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Key Concepts
Authorship
Notes
Disclaimer
 
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Goals and Objectives
Case Study, Pretest
Definition of Clusters
Evaluating a Cluster
Case Definition
Case Confirmation
Population Denominator
Review the Literature
Exposure Assessment
Plausible Hypotheses
Risk Communication
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 
Case Studies in Environmental Medicine (CSEM) 

Disease Clusters: An Overview

Course: SS3096
Date: August 2002
CE Expiration Date: September 30, 2008


Key Concepts

Cluster events are groupings of a particular disorder or a class of disorders that appear unusually frequent in a place.
Busy clinicians are often expected to respond to patient inquiries about disease "cluster" events in their practices.

Authorship

Guest Contributors

Alan Ducatman, MD, MSc (American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine); Jonathan Borak, MD (American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine); and Wendy Kaye, PhD, and Lucy Peipens, PhD (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)

ATSDR/DHEP Authors

Felicia Pharagood-Wade, MD, FACEP; Lauren Swirsky, MPH, CHES; Maria Teran-MacIver, RN, MSN

ATSDR/DHEP Case Studies Team

Diane Dennis-Flagler, MPH; Sharon Hall, RN, PhD (CDC/PHPPO); Kimberly Gehle, MD, MPH; Felicia Pharagood-Wade, MD, FACEP

Editors

Pamela S. Wigington

Each content expert for this case study indicated no conflict of interest to disclose with the case study subject matter.

Final responsibility for the contents and views expressed in this monograph reside with ATSDR.

ATSDR Publication No.: ATSDR-HE-CS-2002-0006


Notes

This monograph is one in a series of self-instructional publications designed to increase the primary care provider's knowledge of hazardous substances in the environment and to aid in the evaluation of potentially exposed patients. See the Accreditation section for more information about continuing medical education credits, continuing nursing education units, continuing health education specialist credits, and continuing education units.


Disclaimer

The state of knowledge regarding the treatment of patients potentially exposed to hazardous substances in the environment is constantly evolving and is often uncertain. In this monograph, ATSDR has made diligent effort to ensure the accuracy and currency of the information presented, but makes no claim that the document comprehensively addresses all possible situations related pediatrics and environmental health. This monograph is intended as a resource for pediatricians and other child health care providers in assessing the condition and managing the treatment of patients potentially exposed to hazardous substances. It is not, however, a substitute for the professional judgment of a health care provider. The document must be interpreted in light of specific information regarding the patient and in conjunction with other sources of authority.

Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


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Revised 2000-08-30.