Each of the following statements applies to case control studies, except:
Correct Answer D:
A case control study is a study that compares two groups of people: those with the disease or condition under study (cases) and a very similar group of people who do not have the disease or condition (controls). Researchers study the medical and lifestyle histories of the people in each group to learn what factors may be associated with the disease or condition. For example, one group may have been exposed to a particular substance that the other was not. Also called a retrospective study.
In a classroom of 25 students (15 males and 10 females), 5 males develop hepatitis A over a 2 week period. During the next 6 weeks, an additional 3 males and 2 females develop the infection.
The attack rate of hepatitis A in this classroom is:
An attack rate in epidemiology is the cumulative incidence of infection in a group of people observed over a period of time during an epidemic, usually in relation to foodborne illness.
The term is defined as the number of exposed persons infected with the disease divided by the total number of exposed persons.
In this question the attack rate is (5+3+2)/25 = 40%
A group of 50 people are exposed to virus “A”. Of those 50 people, 9 develop a mild infection, 10 become seriously ill, and 3 die.
The attack rate of virus “A” in the population would be:
Correct Answer A:
An attack rate is defined as the number of new cases of disease during a specified time period, divided by the total population at risk during the same time period.
In this question, attack rate = (9+10+3)/50 = 22/50.
The occurrence of malignant mesothelioma has been correlated with industrial exposure to:
Asbestos-related disorders are caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers. The disorders include asbestosis; lung carcinoma; nonmalignant pleural plaque formation and thickening; benign pleural effusions; and malignant mesothelioma. Asbestosis and mesothelioma both cause progressive dyspnea.
Diagnosis is based on history and chest x-ray or CT and, in the case of malignancy, tissue biopsy. Treatment is supportive, except for malignancies, which may require surgery and/or chemotherapy.
The local school district has found that there is asbestos in many of the classrooms. The asbestos is contained in ceiling material used as acoustical insulation.
Which one of the following statements is true regarding this situation?
Correct Answer B:
Asbestos removal from public buildings is not mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency unless there is severe and extensive damage and there are no other options such as special repairs or encapsulation that will control fiber release.
Asbestos exposure has been associated with a variety of cancers, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, cancer of the oropharynx, cancer of the larynx, and gastrointestinal cancer. Cigarette smoking amplifies the effects of asbestos exposure. Smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, improper diet, and inadequate exercise are all greater public health hazards than asbestos.
Asthmatics, especially when exercising, can be influenced by a variety of inhaled irritants, including sulfur dioxide and acidic aerosols in concentrations present in many cities, but not including asbestos.
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