11 Blue Men

11 Blue Men

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11 Blue Men Worksheet

Question 1

The first victim was identified on Monday at 8 am and was taken to an emergency room. The second victim was brought in the same emergency room at 10:25 am. Similarly, the next three victims were brought to the emergency room at 11:05 am in the same ambulance. Sixth and Seventh victims were brought in the emergency room and 11:20 am. Eight and ninth victims were brought in at 11:35 am while the tenth victim arrived at 12:00 pm. The last victim arrived at the emergency room at 6:45 pm.

Timeline of these eleven victims is important information for epidemiologists so that they can determine what could have caused the disease. Moreover, this information is also helpful to epidemiologist to understand the incubation of the illness or disease.

Question 2

As the name of incident 11 blue men, the fingers of the victims brought into an emergency room were turned sky blue. More common symptoms of illness in these eleven victims were abdominal pain and ears, lips and nose turned blue. After a certain period of time, the blueness spread throughout their bodies with an incubation period of 30 to 120 minutes. In addition, victims were in a severe state of shock and become unconscious.

Question 3

The first step in investigating the illness is to interview the victims. Victims will be asked several questions to understand why this phenomenon is occurring as soon as they gain consciousness. There were 11 people who became the victim of some strange illness on the same day, with same symptoms and illness. This strange pattern of symptoms in eleven patients raises the need for epidemiologist CITATION RAG90 \l 1033 (RA Goodman, 1990). Blood samples of each victim have been taken to detect if there any foreign element present in their blood which may have caused the disease. The link between these victim has been found to be some restaurant in which these victim has dined in. Sodium nitrate has been found in the sample and later on it was found that the restaurant has cooked their oatmeal in sodium nitrate. The illnesses of elven blue men were due to excess of sodium nitrate in their body. Excessive sodium nitrate intake is poisonous for a human being CITATION Hil99 \l 1033 (Hill, 1999).

Question 4

Three questions that have been asked by Dr. Greenberg and Dr. Pellitteri are; Do you have any history of health problems, what meal did you have last, and at which restaurant did you have the meal at?

These questions have helped Dr. Greenberg and Dr. Pellitteri in identifying the cause of illness. Similarity found in the investigation helped the doctors in identifying the cause of the illness is the restaurant from which the victims all have eaten from.

Question 5

Three questions asked by epidemiologist are

What are the key ingredients of oatmeal been cooked in the cafeteria?

How long does it take to sell the batch of oatmeal?

How often oatmeal is cooked in the cafeteria?

The first question helped epidemiologist in identifying sodium nitrate is the cause of illness of eleven blue men. Next two questions were to know if the oatmeal is fresh and how many people have eaten the oatmeal from the restaurant.

Question 6

The final culprit which has been found in the investigation of epidemiologist was sodium nitrate. Sodium nitrate was identified when a result of the salt sample from oatmeal has arrived. After the test, it was found that the salt which has been used in cooking and the salt that elven men used both contained sodium nitrate. Excessive intake of sodium nitrate has caused the illness of eleven men CITATION Hil99 \l 1033 (Hill, 1999).

Question 7

The elven were affected more as compared to other people because they have added more salt to their oatmeal while eating it. Adding more salt has increased the presence of oatmeal and the oatmeal had become poisonous for the victims CITATION Hil99 \l 1033 (Hill, 1999).

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Hill, M. (1999). Nitrate toxicity: myth or reality? British Journal of Nutrition. Retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/nitrate-toxicity-myth-or-reality/485C9FB213AE2539A44AABA4D42A0380

RA Goodman, J. B. (1990). The epidemiologic field investigation: science and judgment in public health practice. American journal of Epidemiology. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/132/1/9/77979