Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Israel”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Prevalence and clinical aspects of Behcet's disease in the north of Israel.

Behcet's disease (BD) has a higher prevalence in countries along the ancient silk route, but the actual prevalence in Israel is unknown. We evaluated the occurrence and clinical expression of BD in the northern region of Israel: in the whole population and by ethnic groups. The sample included all adult patients with BD (International Study Group criteria) treated at three medical centers in northern Israel. Patient data were collected by file review and physician survey. Relevant demographic data for the population served by the medical centers were obtained from the official Israeli authorities. A total of 112 patients were identified. The overall prevalence of BD was 15.2/100,000 and was similar in men and women. The prevalence rates among the Jewish, Arab, and Druze populations were 8.6, 26.2, and 146.4 per 100,000, respectively. Age at disease onset was similar in all ethnic groups and significantly lower in males (28.6+/-9.7 vs 32.9+/-11.3, p=0.03). There were no differences in disease manifestations by sex or ethnicity. All Druze patients were HLA-B5 positive, compared to 80.8% of the Arab patients and 72.0% of the Jewish patients. Recurrent oral ulcers in family members were more common in Arab patients (p=0.004). The BD severity index was significantly lower in Druze patients (p=0.05), mainly in males (p=0.03). This study confirms the high prevalence of BD in Israel and the variability in disease rates and expression by ethnic origin. Our findings, particularly regarding the Druze population, call for further field surveys and genetic studies.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of patients with Staphylococcus saprophyticus bacteriuria in Israel.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a leading cause of lower urinary tract infections (UTI) in young women in the USA, Canada and Scandinavian countries, but seems to be very rare in other countries like Israel. The goal of this study was to investigate the incidence of S. saprophyticus in Northern Israel and to compare demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with S. saprophyticus and Escherichia coli bacteriuria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from all patients with S. saprophyticus bacteriuria isolated in two major laboratories in northern Israel during a 1-year period were analyzed and clinical and epidemiological findings from 129 patients with S. saprophyticus bacteriuria were compared to that of 129 patients with E. coli bacteriuria. RESULTS: The incidence of S. saprophyticus in our region was 0.09% among all urine cultures requested. Patients with S. saprophyticus bacteriuria are mainly young women, more likely suffering asymptomatic bacteriuria, complain less of dysuria and burning and are less hospitalized than those infected with E. coli. Reported risk factors associated to S. saprophyticus bacteriuria such us seasonal variation, occupation in meat products industry, use of contraceptives, or sexual activity were not found by us. No nasal, vaginal, or rectal carriage was demonstrated. CONCLUSION: S. saprophyticus is a very uncommon urinary pathogen in Northern Israel. The natural reservoir of this uropathogen in our region remains unknown.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Opinions on mental illness in Israel.

The study used the Cohen and Struening OMI questionnaire to survey the opinions on mental illness and the mentally ill in Israel's population, and identify underlying domains behind these opinions. Factor analyzing the Israeli respondents' scores on the OMI questionnaire, there was found to be marked similarity in the gestalts underlying the opinions on mental illness in Israel and those found in numerous studies in the U.S.A. The study identified four distinct domains behind people's opinions on mental illness in Israel: social restrictiveness, mental health ideology, authoritarianism and interpersonal etiology. The paper reports the mean score on each of the OMI questionnaire items. These data suggest that people in Israel hold dual, inconsistent opinions on the mentally ill. On the one hand they showed a great deal of liberalism, tolerance and human orientation on issues concerning the treatment of mental illness, their civil rights and their acceptance into the main stream of society. On the other hand, the respondents demonstrated fear, mistrust and rejection of the mentally ill on issues concerning close, more intimate involvement with them. The study found opinions on the mentally ill to be affected by people's education, age and religiosity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Health in Israel: patterns of equality and inequality.

