Practice‐based agromedicine: The need for client‐centered research

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Abstract
During recent years, several client calls received from Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service office and private physicians have required client‐oriented investigations. These have practical implications for preventive medicine and public service. The challenges for differential diagnosis across disciplines are not for the faint‐of‐heart or the narrow thinking specialist. Examples of incidents that have signaled a problem and resulting research projects are: 1) anaphylactic cardiovascular response to red imported fire ant venom (statewide morbidity survey); (2) unexplained contact dermatitis in tomato harvesters and floral designers (immunodermatologic study and statewide survey of florists); (3) concerns over two unexplained cancer deaths at an experimental agricultural research station (farmer's mortality study); (4) a household outbreak of organophosphate poisoning (statewide hospital morbidity survey); and (5) a woman in early pregnancy exposed to misapplication of chlordane in her house (literature review and update on trends in U.S. birth defects). These examples reflect a broad but responsive interdisciplinary approach to the needs of the clients of the South Carolina Agromedicine Program.

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