Ernest Volinn - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Ernest Volinn
Neurosurgery Clinics of North America
International journal of environmental research and public health, Dec 10, 2016
Background: Although studies from many countries have estimated the impact of ambient temperature... more Background: Although studies from many countries have estimated the impact of ambient temperature on mortality, few have compared the relative impacts of heat and cold on health, especially in basin climate cities. We aimed to quantify the impact of ambient temperature on mortality, and to compare the contributions of heat and cold in a large basin climate city, i.e., Chengdu (Sichuan Province, China); Methods: We estimated the temperature-mortality association with a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) with a maximum lag-time of 21 days while controlling for long time trends and day of week. We calculated the mortality risk attributable to heat and cold, which were defined as temperatures above and below an "optimum temperature" that corresponded to the point of minimum mortality. In addition, we explored effects of individual characteristics; Results: The analysis provides estimates of the overall mortality burden attributable to temperature, and then computes the co...
The Clinical Journal of Pain, Oct 1, 1996
Spine, Jun 1, 1991
A minority of industrial-back-sprain claimants account for most of the cost of industrial back sp... more A minority of industrial-back-sprain claimants account for most of the cost of industrial back sprain: those whose disability persists into "chronicity", which is defined as 90 days or more off work. The data in this study demonstrate the effects of socioeconomic factors on chronicity. This analysis is based on State of Washington industrial insurance claims for back sprain. For both men and women, three socioeconomic factors significantly affect the risk of chronicity: age, wage, and the family status of being either widowed or divorced with no children. In addition, the Nam-Powers Socioeconomic Index is significant for men. Wage compensation ratio cannot be shown to be a factor in chronicity.
The Clinical Journal of Pain, Mar 1, 1994
To examine patterns in both surgical and nonsurgical low back pain (LBP) hospitalizations through... more To examine patterns in both surgical and nonsurgical low back pain (LBP) hospitalizations through time and among geographic regions and to explore the practical implications of these patterns for health care reform. For time trends, the U.S. (1979-1987); for geographic variations, major regions of the U.S. (1987). DATE SOURCE: The National Hospital Discharge Survey. Rates of both surgical and nonsurgical LBP hospitalization varied twofold among regions of the U.S., and average lengths of stay for these types of hospitalization varied considerably as well. The U.S. rate of LBP surgery increased sharply during the period covered by the study. Over the same time, the U.S. rate of nonsurgical LBP hospitalization declined, as did average lengths of stay for both types of LBP hospitalization. Wide variations in LBP hospitalization practices raise the issue of which practices are most appropriate. Outcomes research addresses this issue, as does research on patient preferences for certain types of treatment. As indicated by the increasing rate of LBP surgery, more research also needs to be done on changing physician practice style. If such research were to result in a reduction in LBP hospitalization, savings in health care costs would be considerable.
Spine, Jan 8, 2015
This was a pilot, cross-sectional study. Its site was West China Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan Pro... more This was a pilot, cross-sectional study. Its site was West China Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. An objective was to explore whether, in China, LBP characteristically is one symptom among co-occurring subjective symptoms. More basic objectives were to test a supplemented list of symptoms and to reconfigure findings from the literature on co-occurrence of symptoms so that they pertain specifically to cLBP. The governing metaphor was a constellation of symptoms in which cLBP is located. With the exception of small, isolated societies, previous studies of co-occurrence of symptoms were conducted in the affluent West. Although China's population is larger than the combined populations of affluent countries of the West, research on co-occurring symptoms has been neglected in China. Unknown is whether results from studies of co-occurring symptoms in the affluent West may be extended to China. A survey with the supplemented symptom list was cross-culturally adapted into Chinese ...
Encyclopedia of Pain, 2013
Encyclopedia of Pain, 2007
Sociological Analysis, 1985
Spine, 1991
A minority of industrial-back-sprain claimants account for most of the cost of industrial back sp... more A minority of industrial-back-sprain claimants account for most of the cost of industrial back sprain: those whose disability persists into "chronicity", which is defined as 90 days or more off work. The data in this study demonstrate the effects of socioeconomic factors on chronicity. This analysis is based on State of Washington industrial insurance claims for back sprain. For both men and women, three socioeconomic factors significantly affect the risk of chronicity: age, wage, and the family status of being either widowed or divorced with no children. In addition, the Nam-Powers Socioeconomic Index is significant for men. Wage compensation ratio cannot be shown to be a factor in chronicity.
