Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Bjerregaard

Publications and source records attributed to P Bjerregaard.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Health interview survey in Greenland.

The Greenland Health Interview Survey was initiated in 1991 by the Greenlandic health authorities in order to generate a comprehensive and epidemiologically sound basis for health planning and prevention. Trained interviewers have collected information from June 1993 until now but results are not available yet. In a culturally sensitive frame of reference information is gathered on self-perceived health, use of health services, life style and living conditions. The interviewers are indigenous lay persons and the main survey neither includes clinical examinations nor collection of blood specimens. The scope of the survey is broad and several topics are relevant for family health. The main questionnaire covers persons 18 years old and over.

Adolescent↗

[Vaccination status among children starting school in 1988/1989].

The vaccination status of a representative sample of 5,309 children starting school in Denmark was determined. The vaccination status of subgroups distributed according to geography, parents' occupation and working hours and the children's participation in preventive health examinations by general practitioners was compared. The study was based on a questionnaire completed by local school health services. The study comprised 10% of all children starting school in 1988 based on a stratified selection of municipalities combined with a representative selection of schools in Denmark's four largest cities. Eighty-eight percent of the children were fully vaccinated against whooping cough, 98% against diphtheria, tetanus and polio and 89% against polio with live polio vaccine. Children of immigrants had a lower rate of vaccination than other children. Children of parents not working and of single parents were more likely to be incompletely or not vaccinated than children living with two parents who were both working. A geographical variation in the vaccination status was found between the different municipalities.

Child↗

Spectral components of short-term RR interval variability in healthy subjects and effects of risk factors.

Cardiac neural control can be estimated by frequency domain characterization of RR interval variations. This technique may become a clinical tool, as autonomic dysfunction is involved in the pathophysiology of sudden cardiac death. The study was designed to investigate 24-h cardiac autonomic control in 104 healthy subjects aged 40-77 years and to evaluate the impact of gender, age, smoking and physical training level. The sympathovagal balance was evaluated by spectral analysis of RR interval oscillations. The square-root of power of the high- (HF; 0.15-0.40) and low-frequency (LF; 0.04-0.15 Hz) bands were considered indexes of the vagal function and of the sympathovagal interaction, respectively. In addition, the precise centre frequency of the LF and HF oscillations was determined. The vagal mediated respiratory-dependent HF oscillation exhibited a clear circadian variation, and obtained the highest power values during sleep. The centre frequency was significantly lower during sleep (0.26 Hz vs 0.28 Hz), probably due to a slower respiratory frequency at night. Values for vagal tone were higher in physically trained subjects throughout the 24-h, and decreased by 13% for every 10-year increase in age; it was also reduced in smokers. The amplitude of the LF oscillation exhibited no clear diurnal variation. The mean LF/HF ratio was 3.1. LF power was much higher in males, was reduced by 15% per 10 year increase in age, and was lower in sedentary and smoking subjects, throughout the 24-h. The mean centre frequency of this component was reduced with advancing age (0.08 to 0.06 Hz from age 40 to 80 years). LF and HF power correlated positively, (r = 0.68), and 46% and 16% of the interindividual variation in LF and HF power, respectively, was explained by the four factors (gender, age, smoking, physical activity). Thus gender, age smoking and physical training level have a significant impact on the power and centre frequency of the HF and LF components. These effects must be addressed in investigations on autonomic balance.

Adult↗

[The thromboprophylactic effect of low molecular weight heparin (Fragmin) in hip fracture surgery. A placebo controlled trial].

A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial concerning prophylaxis of thrombosis in 82 patients undergoing hip fracture surgery was conducted to compare a new low-molecular-weight heparin (Fragmin) with a placebo. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was detected by I125-fibrinogen uptake test followed by ascending phlebography when positive. Sixty-eight patients completed the study and a 50% reduction in the incidence of DVT was demonstrated: 9/30 (30%) patients in the treatment group and 22/38 (50DVT. This significant difference was achieved by one daily dose of 5.000 IU Fragmin subcutaneously, commencing preoperatively and continuing for six days. No differences in bleeding nor other complications in the two groups were observed. Fragmin administered once daily offers an effective and safe prophylaxis of thrombosis in hip fracture surgery.

Aged↗

Neonatal tetanus mortality in coastal Kenya: a community survey.

In a house-to-house survey in Kilifi District, Kenya, mothers of 2556 liveborn children were interviewed about neonatal mortality, especially from neonatal tetanus (NNT). The crude birth rate was 60.5 per 1000 population, the neonatal mortality rate 21.1 and the NNT mortality rate 3.1 per 1000 livebirths. The neonatal and NNT mortality rates were higher in boys than in girls. Neonatal tetanus was not associated with mother's age, parity, or history of previous child death. The majority of the children (72%) were adequately protected at birth against NNT; in those with documented protection NNT mortality was 0, in those with undocumented protection 1.2 and in other children 8.5 per 1000 livebirths. Other risk factors for NNT included home delivery, untrained assistance during delivery, unhygienic cord cutting and application of potentially infectious substances on the umbilical stump. The survey indicates that over the past decade the surveyed area has greatly reduced neonatal and NNT mortality. Possible strategies for accelerated NNT control have been identified by the survey.

