MMWR

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

Emergency Department Visits for Nonfatal Self–Inflicted Injuries Among Adults Aged >65 Years — United States, 2005

PRESS CONTACT: CDC Injury Center Media Relations
(770) 488-4902

Older adults are more likely than younger adults to be hospitalized following emergency department care related to suicidal behavior. Comprehensive prevention strategies that address multiple risk factors such as better identification and treatment of clinical depression by primary care physicians and enhancing social support for at-risk individuals may be helpful. In 2005, there were an estimated 7,105 emergency department visits for nonfatal self–inflicted injuries among U.S. adults 65 and older, with more than 80 percent of these visits identified as suicidal behavior. Self-inflicted injuries are suicidal and self–harming behaviors. A significantly higher percentage of older adults (70.6%) who went to the emergency department for self-inflicted injuries were hospitalized following care for suicidal behavior compared with younger adults (age 20-34, 42.8%; 35-49, 53.2%; 50-64, 56.4%). As the fastest growing portion of the U.S. population, medical costs for self-inflicted injuries among older adults have the potential to increase. Based on previous CDC studies, average medical costs for overall self–inflicted injuries among older adults are twice that of younger adults (ages 25–64). More comprehensive prevention efforts which focus on multiple risk factors are needed to prevent future suicidal behaviors among older adults.

State–Specific Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking Among Adults and Quitting Among Persons Aged 18–35 Years — United States, 2006

PRESS CONTACT: CDC Division of Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

While quitting smoking has major and immediate benefits at every age, it is important to quit as early in life as possible, before there is permanent damage. Smokers who quit as young adults have a life expectancy similar to those who never smoked. To assess the prevalence of current smoking among all adults and among those aged 18–35, and to assess the proportion of smokers aged 18–35 who have quit or attempted to quit, CDC analyzed state and area data from the of the 2006 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System. The report found that that a majority of current daily smokers aged 18–35 had tried to quit during the past year. On average, approximately one third of those in the same age group who had ever smoked did not currently smoke. In addition, CDC found that for the first time the proportion of current smoking in a state (Utah) dropped below 10 percent. Since 2003, Utah and the U.S. Virgin Islands have achieved the Healthy People 2010 national health objective of reducing smoking prevalence to 12 percent or less. Fully implementing evidence–based strategies that decrease initiation of tobacco use and increase cessation rates would accelerate progress in reducing rates of smoking and other tobacco use.

Update: Influenza Activity — United States and Worldwide, 2007

PRESS CONTACT: CDC Division of Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

No summary available.

Update on Vaccine-Derived Polioviruses — Worldwide, January 2006–August 2007

PRESS CONTACT: CDC Division of Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

Control of VDPV transmission is important currently and once polio is eradicated. Vaccine–derived polioviruses (VDPVs), fall into three categories: 1) circulating VDPVs (cVDPVs) from outbreaks, 2) primary immunodeficiency–associated VDPVs (iVDPVs) from patients with defects in antibody production, and 3) ambiguous VDPVs (aVDPVs) for which there is insufficient evidence for definitive assignment to the other two categories. In 2005–2007, cVDPVs were found in Nigeria (type 2; 69 cases), Niger (two cases; importation from Nigeria), Cambodia (type 3; two cases), and Myanmar (type 1; four cases). In 2005–2007, iVDPVs were and found in China, Iran, Syria, Egypt, and Kuwait, and aVDPVs were found in China and Israel.

####

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES