RESUMEN
There is a distinct lack of knowledge on the prevalence of skin disorders in Tuvalu. The aim of the current study was to assess the prevalence of cutaneous diseases and to evaluate access dermatological care in Tuvalu. Cutaneous disorders in the people of Tuvalu between 2009 and 2012 were examined. The most common skin conditions were eczema/dermatitis, superficial fungal infections, impetigo, carbuncles, furuncles, folliculitis, acne, scabies, warts and keloids. Infrequent skin conditions included infectious granulomatous disease, albinism, actinic keratosis, skin cancer, cutaneous lupus erythematosus and mammary Paget's disease, which required medical attention. This is the first epidemiological report on skin disorders in the southwest Pacific Island, Tuvalu.
Asunto(s)
Enfermedades de la Piel/epidemiología , Piel/patología , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Niño , Preescolar , Dermatitis/diagnóstico , Dermatitis/epidemiología , Dermatitis/microbiología , Femenino , Humanos , Lactante , Masculino , Micronesia/epidemiología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Micosis/diagnóstico , Micosis/epidemiología , Micosis/microbiología , Prevalencia , Piel/microbiología , Enfermedades de la Piel/diagnóstico , Enfermedades de la Piel/microbiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: A nationwide asthma survey on the effects of air pollution is lacking in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the time trend and the relationship between air pollution and health care services for asthma in Taiwan. METHODS: Health care services for asthma and ambient air pollution data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research database and Environmental Protection Administration from 2000 through 2009, respectively. Health care services, including those related to the outpatient and inpatient visits were compared according to the concentration of air pollutants. RESULTS: The number of asthma-patient visits to health-care facilities continue to increase in Taiwan. Relative to the respective lowest quartile of air pollutants, the adjusted relative risks (RRs) of the outpatient visits in the highest quartile were 1.10 (P-trend â= 0.013) for carbon monoxide (CO), 1.10 (P-trend â= 0.015) for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and 1.20 (P-trend <0.0001) for particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ⦠10 µm (PM10) in the child group (aged 0-18). For adults aged 19-44, the RRs of outpatient visits were 1.13 (P-trend = 0.078) for CO, 1.17 (P-trend = 0.002) for NO2, and 1.13 (P-trend <0.0001) for PM10. For adults aged 45-64, the RRs of outpatient visits were 1.15 (P-trend = 0.003) for CO, 1.19 (P-trend = 0.0002) for NO2, and 1.10 (P-trend = 0.001) for PM10. For the elderly (aged ≥ 65), the RRs of outpatient visits in were 1.12 (P-trend â= 0.003) for NO2 and 1.10 (P-trend â= 0.006) for PM10. For inpatient visits, the RRs across quartiles of CO level were 1.00, 1.70, 1.92, and 1.86 (P-trend â= 0.0001) in the child group. There were no significant linear associations between inpatient visits and air pollutants in other groups. CONCLUSIONS: There were positive associations between CO levels and childhood inpatient visits as well as NO2, CO and PM10 and outpatient visits.