Journal of anesthesia, Jan 15, 2015
Although the usefulness of an additional forearm tourniquet to conventional intravenous regional ... more Although the usefulness of an additional forearm tourniquet to conventional intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) has been reported, the forearm cuff may disturb the surgical field to some degree, especially in wrist surgery. In the present study, we assessed the clinical efficacy of a temporary additional forearm rubber tourniquet to the conventional upper arm tourniquet on the quality of IVRA. The study included 32 ASA physical status I and II adult patients undergoing elective hand surgery who were randomly allocated to either an additional forearm tourniquet group (Group F) or to a conventional upper arm tourniquet group (Group C). Upper arm tourniquet IVRA was established using 40 mL of 0.5 % lidocaine in Group C. Hypothetically enhanced forearm tourniquet IVRA was established using 10 mL of 0.5 % lidocaine with an additional forearm rubber tourniquet and then administering 30 mL of 0.25 % lidocaine after removing the forearm tourniquet in Group F. The sensory and motor block ...
Sociological Analysis, 1984
Spine, Jan 15, 2005
This is a cross-national comparison of workers' compensation claims for back pain in Japan an... more This is a cross-national comparison of workers' compensation claims for back pain in Japan and the United States (US). The main objective is to juxtapose rates of back pain claims in Japan and Washington state. Because the Washington state rate closely matches rates for other US states as well as the rate for the US as a whole, it is used to represent the US rate. A puzzle is to be framed: Why are back pain claim rates in Japan and the United States so disparate? Occupational back pain is common among workers in both Japan and the United States. Wage compensation for time off work is also substantial in both countries and potentially induces time off work at least as much in Japan as in the United States. Accordingly, back pain claim rates in Japan seemingly would be on the same order of magnitude as rates in the United States. Washington state rates are based on data from its state fund. Both Japan and Washington state rates are composed of the number of workers eligible to fil...
Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion, 2008
To explore factors of the patient with lumbago seeking for acupuncture treatment and to observe t... more To explore factors of the patient with lumbago seeking for acupuncture treatment and to observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at early days. The factors of the patient with lumbago seeking for acupuncture treatment were investigated by questionnaire in 45 cases of lumbago. The patients enrolled were treated by acupuncture and moxibustion for 1-2 sessions with Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3) selected. Changes of pain, restlessness score and ODI before and after treatment were used for assessment of clinical therapeutic effect at early days. Recommendation (12 cases, 26.7%), believing Chinese medicine (10 cases, 22.2%), reputation of hospital (6 cases, 13.3%), public praise of doctors (5 cases, 11.1%) were main causes for the patient with lumbago seeking for acupuncture treatment. ODI, pain score and restlessness score were 11.0+/-7.3, 5.0+/-1.9, 4.8+/-2.1 after treatment and 12.6+/-7.7, 6.5+/-1.8, 6.7+/-2.1 before treatment, respectivel...
Pain, 1988
Back pain is a common condition and in most cases is not disabling. We have investigated disablin... more Back pain is a common condition and in most cases is not disabling. We have investigated disabling back pain that leads to health care utilization, time lost from work, and high costs. Disabling back pain remains of obscure origin because the focus in studying it has been too narrow. Our indicator of disability is the industrial insurance claim rate for back sprain by county (N = 39) in the State of Washington. After controlling for the size of the labor force and the proportion of workers in occupations that are particularly at risk of back sprain, we determined the effect of 3 socioeconomic factors on the claim rate: the unemployment rate, percentage receiving food stamps, and per capita income. For 2 of the 3 years studied, socioeconomic factors accounted for about one-third of the variance in the claim rate. Even though claimants of industrial insurance are employed, the unemployment rate was significantly related to the claim rate in the 3 years studied. Our interpretation is that disability is a symptom of distress. Where there is a rise in job insecurity and an attendant rise in economic insecurity. there is a greater likelihood that back pain will become disabling.
BMC musculoskeletal disorders, Jan 3, 2006
As the literature now stands, a bewildering number and variety of biological, psychological and s... more As the literature now stands, a bewildering number and variety of biological, psychological and social factors are, apparently, implicated in back problems. However, if and how these have a direct influence on back problems is not clear. Obesity, for example, has in many studies been shown to be associated with back problems but there is no evidence for a causal link. This could be explained by a dearth of suitably designed studies but also because obesity may be but a proxy for some other, truly explanatory variable. Coping has been linked with, particularly, persistent back problems as well as with health in general. The question is, whether coping could be the explanatory link between, for example, these two variables. A cross-sectional study was undertaken using data from the Swedish Army, consisting of the entire cohort of males (N = 48,502) summoned in 1998 to serve in the military. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relation between five independent variables and...