While Israel does not have a nationalized health care system, 94.5% of its population is covered by comprehensive health insurance which includes curative and preventive ambulatory care as well as hospitalization. There is formal equality in access, distribution, and quality of the health services; nevertheless, there are pockets of deprivation that affect certain segments of the population. The paper focuses on three topics: (a) structure of the health care delivery system in terms of coverage, geographical and social distribution, and the public/private balance of the services; (b) processes of health care delivery in terms of utilization and quality; (c) health outcomes in terms of mortality, morbidity, health behavior, and disease vulnerability. Inequality in Israel appears to be structured in terms of six dimensions: coverage of health insurance, distribution of health services, the balance of public and private sectors of health services, utilization of existing services, quality of health services, and health outcomes as expressed by mortality, morbidity, health behavior and risk factors. Only two types of health care are not covered by the general health insurance: (a) dental care, and (b) long-term nursing care. Given the small area of Israel there are striking differences in the geographic distribution of health personnel of various types. There is evidence for gaps between needs and institutional services for many elderly who are on waiting lists for institutionalization. The ratio of primary care physicians to population is 1:2326 in development towns and 1:1852 in the older more established veteran communities. Kibbutzim, which are also located in large part in geographically remote areas, enjoy high quality health services and are not characterized by low ratios of health care personnel. In 1968-69, 6% of those insured by the sick funds purchased services at least once from a private physician, while in 1975-76 this figure rose to 32%. As in other countries, utilization of preventive services is generally correlated with socio-economic status and with education. While the network of primary care facilities in Israel is widespread and generally accessible, it is poorly integrated with the hospital system. Longevity has increased over the past years and is relatively high; 76.6 for women and 73.1 for men in 1984. Nevertheless, differences between Jews and non-Jews may still be seen among both men and women. The same may be said concerning mortality and especially with regard to infant mortality. Differences with regard to certain risk factors among Jewish infants and adults are correlated with socio-economic class and country of origin.

Cross-Cultural Comparison↗
PubMed1992

Physicians and the state in the U.S.A. and Israel.

The paper focuses on two patterns of policy-making: a professional pattern in which physicians dominate, and a political pattern in which state authorities take the lead. It looks into the causes of the emergence of each of these patterns and their consequences, in terms of the equity of the health services and their efficiency. The U.S.A. and Israel provide examples for the professional and political patterns of health policy making. The causes for the development of the political pattern in the U.S.A. are grounded in the social salience of medical care, in physicians' economic power, and in the individualistic political culture. The politicization of health services in Israel came about owing to the low placement of health on the social agenda, the proletarianization of physicians, and the hierarchical administrative culture. Analysis of the results indicates that Israel portrays more equity in health services. However, in terms of efficiency results are mixed. In both countries, changes are taking place in opposite directions: more politicization in the U.S.A.; less in Israel.

Cross-Cultural Comparison↗
PubMed2006

The "geography" of child maltreatment in Israel: Findings from a national data set of cases reported to the social services.

OBJECTIVES: This article examines the "geography" of reported cases of child maltreatment in Israel by determining its frequency and rates according to nationality, area of residence, and size and type of locality. METHOD: The study collected data at the local level in Israel based on reports to social services of cases of child maltreatment during 2000; locality is the unit of analysis. RESULTS: The rate of reported cases of child maltreatment was 17.8 per 1,000 children in Israel in 2000. The rates varied, however, among different localities. They were lower in Arab localities (9 per 1,000 children) than in the Jewish ones (20 per 1,000), higher in large cities and other socioeconomic affluent localities (19 per 1,000), and varied according to the geographic area. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates considerable variation in rates of reported cases of child maltreatment by locality and by population makeup. Thus, to fulfill the Israeli legislation of mandatory reporting of any reasonable suspicion of child maltreatment, the state should better develop policies and services that encourage reporting of child maltreatment among the Arab and ultraorthodox populations and in smaller or socioeconomic disadvantaged localities. Furthermore, the social services must build a bridge to the minority populations in Israel, developing their trust in these services and increasing their propensity to use them.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Macrolide, lincosamide and tetracycline susceptibility and emm characterisation of invasive Streptococcus pyogenes isolates in Israel.

Group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus (GAS) causes a variety of infections, including life-threatening illnesses. Although the species is uniformly penicillin susceptible, resistance to other antibiotics is becoming more common. We studied the prevalence of resistance and associated factors in a nationwide, prospective, population-based study of invasive infections in Israel. Isolates were collected in collaboration with 24 hospitals in Israel during 1996-1999. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of erythromycin (ERY), clindamycin (CLI) and tetracycline (TET) were determined as well as ERY and TET resistance phenotypes and genotypes. Five hundred isolates were examined: 136 (27.2%) were not susceptible to TET, 10 (2.0%) to ERY and 5 (1%) to CLI. ERY resistance was associated with emm types 12 and 83 (P<0.001 for both). MICs of TET had a bimodal distribution distinguishing sensitive and resistant populations. Non-susceptibility to TET was mainly due to the presence of tet(M) and was associated with T types 3, 3/13/B3624 and 9 and emm types 9, 33, 64, 73, 74, 76, 77 and 83. TET susceptibility was associated with T types 1, 2 and 11, emm types 1-4, 11, 12, 22, 26 and 75 and the presence of speA and speC. In Israel, resistance of invasive GAS isolates to ERY remains low and is associated with specific T and emm types, as is TET resistance. TET resistance is less frequent than previously reported in Israel and is associated with a lower prevalence of speA and speC.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1996

Perioperative nursing in Israel.

