Many persons in the United States are colonized with S. aureus; prevalence rates differ demographically. MRSA colonization prevalence, although low nationally in 2001-2002, may vary with demographic and organism characteristics.

Homicide-followed-by-suicide (referred to as "homicide-suicide") incidents are rare events but can have a profound impact on families and communities. A better understanding of perpetrator characteristics and how they compare with those of other homicide suspects and suicide decedents might provide insight into the nature of these violent acts. This report is based on 2003-2005 data from 17 US states participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System, a unique, incident-based, active surveillance system that integrates data on violent deaths from multiple sources. Of the 408 homicide-suicide incidents identified, most incidents were committed with a firearm (88.2%) and perpetrated by males (91.4%), those over 19 years of age (97.6%), and those of white race (77.0%); however, just over half of filicide (killing of children)-suicides (51.5%) were perpetrated by females. Over 55% of male homicide-suicide perpetrators versus 26.4% of other male suicide decedents had prior intimate partner conflicts (P < 0.001). In fact, having a history of intimate partner conflicts was even common among homicide-suicide perpetrators who did not victimize their intimate partners. Recognition of the link between intimate partner conflicts and homicide-suicide incidents and strategies involving collaboration among the court/legal and mental health systems might prevent these incidents.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is increasingly a cause of nosocomial and community-onset infection with unknown national scope and magnitude. We used the National Hospital Discharge Survey to calculate the number of US hospital discharges listing S. aureus–specific diagnoses, defined as those having at least 1 International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 code specific for S. aureus infection. The number of hospital discharges listing S. aureus-specific diagnoses was multiplied by the proportion of methicillin resistance for each corresponding infection site to determine the number of MRSA infections. From 1999 to 2000, an estimated 125,969 hospitalizations with a diagnosis of MRSA infection occurred annually, including 31,440 for septicemia, 29,823 for pneumonia, and 64,706 for other infections, accounting for 3.95 per 1,000 hospital discharges. The method used in our analysis may provide a simple way to assess trends of the magnitude of MRSA infection nationally.

Mortality associated with cancer remains high, but more people are surviving cancer. Some people experience long-term problems associated with cancer and its treatment, and there is a need to know how to support them. This systematic literature review explores primary research for psychosocial implications of long-term survival (>or=5 years) following a cancer diagnosis and interventions designed to address psychosocial problems in the long term. A systematic search of BIDS, BNI, Cancer.gov, CINAHL, Medline, PsychINFO and Web of Science was conducted to identify research publications from 1960 to 2006. Papers were selected on the basis of pre-defined criteria and rated by three independent coders. Forty-three studies met the eligibility criteria. These indicated that most people experience few problems five or more years after their diagnosis of cancer. However, 20-30% of survivors consistently reported problems associated with cancer and its treatment including physical problems, poorer quality of life, psychological distress, sexual problems, problems with social relationships and financial concerns. Not all cancer types are represented in this review. Only two intervention studies met the eligibility criteria. Research is needed to establish appropriate interventions to support those experiencing problems in the long term to enhance well-being.

Higher rates of vancomycin or third-generation cephalosporin use were associated with increased prevalence of VRE, independent of other ICU characteristics and the endemic VRE prevalence elsewhere in the hospital. Decreasing the use rates of these antimicrobial agents could reduce rates of VRE in ICUs.

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Because the racial disparity was confined to earlier stages, future studies should investigate whether blacks have more advanced disease at diagnosis and whether less aggressive treatment is provided because of understanding.

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