Neurosurgery Clinics of North America
International journal of environmental research and public health, Dec 10, 2016
Background: Although studies from many countries have estimated the impact of ambient temperature... more Background: Although studies from many countries have estimated the impact of ambient temperature on mortality, few have compared the relative impacts of heat and cold on health, especially in basin climate cities. We aimed to quantify the impact of ambient temperature on mortality, and to compare the contributions of heat and cold in a large basin climate city, i.e., Chengdu (Sichuan Province, China); Methods: We estimated the temperature-mortality association with a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) with a maximum lag-time of 21 days while controlling for long time trends and day of week. We calculated the mortality risk attributable to heat and cold, which were defined as temperatures above and below an "optimum temperature" that corresponded to the point of minimum mortality. In addition, we explored effects of individual characteristics; Results: The analysis provides estimates of the overall mortality burden attributable to temperature, and then computes the co...
The Clinical Journal of Pain, Oct 1, 1996
Spine, Jun 1, 1991
A minority of industrial-back-sprain claimants account for most of the cost of industrial back sp... more A minority of industrial-back-sprain claimants account for most of the cost of industrial back sprain: those whose disability persists into "chronicity", which is defined as 90 days or more off work. The data in this study demonstrate the effects of socioeconomic factors on chronicity. This analysis is based on State of Washington industrial insurance claims for back sprain. For both men and women, three socioeconomic factors significantly affect the risk of chronicity: age, wage, and the family status of being either widowed or divorced with no children. In addition, the Nam-Powers Socioeconomic Index is significant for men. Wage compensation ratio cannot be shown to be a factor in chronicity.
The Clinical Journal of Pain, Mar 1, 1994
To examine patterns in both surgical and nonsurgical low back pain (LBP) hospitalizations through... more To examine patterns in both surgical and nonsurgical low back pain (LBP) hospitalizations through time and among geographic regions and to explore the practical implications of these patterns for health care reform. For time trends, the U.S. (1979-1987); for geographic variations, major regions of the U.S. (1987). DATE SOURCE: The National Hospital Discharge Survey. Rates of both surgical and nonsurgical LBP hospitalization varied twofold among regions of the U.S., and average lengths of stay for these types of hospitalization varied considerably as well. The U.S. rate of LBP surgery increased sharply during the period covered by the study. Over the same time, the U.S. rate of nonsurgical LBP hospitalization declined, as did average lengths of stay for both types of LBP hospitalization. Wide variations in LBP hospitalization practices raise the issue of which practices are most appropriate. Outcomes research addresses this issue, as does research on patient preferences for certain types of treatment. As indicated by the increasing rate of LBP surgery, more research also needs to be done on changing physician practice style. If such research were to result in a reduction in LBP hospitalization, savings in health care costs would be considerable.
Spine, Jan 8, 2015
This was a pilot, cross-sectional study. Its site was West China Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan Pro... more This was a pilot, cross-sectional study. Its site was West China Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. An objective was to explore whether, in China, LBP characteristically is one symptom among co-occurring subjective symptoms. More basic objectives were to test a supplemented list of symptoms and to reconfigure findings from the literature on co-occurrence of symptoms so that they pertain specifically to cLBP. The governing metaphor was a constellation of symptoms in which cLBP is located. With the exception of small, isolated societies, previous studies of co-occurrence of symptoms were conducted in the affluent West. Although China's population is larger than the combined populations of affluent countries of the West, research on co-occurring symptoms has been neglected in China. Unknown is whether results from studies of co-occurring symptoms in the affluent West may be extended to China. A survey with the supplemented symptom list was cross-culturally adapted into Chinese ...
Encyclopedia of Pain, 2013
Encyclopedia of Pain, 2007
Sociological Analysis, 1985
Spine, 1991
A minority of industrial-back-sprain claimants account for most of the cost of industrial back sp... more A minority of industrial-back-sprain claimants account for most of the cost of industrial back sprain: those whose disability persists into "chronicity", which is defined as 90 days or more off work. The data in this study demonstrate the effects of socioeconomic factors on chronicity. This analysis is based on State of Washington industrial insurance claims for back sprain. For both men and women, three socioeconomic factors significantly affect the risk of chronicity: age, wage, and the family status of being either widowed or divorced with no children. In addition, the Nam-Powers Socioeconomic Index is significant for men. Wage compensation ratio cannot be shown to be a factor in chronicity.
