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F H Steffensen

Publications and source records attributed to F H Steffensen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Risk of acute pancreatitis in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease. A Danish 16-year nationwide follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: There are few epidemiologic data about the risk of acute pancreatitis in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases; we therefore wanted to estimate the risk of a first episode of acute pancreatitis in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in the total Danish population. METHODS: The study included all patients discharged from Danish hospitals with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis registered in the Danish National Registry of Patients in the period from 1977 to 1992. The first episode of acute pancreatitis was identified in the cohort. The observed number of patients with acute pancreatitis was compared with expected numbers on the basis of age, sex, and calendar-specific incidence rates in the general population. RESULTS: Overall, 15,526 patients were discharged and followed up for 112,824 person-years. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for acute pancreatitis was increased both in patients with Crohn's disease (SIR = 4.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.9-6.1) and in those with ulcerative colitis (SIR= 2.1; 95% CI, 1.6-2.8). CONCLUSION: Patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease seem to be at increased risk of acute pancreatitis. Further validation and refinement of this registration-based study are needed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1999

Diffusion of new drugs in Danish general practice.

OBJECTIVES: There is a large variation in implementing research findings in clinical practice. We examined whether the concept of early or late adopters is universal for the diffusion of all new drugs, and whether it is associated with non-scientific factors in general practice. METHODS: We identified all prescriptions for five new drugs from the population-based prescription database in North Jutland County, Denmark (490000 inhabitants) from 1993 to 1996, and calculated the period from release of the drugs to the issuing of the first prescription by each GP. Logistic regression was performed to predict early or late prescribing from physician characteristics, practice activity and the number of prescriptions, adjusted for age and sex. RESULTS: The distributions of the diffusion time of the drugs by 95 solo practitioners were asymmetrical, with a long upper tail representing the late prescribers. The shape and slope of the diffusion curve were highly drug dependent. There was poor agreement of the three adopter categories (early, intermediate and late prescribers) between the five drugs (kappa < 0.35), but being a late prescriber was the most consistent condition. Late prescribing of tramadol, compared with intermediate prescribing, was associated with female physicians (odds ratio (OR) 5.7; 95% CI 1.5-21.3), smaller list size (OR 0.1; 95% CI 0.0-0.8), a strong general restrictive attitude to pharmacotherapy (OR 0.07; 95% CI 0.01-0.68) and a tendency to lower diagnostic activity per patient (OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.1-1.9). CONCLUSIONS: The slope and shape of the diffusion curve are both dependent on physician and drug characteristics, but late prescribers share some common characteristics.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1999

Risk of resistance related to antibiotic use before admission in patients with community-acquired bacteraemia.

We analysed the association of antibiotic therapy before admission and antibiotic resistance of blood isolates in a total of 1717 community-acquired bacteraemias in the County of Northern Jutland during 1992-96. Antibiotics had been prescribed to 14% of the patients during the 30 days before admission and to 37% during the 6 months. The most frequently prescribed antibiotics within 30 days were ampicillin (28%), penicillin G (27%), sulphonamides and/or trimethoprim (16%) and macrolides (14%). The most frequent blood isolates were Escherichia coli (33%), other Enterobacteriaceae (8%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (23%) and Staphylococcus aureus (10%). Of the 575 isolates of E. coli, 425 (74%), 432 (75%) and 518 (90%) were susceptible to ampicillin, sulphonamides and trimethoprim, respectively. Previous antibiotic prescriptions were strongly associated with resistance to ampicillin, sulphonamides and trimethoprim in E. coli. The association was less pronounced for S. aureus and enteric rods other than E. coli. Antibiotic prescriptions within the last 3 months predicted antibiotic resistance, and this should be taken into account when selecting empirical antibiotic therapy of severe community-acquired infections.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Long-term follow-up of cognitive outcome after breech presentation at birth.

Studies of long-term consequences of birth in breech presentation are sparse. Therefore, we conducted a cohort study linking birth registry data with data collected during evaluation for military service in 4,298 conscripts born between 1973 and 1976. The cognitive functions were measured with the Boerge Prien IQ test. A total of 164 conscripts were born in breech presentation and 70 (42.7%) of these were delivered after Caesarean section. The mean Boerge Prien test score was 43.2 among men born in cephalic presentation and 39.9 among those born in breech presentation for a difference of 3.3 (95% confidence interval = 1.8-4.7). The negative association between breech presentation and cognitive outcome persisted after stratifying by Caesarean section and after adjustment for confounders. It also persisted when we restricted the analyses to term singleton pregnancies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