Perioperative nursing in Israel's Hadassah Medical Organization hospitals-Ein Kerem and Mt Scopus-reflects quality patient care practices paralleling those in US hospitals. Although these two hospitals, both located in Jerusalem, represent only 5% of the hospital beds in Israel, they receive more than 60% of referrals made to all Israel hospitals. Throughout Israel's tumultuous history, the Hadassah Medical Organization has served the country during both war and peace. In 1991, Mt Scopus was designated as the hospital on duty in case of a chemical attack during the Gulf War. The authors provide an overview of perioperative nursing at the Eln Kerem and Mt Scopus Medical Centers of the Hadassah Medical Organization and describe one American nurse's experience as a volunteer in the Mt Scopus Medical Center OR during the Gulf War.

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed1976

Studies on urolithiasis in Israel.

The composition of 1,000 kidney stones in our area of Israel was analyzed. The predominant stones were a combination of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate, and uric acid. We used chemical analysis to determine the relative incidence of urinary calculi in 500 patients of various ages and ethnic groups. The incidence of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate calculi (44 per cent) in Jews born in Israel was lower than in other ethnic groups (54 to 64 per cent). The incidence of uric acid stones in Jews born in Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Syria, and the Ashkenazim (16 to 29 per cent) was 2 to 3 times higher than in other groups. In more than 60 per cent of the patients urolithiasis developed after they were 20 years old. The age at onset was significantly younger in Jews born in Israel (25.7 per cent) and North Africa (13.8 per cent), and in Arabs (18 per cent).

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Length of stay in hospital following spinal cord lesions in Israel.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To monitor length of stay (LOS) in a specialist spinal cord lesion (SCL) department in Israel, evaluate factors that affect it, and assess its association with other outcome measures. SETTING: Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Raanana, Israel. METHODS: In all, 1367 SCL patients treated between 1962 and 2000, and a group of 44 patients admitted between 1996 and 2002 were recruited. LOS, factors that affect it, and Spinal Cord Independence Measure second version (SCIM-II) gain and efficiency were measured. Data were collected from hospital charts and from the Population Registry of the Israel Ministry of Internal Affairs. LOS associations were analyzed with ANOVA, ANCOVA, Pearson's chi(2) test, Pearson's correlation, and Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: The mean LOS was 239 days for traumatic SCL (SD=168) and 106 days for non-traumatic SCL (SD=137). SCL etiology, SCL severity, and decade of admission to rehabilitation, were associated with the LOS (P<0.001). SCIM II gain correlated with LOS in the first 70 days after admission (r=0.81-0.82; P<0.001). In some patients, longer LOS was associated with a considerable increase in ability, through 5-8 months from admission. CONCLUSIONS: LOS of patients with SCL in Israel is within the customary LOS range in Europe. Longer LOS in a specialist SCL department may be positively associated with improved rehabilitation outcome. Further study is required to determine the LOS that allows optimal achievements.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Pyrethroid resistance mechanisms in the head louse Pediculus capitis from Israel: implications for control.

In Israel, the head louse, Pediculus capitis, developed resistance to DDT through the extensive use of this insecticide until the 1980s. In 1991, permethrin was introduced for control of DDT resistant P. capitis in Israel, leading to control failure of this pyrethroid insecticide by 1994. Pyrethroid resistance of P. capitis in Israel extends to phenothrin, which has not been used for louse control. We identified a glutathione S-transferase(GST)-based mechanism of DDT resistance in the Israeli head lice. This GST mechanism occurred before 1989, while permethrin resistance in P. capitis developed after 1994, suggesting that the main GST resistance mechanism selected by DDT use does not confer any pyrethroid cross-resistance. Esterase activity levels were equivalent in pyrethroid resistant and susceptible P. capitis field-collected in Israel, and in a susceptible strain of P. humanus, the body louse, indicating no involvement of any esterase-based mechanism in resistance. A weak monooxygenase-based permethrin metabolism resistance mechanism was the only factor identified which could account for any of the observed pyrethroid resistance in P. capitis. However, the lack of synergism of phenothrin resistance by piperonyl butoxide suggests that a non-oxidative mechanism is also present in the resistant lice. Therefore it seems probable that pyrethroid resistance in Israeli P. capitis is due to a combination of nerve insensitivity (knockdown resistance or 'kdr') and monooxygenase resistance mechanisms.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Risk of exposure to hepatitis A virus among day-care workers in Israel: implications for preventive measures.

