Background: The effect of air pollution on human health has been paying attentions by researchers in recent years. Exposing air pollutants increases risk for respiratory tract and heart diseases. Objective: 1. To evaluate the situation of air pollution in Thuong Dinh industrial zone and Lac Long Quan area. 2. To compare the respiratory tract morbidity rate which is asscociated with air pollution in residents living in these two areas. Subjects and method: A cross-sectional, comparative study on air pollution indicators and respiratory tract morbidity rate was conducted in 3.963 residents living in Lac Long Quan area and the surroundings of Thuong Dinh industrial zone. Results and Conclusion: The dust pollution rate in Thuong Dinh was as 3-3.5 times high as in Lac Long Quan. Both areas had microorganic pollution. The average concentrations of Pb, As, NO2, Co, SO2, O3 in two seasons were lower than permitted standards, but these concentrations in Thuong Dinh were higher than in Lac Long Quan. There is a significant difference in some respiratory diseases between these two areas. People living in Thuong Dinh industrial zone had a double risk of getting some chronic respiratory diseasess in comparison with those in Lac Long Quan: Rhinitis (OR=1.65; CI95%: 1.3-2.04), bronchitis (OR=1.39; CI95%: 1.04-1.85), amygdalitis (OR=2.14; CI95%: 1.18-3.91), pneumonia (OR=2.53; CI95%: 1.31-4.96). Symptoms of COPD of people in Thuong Dinh were also higher than that in Lac Long Quan: cough (OR=1.87; CI95%: 1.64-3.91); sputum (OR=1.63; CI95%: 1.23-2.17); stuff-up nose (\ufffd?1.3; CI95%: 1.11-1.56); and runny nose (OR=1.91; CI95%: 1.58-2.32).
Respiratory Tract Diseases/ epidemiology ; diagnosis ; Air Pollution/ adverse effects ; prevention & ; control ;

Across descriptive sectional study on 489 workers and pharmacists in the pharmaceutical factories No1 and No2 in Hµ Néi from July to August 1997 has shown that the rate of drug allergy in workers and pharmacists was very high (33.9%). The occupational factors influenced significant on the allergy to Beta-lactamin. The rate of drug allergy was direct proportional with ages and exposure duration. In addition to, the family factors also influenced the drug allergy.
Drug Hypersensitivity ; manpower ; Pharmaceutical Preparations

The study was carried out on 490 workers from 3 pharmaceutical enterprises, and 589 hospital staffs (nurses, pharmacist) from hospitals in Hanoi. Results shown that the prevalence of allergy to beta-lactam antibiotics in pharmaceutical workers and hospital staffs is very high and clearly affected by occupational factors. This issue requires the functioning agencies having solutions of early detection, management and prevention for labor force working in pharmaceutical and health branch.
Hypersensitivity ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; epidemiology

Study to determine concentration of total serum IgE of 43 health staff with allergy with beta-lactam antibiotics, who are working at hospitals in Hanoi, and control group include 42 healthy persons without any allergic disease or allergic history. Result showed that the average concentration of total serum IgE in the group of health staffs with allergic history to beta-lactam antibiotics is high (X=1968.860 ng/ml). It is higher than 8 times comparing with the group of healthy persons (242.310 ng/ml).
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Hypersensitivity ; serum ; Medical Staff

Study on 589 nurses and midwives who have been working at least 2 years at hospitals in Hanoi, they were interviewed about the time of occupational contact to antibiotics, the allergic history with beta-lactam antibiotics. All participants were done skin prick test with benzyl penicillin G and ampicillin. Total serum IgE and reaction of mastocyte transform in the subjects who had allergic history to beta-lactam antibiotic. Results showed that the allergic prevalence to beta-lactam antibiotics is very high (9.3%). The occupational factors have clearly affected to the allergy including proportion of occupation ages, family allergic history, and persons who used to suffer from the diseases of allergy and immunology have the allergic risk to beta-lactam antibiotics.
Drug Resistance ; manpower ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; medical staff

A survey was conducted at 5 hospitals in Hanoi: Phu San, Thanh Nhan, Dong Da, Saint Paul, and Duc Giang of Hanoi Department of Health by using WHO Infection Control Audit Tool. The results showed that the average performance scores of nosocomial infection control in these hospitals was 46.4/114 (40.7%). Medical waste management achieved at 92% of total scores, SARS prevention at 86.3%, and hand washing practice at 60%. Some activities were incompletely implemented in these five hospitals, such as policies for safe antibiotics use, surveilance of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, and preventive measures for special areas. Nosocomial infection control policy, food safety and hygiene, and disinfection and sterilization for medical equipment were 22%, 20% and 20% total standard score, respectively.
Cross Infection ; Infection ; Hospitals

A study of 1544 pupils in Hanoi urban and suburban areas showed that the prevalence of asthma was 10.42%, in which the prevalence in urban area was 12.56%, higher than that in suburban area (7.52%); the prevalence in male pupils were higher than that in female ones. 9.6% cases suffered asthma from under 1 year old. The invidual allergic history, the allergic and asthma history of the family as well as environment factors are strongly associated with the asthma prevalence.
Asthma ; Epidemiology ; Pupil

Retrospective study on the situation of over loading at Viet Duc Hospital, Saint Paul Hospital, Hanoi Gynaecology Hospital and Gia Lam District Hospital was carried out from 1999 to 2002. 400 inpatient medical records at internal medicine, surgical, gynecological, and pediatric departments; 100 specialistic medical records were studied; Patients were asked to answer Questionnaire; and officers of Hanoi Health Service and leaders of 4 hospitals were organized group discussions. Results: through 4 years all these hospitals have always been over loaded with both out patient and in patient. On average, 1 doctor has examined 25.5-33.5 patients a day. Over loading occurred frequently in some departments and in epidemic seasons. The causes might be both in hospital and out hospital leading to overloading. Authors also proposed some solutions to resolve this problem
hospitals ; Solutions ;

The survey carried out on 601 inpatients in some Hanoi Hospitals. The results as followed: among these patients, 90.4% were referred to inpatient department at the first time by health staff, nearly 100% had enough clothes and bedding that were provided by hospital, only 0.8% did not have daily health examination at the first time, the percentage of careful examination increased from 84.1% to 90.9%. The rate of patients who were referred to medical laboratory, radiology department and specialists by health staff increased from 85.3% to 92.3%. There was a small percentage of health staff with angry attitude (2.8%), indifferent attitude (3.2%), unhelpful attitude (1.2%)
Inpatients ; Data Collection ; Hospitals

Studied on 892 pupils at 8 primary schools and secondary schools in urban Hanoi city, among them 112 pupils were infected with bronchial asthma and the prevalence of bronchial asthma in Hanoi urban pupils was very high (12.56%). The history of personal allergy, the allergic and asthma history of family as well as environment factors were strongly associated to the bronchial asthma prevalence. It was the first priority to implement an asthma control program in school
Asthma ; pupil ; epidemiology