Journal of anesthesia, Jan 15, 2015
Although the usefulness of an additional forearm tourniquet to conventional intravenous regional ... more Although the usefulness of an additional forearm tourniquet to conventional intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) has been reported, the forearm cuff may disturb the surgical field to some degree, especially in wrist surgery. In the present study, we assessed the clinical efficacy of a temporary additional forearm rubber tourniquet to the conventional upper arm tourniquet on the quality of IVRA. The study included 32 ASA physical status I and II adult patients undergoing elective hand surgery who were randomly allocated to either an additional forearm tourniquet group (Group F) or to a conventional upper arm tourniquet group (Group C). Upper arm tourniquet IVRA was established using 40 mL of 0.5 % lidocaine in Group C. Hypothetically enhanced forearm tourniquet IVRA was established using 10 mL of 0.5 % lidocaine with an additional forearm rubber tourniquet and then administering 30 mL of 0.25 % lidocaine after removing the forearm tourniquet in Group F. The sensory and motor block ...
Sociological Analysis, 1984
Spine, Jan 15, 2005
This is a cross-national comparison of workers' compensation claims for back pain in Japan an... more This is a cross-national comparison of workers' compensation claims for back pain in Japan and the United States (US). The main objective is to juxtapose rates of back pain claims in Japan and Washington state. Because the Washington state rate closely matches rates for other US states as well as the rate for the US as a whole, it is used to represent the US rate. A puzzle is to be framed: Why are back pain claim rates in Japan and the United States so disparate? Occupational back pain is common among workers in both Japan and the United States. Wage compensation for time off work is also substantial in both countries and potentially induces time off work at least as much in Japan as in the United States. Accordingly, back pain claim rates in Japan seemingly would be on the same order of magnitude as rates in the United States. Washington state rates are based on data from its state fund. Both Japan and Washington state rates are composed of the number of workers eligible to fil...
Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion, 2008
To explore factors of the patient with lumbago seeking for acupuncture treatment and to observe t... more To explore factors of the patient with lumbago seeking for acupuncture treatment and to observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at early days. The factors of the patient with lumbago seeking for acupuncture treatment were investigated by questionnaire in 45 cases of lumbago. The patients enrolled were treated by acupuncture and moxibustion for 1-2 sessions with Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3) selected. Changes of pain, restlessness score and ODI before and after treatment were used for assessment of clinical therapeutic effect at early days. Recommendation (12 cases, 26.7%), believing Chinese medicine (10 cases, 22.2%), reputation of hospital (6 cases, 13.3%), public praise of doctors (5 cases, 11.1%) were main causes for the patient with lumbago seeking for acupuncture treatment. ODI, pain score and restlessness score were 11.0+/-7.3, 5.0+/-1.9, 4.8+/-2.1 after treatment and 12.6+/-7.7, 6.5+/-1.8, 6.7+/-2.1 before treatment, respectivel...
Pain, 1988
Back pain is a common condition and in most cases is not disabling. We have investigated disablin... more Back pain is a common condition and in most cases is not disabling. We have investigated disabling back pain that leads to health care utilization, time lost from work, and high costs. Disabling back pain remains of obscure origin because the focus in studying it has been too narrow. Our indicator of disability is the industrial insurance claim rate for back sprain by county (N = 39) in the State of Washington. After controlling for the size of the labor force and the proportion of workers in occupations that are particularly at risk of back sprain, we determined the effect of 3 socioeconomic factors on the claim rate: the unemployment rate, percentage receiving food stamps, and per capita income. For 2 of the 3 years studied, socioeconomic factors accounted for about one-third of the variance in the claim rate. Even though claimants of industrial insurance are employed, the unemployment rate was significantly related to the claim rate in the 3 years studied. Our interpretation is that disability is a symptom of distress. Where there is a rise in job insecurity and an attendant rise in economic insecurity. there is a greater likelihood that back pain will become disabling.
BMC musculoskeletal disorders, Jan 3, 2006
As the literature now stands, a bewildering number and variety of biological, psychological and s... more As the literature now stands, a bewildering number and variety of biological, psychological and social factors are, apparently, implicated in back problems. However, if and how these have a direct influence on back problems is not clear. Obesity, for example, has in many studies been shown to be associated with back problems but there is no evidence for a causal link. This could be explained by a dearth of suitably designed studies but also because obesity may be but a proxy for some other, truly explanatory variable. Coping has been linked with, particularly, persistent back problems as well as with health in general. The question is, whether coping could be the explanatory link between, for example, these two variables. A cross-sectional study was undertaken using data from the Swedish Army, consisting of the entire cohort of males (N = 48,502) summoned in 1998 to serve in the military. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relation between five independent variables and...