Hepatitis A is an important infectious disease in Israel. The high incidence of hepatitis A, the declining prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis A virus throughout the past decade, and the availability of an active immunization for hepatitis A have engendered the identification of occupations in which workers are at increased risk of acquiring the disease. A prevalence study for hepatitis A antibodies was conducted during the first half of 1998 in a random sample of 37 day-care centers in different parts of Israel. A short interview was conducted, and serum samples were then collected from each worker. The control group comprised a sample of factory workers, blood donors, and women in maternity wards. Ninety percent (402 of 446) of the day-care workers had antibodies to hepatitis A. In a logistic-regression analysis, seropositivity was associated with increased age, minimal education, and lack of military service. When the authors compared a subsample of workers aged 18-40 yr with the control group, seropositivity was associated with the following: birth in Israel, duration of residence in Israel, very minimal education, military service, and employment in a day-care center. These results, together with earlier reports, indicate that day-care workers are at high risk of occupational exposure to hepatitis A. These results may imply that seronegative workers have a 2-fold chance of acquiring hepatitis A. Appropriate preventive measures should be considered, and active immunization of susceptible workers should be undertaken.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Crossing new bridges: the process of adaptation and psychological distress of Russian immigrants in Israel.

Between the end of 1989 and June 1992, 380,152 Russian Jews left the former Soviet Union for Israel, swelling Israel's Jewish population by nearly 10%. Absorbing great waves of immigrants was not new to Israel. Since its establishment in 1948 and the enactment of its Law of Return, large population groups from dozens of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds had immigrated into the country. In 1992 Israel's Jewish population totaled 4,242,500. Of that number, 360,949 had been born in Asian countries, 458,009 in Africa, 1,252,131 in Europe, and 184,317 in America and Oceana.

Acculturation↗
PubMed2001

Hepatitis c virus infection in employees of a large university hospital in Israel.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether hospital work constitutes a risk factor for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among employees of a large hospital in Israel. DESIGN: Seroprevalence survey. SETTING: A 1,006-bed, tertiary-care university hospital in Jerusalem. PARTICIPANTS: All 5,444 employees (18-65 years old) were eligible; 4,287 (79%) participated in the survey. METHODS: Sera were tested for antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) using a third-generation enzyme immunoassay. A third-generation strip immunoblot assay was used for confirmation. Participants were interviewed regarding their occupational history, and they completed a self-administered questionnaire covering history of non-occupational exposure to blood and country of birth. Other demographic information was obtained from the personnel department. Rates and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated, and multivariate logistic-regression analyses were performed to adjust for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: Anti-HCV was found in 0.9% of employees (37/4,287; 95% confidence interval, 0.6-1.1), ranging from 0.1% among those born in Israel to 5.7% among those born in Central Asia. After age, gender, social status, country of birth, and history of blood transfusion were controlled for in a logistic regression, occupational exposure to blood > or = 10 years was significantly associated with the presence of antibodies (OR, 2.6; P=.01). Presence of anti-HCV also was associated with country of birth (range: Israel OR, 1; West OR, 3.8 [P=.1]; Central Asia OR, 48.6 [P<.0001]) and history of blood transfusion (OR, 2.7; P=.01). No significant associations were found between anti-HCV and age, gender, social status, history of tattoo, acupuncture, current occupation, department, exposure to blood in current occupation, adherence to safety precautions, or history of percutaneous injury. The association with length of exposure was stronger (OR, 3.6; P=.01) when the same logistic regression was run excluding the outlier ethnic group of Central Asia. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital work does not seem to constitute a major risk factor for HCV infection in Israel today. A higher prevalence of anti-HCV among employees with longer versus shorter lengths of occupational exposure may be due to a cumulative effect of exposure over the years. Infection control efforts in recent years may have contributed to this association.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Potential-years-life-lost from motor vehicle crashes in Israel: an epidemiologic analysis.

