■砷是一种众所周知的毒素,可能会污染家庭用水。长时间摄入是有害的。因此,公共卫生专家建议应筛选和处理水,以防止砷摄入。在美国,测试和处理私人水井的责任落在房主身上。尽管有常规筛查的建议,很少这样做。
■为了评估中西部患者人群中井水使用的患病率,患者和临床医生如何看待井水中砷的风险,以及是否需要额外的井水测试资源。这些发现将用于影响临床医生关于慢性砷暴露的症状和检查结果的工具,并加强井水测试信息资源的分布。
■调查通过电子邮件发送给美国中西部梅奥诊所的所有积极执业的初级保健临床医生,以及同一地区梅奥诊所的所有活跃成年患者。我们的团队分析了调查数据,以确定患者和临床医生是否意识到井水的慢性砷毒性对健康的影响。需要进行常规井水测试,以及每个小组是否希望获得有关相关风险的更多信息。
■患者和初级保健临床医生都担心砷暴露。有井水的患者担心他们的水安全,但对测试选项一无所知。临床医生不知道他们的病人使用井水有多普遍,对砷暴露的慢性风险以及与之相关的体格检查一无所知。两组都一致希望获得有关测试选项的更多信息。
■我们的研究结果表明,美国中西部地区严重依赖井水使用,并一致支持需要为患者及其临床医生提供进一步的井水测试信息和资源。
UNASSIGNED: Arsenic is a well-known toxin which may contaminate household water. It is harmful when ingested over prolonged periods of time. As a result, public health experts recommend that water should be screened and treated to prevent arsenic ingestion. In the United States, the responsibility of testing and treatment of private wells falls on homeowners. Despite recommendations for routine screening, this is rarely done.
UNASSIGNED: To assess the prevalence of well water use in a Midwestern patient population, how patients and clinicians perceive the risks of arsenic in well water, and whether additional resources on well water testing are desired. These findings will be used to influence tools for clinicians regarding symptom and examination findings of chronic arsenic exposure and potentiate the distribution of informational resources on well water testing.
UNASSIGNED: Surveys were sent via email to all actively practicing primary care clinicians at the Mayo Clinic in the United States Midwest, and all active adult patients at the Mayo Clinic in the same region. Our team analyzed survey data to determine whether both patients and clinicians are aware of the health effects of chronic arsenic toxicity from well water, the need for routine well water testing and whether each group wants more information on the associated risks.
UNASSIGNED: Both patients and primary care clinicians worry about arsenic exposure. Patients with well water are concerned about their water safety yet feel uninformed about testing options. Clinicians do not know how prevalent well water use is among their patients, feel uninformed about the chronic risks of arsenic exposure and the physical examination associated with it. Both groups unanimously want more information on testing options.
UNASSIGNED: Our findings show a significant reliance on well water use in the American Midwest, and unanimous support for the need for further well water testing information and resources for patients and their clinicians.