A population-based study of antibiotic prescriptions for Danish children.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to examine the use of systemic and topical antibiotics in relation to age and sex in Danish children. METHODS: We used the Pharmacoepidemiological Prescription Database to identify the individual prescriptions of antibiotics provided for all 0-to 15-year-old children in North Jutland County, Denmark, during 1997. The population was approximately 95000 children. RESULTS: We identified 44640 prescriptions for systemic antibiotics. The annual prescription rate was highest in the 1- to 2-year-olds, with 945 prescriptions/1000 children/year. One-half of these children received at least 1 prescription, and 12% received 3 or more prescriptions. Among the 11- to 15-year-old children 17% received one or more prescriptions. Overall 88% of the prescriptions were penicillins and 10% were macrolides. In children younger than 3 years 57% of prescriptions were for broad spectrum penicillins, but in children older than 6 years penicillin V was the most frequently used antibiotic. We identified 12 661 prescriptions for topical antibiotics used in eye infections. The prescription rate peaked in the 1- to 2-year-old children, one-third of whom received at least 1 prescription. CONCLUSIONS: Almost two-thirds of the 0- to 2-year-old children in the population were treated with either systemic or topical antibiotics during 1 year. Physicians prescribe mostly penicillins, but the proportion of broad spectrum penicillins for young children was so high, however, that enforcement of national guidelines should be reconsidered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Waist circumference and body mass index as predictors of elevated alanine transaminase in Danes aged 30 to 50 years.

INTRODUCTION: We examined whether waist circumference and waist-to-hip circumference ratio were a better predictor for elevated alanine transaminase level than body mass index. METHODOLOGY: In a cross-sectional survey we examined body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, alcohol consumption, and alanine transaminase level in a random sample of 903 men and women aged 30 to 50 years from The Ebeltoft Health Promotion Project in Denmark. RESULTS: Body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio explained an approximate 12% variation in alanine transaminase in men and 4% in women, whereas waist-to-hip circumference ratio explained a 2% variation in women. The risk of elevated alanine transaminase level in men, calculated as odds ratio, with a body mass index (kg/m2) above 30, or a waist circumference above 102 cm, or a waist-to-hip circumference ratio above 0.9 was 9.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.6-24.1), 5.6 (95% CI, 2.5-12.5) and 2.7 (95% CI, 1.3-5.3) respectively, but there was no elevated risk among women. CONCLUSIONS: Waist circumference and body mass index were both predictors in men. Waist-to-hip ratio was also a predictor in men, but not as strong a predictor as waist circumference and body mass index. No association was found in women. This difference is probably explained by differences in the accumulation of intra-abdominal adipose tissue among men and women with the same degree of obesity.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The risk of a diagnosis of cancer after primary deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND: Several small studies have indicated an association between deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and a subsequent diagnosis of cancer, but the subject is controversial. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide study of a cohort of patients with deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism that was drawn from the Danish National Registry of Patients for the years 1977 through 1992. The occurrence of cancer in the cohort was determined by linkage to the Danish Cancer Registry. The expected number of cancer cases was estimated on the basis of national age-, sex-, and site-specific incidence rates. RESULTS: A total of 15,348 patients with deep venous thrombosis and 11,305 patients with pulmonary embolism were identified. We observed 1737 cases of cancer in the cohort with deep venous thrombosis, as compared with 1372 expected cases (standardized incidence ratio, 1.3; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.21 to 1.33). Among the patients with pulmonary embolism, the standardized incidence ratio was 1.3, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 1.22 to 1.41. The risk was substantially elevated only during the first six months of follow-up and declined rapidly thereafter to a constant level slightly above 1.0 one year after the thrombotic event. Forty percent of the patients given a diagnosis of cancer within one year after hospitalization for thromboembolism had distant metastases at the time of the diagnosis of cancer. There were strong associations with several cancers, most pronounced for those of the pancreas, ovary, liver (primary hepatic cancer), and brain. CONCLUSIONS: An aggressive search for a hidden cancer in a patient with a primary deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism is not warranted.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Trend in incidence and case fatality of meningococcal disease over 16 years in Northern Denmark.

The incidence and case fatality rates of meningococcal disease were assessed in the county of Northern Jutland, Denmark, during the 16-year period from 1980 to 1995. A total of 320 patients were identified from the Meningococcal Research Database, which comprises information from the following sources: (i) the Department of Public Health, to whom notification of meningococcal disease is obligatory; (ii) the Regional Hospital Discharge Registry; and (iii) the register of the regional department of clinical microbiology. In order to assess prognostic indicators assessable at admission, information was collected for each patient from hospital records regarding contacts, symptoms and signs on arrival, laboratory data, and course of disease. The mean incidence was 4.3 cases per 100000 persons per year (range, 2.7-7.7). The incidence increased slightly during the period studied. Overall, the case fatality rate was 9.7%, with a significant rise occurring during the period (P=0.016) and a peak occurring in 1992. Advanced age (> or = 50 years), seizures, impaired consciousness, and skin bleeding on arrival at hospital were predictors of death.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Outcome of pre-hospital antibiotic treatment of meningococcal disease.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of pre-hospital antibiotic treatment given by general practitioners to patients with meningococcal disease. DESIGN: A 16-year population-based historical follow-up study based on referral letters and hospital records in the County of North Jutland, Denmark. SUBJECTS: 320 patients with meningococcal disease, of whom 302 were examined by a general practitioner before admission to hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Death. RESULTS: 44 patients (14.6%) were given antibiotic treatment by the referring general practitioner. Nine of these (20.5%) died, compared with 16 (6.2%) patients who did not receive pre-hospital antibiotic treatment. The presence of skin bleeding, petechiae, and impaired consciousness were strongly associated with case fatality. Even after adjustment for these variables the odds ratio (OR) for death in patients treated with antibiotics was high (OR = 3.2; 95% CI, 0.9-10.6). In the 15 patients with skin bleeding (ecchymoses, suggillations) the case fatality rate was 100% in patients treated with antibiotics, and 50% in patients who did not receive antibiotics before hospitalization. If skin bleeding was replaced in the models by the presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation on admission, the OR for death in patients with pre-hospital antibiotic treatment was 35.9 (95% CI, 2.9-441.8) in the presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation and 1.9 (95% CI, 0.2-19.5) in its absence. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-hospital treatment is mainly given to the most severe cases with expected high case fatality, and this confounding by indication was probably not fully adjusted for with the available data. The results contradict previous findings but provide reason to doubt the benefit of pre-hospital antibiotic treatment in patients with meningococcal disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Third generation oral contraceptives and heritable thrombophilia as risk factors of non-fatal venous thromboembolism.

Third generation oral contraceptives (OCs) are apparently stronger risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) than other OCs, however, the increased risk may be due to confounding by indication related to differences in prescription behaviour. We estimated the risk of VTE associated with use of OCs with and without the presence of Factor V Leiden mutation, protein C-, protein S- or antithrombin deficiency. Sixty-seven cases with VTE were compared with 134 controls. The risk of VTE in the presence of thrombophilia was of the same magnitude for third generation OC users as for users of other OCs; OR: 52.5 (95% CI: 3.7-738.1) and OR: 63.3 (95% CI: 6.2-648.4), respectively. It is unlikely that confounding by indication entirely explains the risk of VTE associated with third generation OCs since the combined effect exceeds what could be explained if this source of error was the only determinant of the association.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The cumulative incidence of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and puerperium--an 11 year Danish population-based study of 63,300 pregnancies.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to estimate the cumulative incidence of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the puerperium. METHODS: All diagnoses concerning venous thromboembolism in the Hospital Discharge Registry from a Danish County in women less than 49 years of age from 1984 to 1994 were included. The number of deliveries in the County during this period was obtained from The Medical Registry of Birth. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and puerperium was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.64-1.11) per 1000 deliveries. The cumulative incidence was 0.49 (95% CI: 0.28-04).80) in 1984-89 but increased to 1.23 (95% CI: 0.87-1.69) after the introduction of ultrasound. CONCLUSION: The risk of diagnosed venous thromboembolism is low but estimates of the incidence are probably procedure dependent.

Denmark↗
PubMed1997

[Alcohol consumption and liver enzymes in persons 30-50 years of age. Cross-sectional study from Ebeltoft].

In a representative population sample of 905 persons we examined the prevalence of raised levels of liver-derived enzymes and its possible association with self-reported alcohol consumption adjusted for smoking and BMI applying logistic regression analyses. A large proportion of 12% (women 8%; men 16%) presented raised liver-derived enzymes. Below 21 units per week (one unit equals 12 grams of alcohol) there was no association with self-reported alcohol consumption. However, the risk of abnormal liver enzymes increased with higher consumption for both sexes; if the intake was above 28 units per week, the odds ratio for raised liver enzymes increased dramatically. Whether this subclinical biochemical liver condition is an early marker of alcohol-related liver damage remains to be seen, but the long-term consequences of the reported alcohol consumption and the frequency of raised liver enzymes require follow-up.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Impact of local evidence-based clinical guidelines--a Danish intervention study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate whether a cheap and less labour-intensive regional implementation strategy for guidelines was sufficient to change knowledge and behaviour among GPs. The model studied was the implementation of anticoagulant therapy to prevent stroke in atrial fibrillation. METHOD: The intervention took place in the county of Viborg (149 GPs), Denmark, with the county of Ringkøbing (166 GPs) as control. A local interdisciplinary steering group modified national college-based guidelines, followed by a regional dissemination and implementation strategy. The effect of the intervention was evaluated during a follow-up period by a repeated questionnaire and by monitoring prescriptions for oral anticoagulants in 1993 and 1995 in the Danish National Health Service. RESULTS: Adherence to the guidelines was higher after the intervention but, considering secular trends and baseline differences, the guidelines had no significant effect. The use of oral anticoagulants increased substantially in both counties during the 2-year follow-up period, but the difference in relative change between the counties was negligible. Adherence to the guidelines could not be predicted by any of the reported practice characteristics or attitudes to guidelines. CONCLUSION: Despite solid scientific documentation and regional modification to establish ownership of nationally agreed guidelines, the impact of guidelines on GPs' knowledge and behaviour was disappointing.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed1997

Alcohol consumption and serum liver-derived enzymes in a Danish population aged 30-50 years.

BACKGROUND: Based on the increased consumption of alcohol in Denmark the aim of this study was to measure prevalence of abnormal liver-derived enzymes in a homogeneous Danish population and possible associations with alcohol consumption, smoking and body mass index (BMI). METHOD: In a representative population sample of 905 people (aged 30-50) from the baseline survey of the Ebeltoft Health Promotion Project in Denmark, we examined prevalence of abnormal liver-derived enzymes and its possible association with self-reported alcohol consumption, smoking and BMI, applying logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: In a significant proportion, 12% (women 8%; men 16%) of the cohort we found raised levels of liver-derived enzymes associated with moderate self-reported alcohol intake adjusted for BMI and smoking. If the intake was higher than moderate, i.e. > 28 units per week (one unit equals 12 g of alcohol), the odds ratio (OR) for raised liver enzymes increased further; S-gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) (OR: for women 24.4; men 18.4). S-aspartate-aminotransferase (ASAT) (24.2; 5.8) and S-alanine-aminotransferase (ALAT) (27.2; 3.0). Furthermore, daily smoking increased the risk of raised liver enzymes in women (OR: 3.4-4.2), and obesity (BMI > or = 30 kg/m2) in men showed a positive association with all three enzymes (OR: 3.0-9.0). CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of raised liver-derived enzymes was frequent in the Danish population sample and associated with moderate self-reported alcohol consumption adjusted for BMI and smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Major haemorrhagic complications during oral anticoagulant therapy in a Danish population-based cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the incidence of bleeding leading to death or hospital admission in out-patients treated with oral anticoagulants. DESIGN: Population-based historical cohort study 1 January 1992 to 31 September 1994. SETTING: The County of North Jutland, Denmark (488,000 inhabitants). SUBJECTS: Six hundred and eighty-two consecutive patients commencing oral anticoagulant therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fatal bleeding or bleeding demanding hospital admission. RESULTS: In 756 treatment-years of follow-up, there were 45 major haemorrhagic events (6.0 per 100 treatment-years) in 42 patients, of which seven (0.9 per 100 treatment-years) were fatal. The risk of a first major haemorrhagic episode was highest during the first 90 days of treatment compared with duration above one year (incidence rate ratio, IRR, 1.9; 95% CI, 0.8-4.1). The rate was highest above the age of 60 years, 6.8 per 100 treatment-years, compared with 2.9 per 100 treatment-years below 60 years (IRR 2.3; 95% CI, 1.0-5.6). The rate for a bleeding event was slightly higher in females than in males (IRR 1.3; 95% CI, 0.7-2.3), but did not vary according to type of anticoagulant drug. CONCLUSIONS: The reported rates of major bleeding in this routine community setting implied a higher bleeding risk than was found in randomized trials or when patients are monitored in specialist anticoagulation clinics.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Cancer risk in users of calcium channel blockers.

Ca2+ channel blockers may cause cancer by inhibiting apoptosis or reducing intracellular Ca2+ in certain tissues. Recent findings suggest that drug users are at increased risk for cancer in general and for colon cancer in particular. We conducted a study in one Danish county of 17911 patients who received at least one prescription of Ca2+ channel blockers between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1993. The patients were identified from records in the National Health Insurance Program, which refunds part of the price of such drugs. Cancer occurrence and rate were determined by use of the files of the Danish Cancer Registry and compared with county-specific incidence rates for various categories of cancer. During the follow-up period of up to 3 years, 412 cancers were observed among users of Ca2+ channel blockers, compared with 414 expected, to yield an age- and sex-standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 1.00 (95% confidence interval, 0.90 to 1.10). There was no indication of an excess risk in the subgroup of likely long-term users or users of specific drugs. The SIR of colon cancer, a site of a priori interest, was 0.8 (95% confidence interval, 0.5 to 1.1) on the basis of 34 cases. Although the results are reassuring, the lack of association could reflect the relatively short follow-up after registration in the prescription database. Continued monitoring of cancer risk is planned.

Aged↗