Motor Vehicle Crashes (MVC) were the 7th ranking specific cause of mortality (Israel 1975) after ischaemic heart disease (ISHD), cerebrovascular disease, respiratory disease, various types of cancer, and accidents other than MVC, but were the top ranking single cause (in males, next to accidents of all kinds) of Potential-Years-Life-Lost (PYLL) ages 1-65 among men and women and men 1-70 and 2nd ranking cause of PYLL age 1-75 among men. Many young male deaths from MVC and few from non-traumatic causes below age 40 account for these high PYLL rankings for MVC. Israeli age-specific death rates from MVC below age 40 were lower than those of USA, but higher among the elderly (reason: pedestrian deaths). Both Israel's PYLL rate (PYLL per 100 000 persons) from MVC and crude mortality rates are only slightly lower than those of USA. Trends in Israel point to a growing number of drivers among young and poorer groupings, who have been shown elsewhere to be at high-risk for MVC mortality. PYLL from MVC in Israel can be expected to increase, even if crude death rates remain stable or decline. Swift low-cost preventive measures could arrest or reverse these predicted trends.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1995

Sperm donation in Israel.

Science and technology in the field of human reproduction present new legal, ethical and religious questions which do not always have immediate answers. The first step in the rapidly developed field of reproductive technology was the use of sperm donation (artificial insemination by donor, AID) and the establishment of sperm banks. The state of Israel faced these problems when the regulations for sperm donation were discussed. The fact that the main holy places for the three monotheistic religions are in Israel directly influences the make-up of the population constituents. Therefore, besides a majority of secular people, a high percentage of the population of Israel is very religious: Jews, Moslems and Christians. Thus any resolution relating to AID should take this demographic combination into account. The practice of AID is opposed by the different monotheistic religions. To avoid the conflict between secular and religious people, and between the different religions' perspectives, the legal problem of AID in Israel was solved not by laws but by regulations which were published by the Ministry of Health. The main idea behind this attitude is that the state and its authorities should not and do not deal with ethical or religious questions. Thus, the decision was left to the couples and to the donors. The regulations address technical requirements, health problems and confidential issues concerning the couple, the donor and the child. In this paper we present the different views relating to these problems as perceived by the different religions, and describe the solution that was accepted by the Israeli Ministry of Health.

Government Regulation↗
PubMed1998

Classic Kaposi's sarcoma in Jews living in Israel, 1961-1989: a population-based incidence study.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of classic Kaposi's sarcoma (CKS) has been reported to be high in Jewish populations, mostly born in Eastern Europe. OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence on CKS in Israeli Jews and to determine differences in incidence according to their geography origin. DESIGN: We analysed data on 1098 incident CKS cases with known country of origin occurring between 1961 and 1989 in the Jewish Israeli population. Reporting systems were the Israel Cancer Registry, the medical documentation of all-Kaposi's sarcoma cases and the registry of HIV-seropositive patients. Patients who were seropositive for HIV were excluded from the study population. Population figures for groups of migrants and natives were derived from census surveys (1961, 1972, 1983) and inter-census estimates based on the population registry. RESULTS: The overall age-standardized rate of CKS was 16.9 per million in men and 6.3 per million in women. The ratio between genders remained stable during the study period. In both genders, there was a steep increase in CKS incidence between the late 1960s (age-standardized rates per million: 8.0 in men and 2.2 in women) and the early 1970s (17.9 in men and 6.7 in women). No further increase was present after 1971. Overall, immigrants experienced a relative risk (RR) of 1.17 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.90-1.521 compared with Jews born in Israel. Immigrants from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia had the highest incidence (RR 2.01; 95% CI 1.52-2.65) compared with Jews born in Israel, followed by those born in Iraq (RR 1.74; CI 95% 1.27-2.37). The lowest incidence was experienced by immigrants from Iran (RR 0.37; CI 95% 0.18-0.77) and from Central European countries (RR 0.45; CI 95% 0.30-0.66). Immigrants from other countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe had similar rates as Jews born in Israel. CONCLUSIONS: Israeli Jews present one of the highest incidences of CKS reported from developed countries. The incidence varies according to geographical origin. Countries surrounding the Mediterranean sea represent the area of highest CKS incidence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Decay of maternally derived measles antibody in a highly vaccinated population in southern Israel.

The introduction of live attenuated measles vaccine in Israel during 1967 dramatically decreased the incidence of measles. However, cases still occur in periodic outbreaks and epidemics, with an increasing proportion of infants and children younger than 2 years of age. We examined the decay of maternally derived measles antibody during the first year of life in the Jewish population of Israel which represents a highly vaccinated population with immunization rates exceeding 90%. We used sera of healthy full term infants born in 1988 and 1989. Fifty specimens for each of the following age groups were used: 0 (cord blood), 2, 4, 6, 7 and 12 months. Three assays for each specimen were used: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); hemagglutination-inhibition test (HI); and neutralization test (NT). Good correlation among all 3 tests was found. All cord blood specimens were positive by at least 2 assays. