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The rate of motor vehicle fatalities in New Mexico has consistently been among the highest in the nation; in 1987 motor vehicle fatalities were 70 percent greater than the national average (33.7 versus 19.9 per 100,000 population). The highway death rate during the period when the speed limit on the nation's roads was 55 mph is compared to the period when the new federal law allowed states to increase the speed limit on rural interstate highways to 65 mph. Data on fatal crashes was obtained from the New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau which receives police reports of any crash with a fatality, injury or $250 in property damage. The rate of fatal accidents during the first year of the 65 mph speed limit was increased to 2.9 fatal accidents for each 100 million vehicle-miles traveled. This rate exceeded the predicted value for fatal crashes for the previous five year period by nearly 100 percent (1.5 per 100 million vehicle miles). The study examined other factors and parameters of the accidents including age and sex of drivers, use of seat belts, and alcohol consumption; no significant change was found in any of these risk factors. Most of the fatal crashes could be directly related to an increase in the number of motor vehicle accidents of single occupant cars driven at or above the new 65 mph speed limit. The data presented in this article strongly suggest that the benefits of increased automotive speed must be evaluated in light of the significant association with the increased rate of fatalities. Continued monitoring of these statistics in New Mexico and other states will be necessary before a trend seen in a single state can be generally confirmed and applied elsewhere., ABSTRACT: As a result of federal legislation passed in April 1987, New Mexico was the first state to resume a 65-mph speed limit on rural Interstate highways. We compared the rates of fatal crashes before and after the speed limit change. The rate of fatal crashes in the 1 year after the speed limit was increased was 2.9 per 100 million vehicle-miles traveled, compared with a predicted rate of 1.5 per 100 million vehicle-miles based on the trend of the 5 previous years. When fatal crashes that occurred after the speed limit change were compared with fatal crashes in the 5 previous years, there was no difference in the mean age and sex of the at-fault drivers, mean age and sex of the victims, seat belt use by the victims, or alcohol involvement of the crashes. The increase in fatal crashes can be attributed to an increase in fatal single-vehicle crashes. Vehicles on rural Interstates are traveling at greater rates of speed and a larger proportion of vehicles are exceeding the 65-mph speed limit. The benefits associated with the 65-mph speed limit should be weighed against the increased loss of lives.

The article presents a study which aims to identify additional, unreported cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) with Mycobacterium avium complex among spa maintenance workers in New Mexico. The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) has surveyed 57 workers on exposures and symptoms of HP. Results show that workers categorized under the highest exposure found to have more HP-like symptoms.

Copyright of West Indian Medical Journal is the property of West Indian Medical Journal (WIMJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of West Indian Medical Journal is the property of West Indian Medical Journal (WIMJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of West Indian Medical Journal is the property of West Indian Medical Journal (WIMJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of West Indian Medical Journal is the property of West Indian Medical Journal (WIMJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the findings of a study which investigated the prevalence, etiology and treatment options for erythema nodosum (EN) in New Mexico from November 2007 to January 2008. The study identified 25 cases of EN in the state, 20 of which claimed that they have been at a construction site with crowded and dusty environment before being diagnosed with EN. Symptoms of EN were found to include muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue and fever.

The discovery that 3-year-old children have difficulties understanding false belief has fuelled two decades of research directed at understanding why children have this problem. One unresolved question is whether false belief problems are due to difficulties with mental or representational aspects of mental states. This question has implications for current arguments about the domain specificity of theory of mind in typically developing children and in populations with autism and brain damage. We revisit this question, presenting evidence that preschoolers' difficulty with false belief is not a domain-specific problem with mental states but a more general difficulty with understanding representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing patients with allergic rhinitis can be a very satisfying element of nursing practice, as it often makes a significant difference to an individual's quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the outbreak of tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF) after a family gathering in New Mexico, in August 2002. Information on TBRF; Epidemiology of the disease; Clinical findings and laboratory testing conducted; Treatment and prevention of the disease.

Abstract. The New Mexico State Legislature passed a child restraint law applicable to children less than 5 years of age that became effective in June 1983. To evaluate the effectiveness of this law, we analyzed traffic accident data for New Mexico from January 1981 through September 1984. During this period, there were 20,972 children younger than 5 years of age in motor vehicle accidents. Restraint usage increased for this age group from a low of about 10% in 1981 to more than 40% in 1984 (P 10[sup -6]) Unrestrained children younger than 5 years of age were five times more likely to be killed and two times more likely to be injured than restrained children. Analysis of motor vehicle accident fatality and injury rates pre- and postlaw revealed a 33% reduction in motor vehicle accident fatality rates and a 12.6% reduction in nonfatal injury rates for children younger than 5 years. We conclude that (1) child restraint devices are effective in reducing motor vehicle accident fatalities and injuries in young children and (2) the child restraint law has been effective in increasing child restraint usage and in reducing childhood death and injury in New Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]