Female↗

Electrophysiologic and antiarrhythmic effects of magnesium in patients with inducible ventricular tachyarrhythmia.

Intravenous magnesium is reported to be effective in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias associated with hypomagnesemia, digitalis toxicity, or prolongation of the QT interval. In most previous reports, magnesium was added to conventional antiarrhythmic drugs that had failed. There are few data on the antiarrhythmic efficacy of magnesium as monotherapy in patients without these associated abnormalities. Ten patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia and inducible ventricular tachyarrhythmia by programmed electrophysiologic testing were treated with intravenous magnesium. Following magnesium infusion, all patients still had inducible ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Moreover, magnesium therapy was not associated with significant changes in ventricular refractory period or in the morphology, cycle length, or hemodynamic response to induced ventricular tachycardia. These data suggest that intravenous magnesium has no significant electrophysiologic or antiarrhythmic effects in patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia and inducible ventricular tachyarrhythmia.

Aged↗

Unusual Wenckebach upper rate response of an atrial-based DDD pacemaker.

We describe in this report an unusual form of Wenckebach upper rate response produced by a DDD pulse generator with atrial-based lower rate timing. The pacemaker maintained the programmed upper and lower rate intervals at the expense of a prolonged atrial paced-ventricular paced AV interval. This form of upper rate behavior eliminated the longer cycle (containing the unsensed P wave) that occurs at the end of the pacemaker Wenckebach sequence during traditional DDD pacing with ventricular-based lower rate timing.

Adult↗

Fatal non-intentional injuries in Greenland.

Accidents are one of the main killers in Greenland, responsible for 16% of deaths but 34% of potential years of life lost (PYLL). During 1968-89, 1310 deaths from accidents were recorded, equivalent to a mortality rate of 118 per 100,000 person-years-more than six times higher than in Denmark. There was a decreasing secular trend but only for certain types of accidents. Mortality rates were considerably higher in indigenous Greenlanders than in Danes, higher in males than in females and higher in settlements than in towns. Most accidents were related to the Greenlandic life style with drowning and boat accidents responsible for 45% of all fatal accidents, and injuries due to fire, cold, firearms or bites of dogs responsible for 23%. In certain age groups and in particular in females, at least 60% of the fatal accidents were alcohol related.

Adolescent↗

The thromboprophylactic effect of a low-molecular-weight heparin (Fragmin) in hip fracture surgery. A placebo-controlled study.

A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial concerning thromboprophylaxis in 82 patients in whom hip fracture surgery was performed was conducted to compare a new low-molecular-weight heparin (Fragmin) with placebo. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was detected by 125-I-fibrinogen uptake test followed by ascending phlebography when positive. Sixty-eight patients completed the study, and a 50% reduction in the incidence of DVT was demonstrated: nine of 30 patients in the treatment group (30%) and 22 of 38 patients in the placebo group (58%) developed DVT. This significant difference was achieved by one daily dose of 5000 IU Fragmin subcutaneously, commenced preoperatively and continued for six days. There were no differences in bleeding or other complications in the two groups. Fragmin given once daily offers an effective and safe thromboprophylaxis in hip fracture surgery.

Aged↗

Severe measles outbreak in western Kenya.

During a measles outbreak investigation in Siaya district clustering of many measles cases were found to be an important determinant for measles mortality. A high proportion of cases were under one year of age. Case fatality rates were higher than previously reported from Kenya, particularly among infants. Vaccine efficacy was 18%. Alternative ways of protecting infants are discussed.

Child↗

Infant mortality in Greenland: secular trend and regional variation.

Infant mortality and stillbirths were studied in the Inuit population of Greenland. Infant mortality rate decreased from 110 per 1000 live births in 1951 to 50 in 1970 and 20 in 1989. Statistically significant decrease was in particular seen for acute respiratory infections and certain perinatal conditions. Both perinatal and postperinatal mortality rates increased significantly with remoteness from the capital and were higher in settlements than in towns. The overall trend in Greenland is similar to the Danish pattern 30 years earlier, but there was pronounced regional variation. In towns, the infant mortality rate decreased continuously while in settlements an initial decrease was followed by a substantial increase during 1980-87 when the mortality rate doubled. The greater part of this increase could be attributed to an increased number of deaths in the postperinatal period countrywide during 1981-84 and an increased number of perinatal deaths in the settlements of one particular municipality during 1983-86.

Cause of Death↗