Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1)

Rapid Detection of Bacterial Atypical Pneumonia Agents by Multiplex PCR

Pınar A., Bozdemir N., Kocagöz T., Alaçam R.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):3-5  

Approximately one third of community acquired pneumonia cases are caused by atypical pneumonia agents, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae (formerly Chlamydia pneumoniae). The laboratory diagnosis of these organisms is difficult and time-consuming by conventional microbiological techniques. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of the important tools which can circumvent this problem. A multiplex PCR assay was developed to achieve the diagnosis of these three organisms in a single tube. Primers used in PCR were selected in a way that they amplified different length DNA fragments from different agents but they...

Long Term and Repeated Electron Microscopy and PCR Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato After an Antibiotic Treatment

Honegr K., Hulínská D., Beran J., Dostál V., Havlasová J., Čermáková Z.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):6-11  

The diagnosis of Lyme disease in 18 patients has been proved by detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato when using immunoelectron microscopy or detecting its nucleic acid by PCR in the plasma or the cerebrospinal fluid. The positive results occurred in the plasma or in the cerebrospinal fluid in the period of 4-68 months after an antibiotic treatment. The typical clinical manifestations of Lyme disease were observed in 9 patients and non-specific symptoms in another 9 patients. According to presented results we can recommend repeated examination using PCR of the plasma and other biological specimens in the individuals with persistent or recurring...

HIV Prevention Nongovernmental Organizations in Central and Eastern Europe: Programs, Resources and Challenges

Amirkhanian Y.A., Kelly J.A., Benotsch E.G., Somlai A.M., Brown K.D., Fernandez M.I., Opgenorth K.M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):12-18  

HIV incidence is rising more rapidly in some areas of Central and Eastern Europe than anywhere else in the world. Carrying out effective HIV prevention programs requires the presence of "bridges" that can reach community populations most vulnerable to the disease. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are in a natural role to conduct HIV prevention programs. The Directors of 29 HIV prevention NGOs representing almost all countries in Central and Eastern Europe participated in in-depth interviews by telephone. The broad topics of these interviews included descriptions of the three largest programs conducted by each NGO during the past six months, at-risk...

Mortality after first hospitalization for Chronic obstructive Pulmonary -Disease: changes in 1980-1998

Säynäjäkangas O., Lampela P., Koiranen M., Keistinen T.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):19-20  

The prognosis of a hospitalized patient for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is poor. The aim of this study was to determine changes in the prognosis for patients entering hospital for the first time on account of COPD in ten years.Data were gathered from the hospital treatment records maintained by the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health in Finland on periods spent in hospital by persons over 44 years of age with a principal diagnosis of COPD over the interval 1972-1994. Two groups of patients were then distinguished separately, those first treated in 1980-1984 and those first treated in 1990-1994, and mortality...

Suicide in the elderly 60 years of age and over in the South-East part of Serbia

Petrović B., Kocić B., Bašić S., Jovanović J., Jović S., Aranđelović M., Tasić S.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):21-25  

Some previous investigations indicated that economic crisis (inflation in Serbia 1993/94) have great influence on increasing suicide rates in Serbia. After that suicide decreased, despite the war and bombing in 1999, specially among the elderly people. A total of 453 suicides were registered on the territory of south-eastern Serbia during 1995-2001 years. Of them 295 (65.1%) were aged over 60 years. Generally, linear trends of suicide among both genders from 1995 to 2001 decreased, but the slope of decreasing was grater among males than among females. The highest rates among the both genders were registered in the years with the maximum number of suicides,...

Smoking Behaviour of Czech Adolescents: Results of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey in the Czech Republic, 2002

Sovinová H., Csémy L.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):26-31  

The Czech Republic Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) is a school-based survey of students in grades 7-9, conducted in 2002. A two-stage cluster sample design was used to produce representative data for all of the Czech Republic.On a large sample of students (N=4,149) from 7 - 9th grade it reveals that smoking among children has been continually growing. According to the results of this study, over 34% of the respondents smoke.Results of the study help us to understand social and attitudinal factors that affect adolescent smoking habits. Social factors include particularly the convenient availability of cigarettes and the lack of the legal...

