Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Owen, P. J.
Right arrow Articles by Miles, D. P. B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Owen, P. J.
Right arrow Articles by Miles, D. P. B.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1995 Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom

research-article

A review of hospital discharge rates in a population around Camelford in North Cornwall up to the fifth anniversary of an episode of aluminium sulphate absorption


P. J. Owen, Scientific Officer
D. P. B. Miles, Director of Public Health Medicine

Department of Public Health Medicine, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly District and Family Health Services Authorities John Keay House, St Austell, Cornwall PL12 4NQ

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the pollution caused by the aluminium sulphate emptied into the water at the Lowermoor Treatment Works on the standardized hospital discharge ratios in the Camelford area, Cornwall.

METHOD: Comparisons were made between the Camelford area and other localities in Cornwall of standardized hospital discharge ratios up to five years following the pollution incident The diagnoses of discharges were defined by ICD 9 code and grouped in chapters. The figures for Camelford were compared with those for Cornwall.

RESULTS: Since the pollution incident the standardized discharge ratio has increased in the Camelford area compared with Cornwall. No similar increase was observed in other localities of Cornwall. No one diagnosis was found to cause this increase.

CONCLUSIONS: The pollution of the water to the people of Camelford has raised hospital discharges. Monitoring of hospital discharges will continue.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 BMJHome page
P J Owen, D P B Miles, G J Draper, and T J Vincent
Retrospective study of mortality after a water pollution incident at Lowermoor in north Cornwall
BMJ, May 18, 2002; 324(7347): 1189 - 1189.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
P. Altmann, J. Cunningham, U. Dhanesha, M. Ballard, J. Thompson, and F. Marsh
Disturbance of cerebral function in people exposed to drinking water contaminated with aluminium sulphate: retrospective study of the Camelford water incident
BMJ, September 25, 1999; 319(7213): 807 - 811.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.