality of alcohol consumption has to be considered when designing and implementing addiction treatment in post-conflict contexts

Prevalence and prognosis of stress disorders: a review of the epidemiologic literature

Jaimie L Gradus1&ndash;4 1National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, 2Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, 3Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; 4Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark Abstract: Given the ubiquity of traumatic events, it is not surprising that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) &ndash; a common diagnosis following one of these experiences &ndash; is characterized as conferring a large burden for individuals and society. Although there is recognition of the importance of PTSD diagnoses throughout psychiatry, the literature on other diagnoses one may receive following a stressful or traumatic event is scant. This review summarizes the literature on stress disorders (classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition [ICD-10]), including acute stress reaction, PTSD, adjustment disorder and unspecified stress reactions. This review focuses on the literature related to common psychiatric and somatic consequences of these disorders. The prevalence and incidence of each disorder are described. A review of epidemiologic studies on comorbid mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and substance abuse, is included, as well as a review of epidemiologic studies on somatic outcomes, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal disorders. Finally, the current literature on all-cause mortality and suicide following stress disorder diagnoses is reviewed. Stress disorders are a critical public health issue with potentially deleterious outcomes that have a significant impact on those living with these disorders, the health care system and society. It is only through an awareness of the impact of stress disorders that appropriate resources can be allocated to prevention and treatment. Future research should expand the work done to date beyond the examination of PTSD, so that the field may obtain a more complete picture of the impact all stress disorders have on the many people living with these diagnoses. Keywords: trauma- and stressor-related disorders, stress disorders, traumatic, prognosi

Validity of reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorder diagnoses in the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Registry

Elisabeth Svensson,1 Timothy L Lash,1,2 Patricia A Resick,3 Jens Georg Hansen,1 Jaimie L Gradus4&ndash;61Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 2Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; 3Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; 4National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; 5Department of Psychiatry, 6Department of Epidemiology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USAAims: To assess the validity of reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorder diagnoses registered in the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register (DPCRR), to examine the documentation of stressful and traumatic events in the medical records, and to investigate the occurrence of stress diagnoses among persons not registered in the DPCRR.Methods: Among 101,633 patients diagnosed with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10) F43 diagnoses between 1995 and 2011, we selected 50 patients from two hospitals (100 total), comprising one above and one below median age for each diagnosis for five time periods, and reviewed their medical records. We calculated the positive predictive value, comparing registration in the DPCRR with the original medical records, and captured data on stressful life events. Two general practitioners were queried about 50 patients without a stress diagnosis in the DPCRR, regarding whether they had ever received a stress diagnosis.Results: The positive predictive value was 58% for acute stress reaction, 83% for posttraumatic stress disorder, 94% for adjustment disorder, 71% for other reactions to severe stress, and 68% for reaction to severe stress, unspecified. In 80% of the records, a stressful or traumatic event was noted. Of 100 patients without an F43 diagnosis in the DPCRR, seven had a stress diagnosis.Conclusion: The DPCRR represents a valid and comprehensive resource for research on reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorders, particularly for posttraumatic stress disorder and adjustment disorder.Keywords: validity (epidemiology), stress disorders, traumatic, Denmar