Understanding the Health Impact of the September 11th Attacks

Abstract

Southern Medical Journal Jose´ Lo´pez-Sendo´n, MD, PhD, FESC Department of Cardiology Hospital Universitario La Paz Madrid, Spain Email: jtamargo@med.ucm.es REFERENCE ARTICLE ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS AND OFFICE WORKERS’ HEALTH AFTER THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TERRORIST ATTACKS: LONG-TERM PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND WORK-PRODUCTIVITY Osinubi OYO, Gandhi SK, Ohman-Strickland P, et al. J Occup Environ Med 2008;50:112–125. Response from E. Alison Holman, FNP, PhD Irvine Program in Nursing Science College of Health Sciences University of California Irvine, CA Email: aholman@uci.edu Understanding the Health Impact of the September 11th Attacks In a cross-sectional study of companies in the area sur- rounding the World Trade Center, a defensive organiza- tional culture was associated with worker reports of high- strain jobs and a 34% higher likelihood of reporting a cough 2-years post 9/11. The authors do not offer a plausible explanation for how cultural processes within an organiza- tion might produce physical health symptoms in their mem- bers. Despite the interesting questions being considered by these researchers, the study itself is not adequately designed to answer their questions. To Dig or Not to Dig: A Lethal Question in Atrial Fibrillation? Despite digoxin being considered a class I indication for rate control in many patients with persistent and perma- nent atrial fibrillation, with or without heart failure, its long-term efficacy and safety remains uncertain. Well- designed, multicenter, randomized clinical trials are nec- essary to clarify the safety profile of a drug daily used in thousands of patients. REFERENCE ARTICLE HIGH GASOLINE PRICES AND MORTALITY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES AND AIR POLLUTION Leigh JP, Geraghty EM. J Occup Environ Med 2008;50:249 – Response from David C. Grabowski, PhD Department of Health Care Policy Harvard Medical School Boston, MA Email: grabowski@med.harvard.edu REFERENCE ARTICLE DIGITALIS: A DANGEROUS DRUG IN ATRIAL FIBRILLATION? AN ANALYSIS OF THE SPORTIF III AND V DATA Gjesdal K, Feyzi J, Olsson SB. Heart 2008;94:191–196. Response from Juan Tamargo, MD, PhD, FESC Department of Pharmacology School of Medicine University Complutense Madrid, Spain Copyright © 2008 by The Southern Medical Association Is There a Silver Lining to Rising Gasoline Prices? A newly published study suggests that an increase in gas- oline prices, sustained over time, will reduce traffic fatali- ties and deaths due to air pollution. However, gasoline prices are relatively volatile and there is little indication that a large price increase will be sustained such that individuals will dramatically alter their long-term driving behaviors. Gasoline taxes are one method of ensuring higher prices over time but they introduce economic costs, and ultimately, may not be politically viable. Southern Medical Journal • Volume 101, Number 8, August 2008