Tobacco use amongst high school -students in the Czech Republic

Golan L., Lubanda J.C., Netuka M., Bosanska L., Lubanda H., Linhart A., Šimek S., Charalampidi C., Aschermann M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):32-35  

Objective: We were interested in the prevalence of smoking amongst teen-age students, its possible causes, and their understanding of its associated health risks.Methods: We constructed a questionnaire that was responded to by a total of 419 students from 5 high schools in Prague, Czech Republic. Students were classified as non-smokers, mild (1-10 cigarettes daily), moderate (11-20 cigarettes daily), and severe smokers (>20 cigarettes daily). The survey also contained questions about passive smoking, motivation for smoking, the understanding of its associated health risks, alcohol consumption, and drugs.Results: We found that amongst...

The remediation of mold damaged school - a three-year follow-up study on teachers' health

Patovirta R.L., Husman T., Haverinen U., Vahteristo M., Uitti J.A., Tukiainen H., Nevalainen A.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):36-42  

The health effects in teachers of a mold-damaged school before and during an extensive remediation process were assessed. Health data were collected with self-administered questionnaires from teachers (n=31) working in a moisture and mold damaged school and from the reference group of teachers (n=13) working in a non-damaged school. The questionnaire study was repeated three times. Spirometry was measured in 33 individuals in the spring 1997 and repeated in the spring 1999 and 2000.In the damaged school, a cluster of eight asthma cases was identified, the prevalence of asthma being 26%. Before the remediation, the number of sinusitis episodes was...

Study on consumers' references and habits for over-the-counter analgesics use

Lefterova A., Getov I.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):43-45  

The aim of the present study was to investigate consumers' knowledge, preference habits and use of the over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics. Our survey indicates the preferences of respondents in consultation with medical specialists (medical doctors and pharmacists) and their sources of information about drugs. A questionnaire survey was conducted during the periods March/April and July/August 2002 in 11 community pharmacies situated in Sofia (capital) and two towns in different regions in Eastern Bulgaria. From 250 questionnaires 222 were filled in correctly and analyzed (response rate 89%). Metamizole (dipyrone) is the most popular OTC analgesic -...

Lipid peroxidation in relation to vitamin C and vitamin E levels

Krajčovičová-Kudláčková M., Pauková V., Bačeková M., Dušinská M.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):46-48  

Oxidative stress plays an important contributory role in the pathogenesis of age-related chronic diseases. Increased lipid peroxidation process is caused by an enhanced free radical formation together with a higher supply of substrates and by an insufficient defense by antioxidants as well. Levels of malondialdehyde to content of lipid peroxidation substrates (polyunsaturated fatty acids), promoters (homocysteine - hydroxyl radical producer) and inhibitors (essential vitamins C and E) were estimated in a group (n=92) of subjective healthy adults randomly selected from general population. The relationship of malondialdehyde levels to values of peroxidisability...

Correlations between certain hearing changes and vegetative balance in miners

Tsaneva L., Dukov R.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):49-52  

This study responds to the priorities of the National Health Strategy aimed at control and mitigation of the hazardous effects of the workplace factors on cardio-vascular diseases of people in active working age from the branch "Mining industry".The aim of this work is to study the vegetative balance (by analysis of heart rate variability - AHRV) and the correlations with the state of miners' hearing functions.Sixty eight miners (diggers and mate-diggers) from mining industry were studied. This paper treats the results of AHRV examination of 25 miners who have no major and additional causes, leading to hearing injury - traumas, other diseases,...

Investigation of the probable causes of specific childhood disabilities in Eastern Afghanistan (Preliminary report)

Nasir J.A., Chanmugham P., Tahir F., Ahmed A., Shinwari F.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):53-57  

To identify risk factors likely to cause developmental disabilities and to generate hypotheses for a further study of risk factors predisposing to disability and slow mental and physical development. Mothers and children attending/visiting the Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal (SGAA) clinics in the East Zone of Afghanistan. The main outcome measures, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy (CP), club foot, CDH and polio. Results, 37.5% of the disabilities were present at birth, 46% of the disabled children were born from parents who are 1st cousin which was confirmed by computing χ2 value, which is 10.87 with one degree of freedom. 58.3% of the...

Worms and Human Disease

Jindřich Jíra

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):58

Grundriss der Parasitologie. Parasiten des Menschen und der Haustiere

Jindřich Jíra

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):59

Molecular Biotechnology. Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA

Jindřich Jíra

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):60

Diabetes cases could double in developing countries in next 30 years.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):25  

80% of visual impairment can be avoided or cured.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):31  

Risks from man-made chemicals are increasingly putting women and children in danger.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):42, 48  

WHO welcomes research showing effectiveness of AIDS treatment.

Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(1):52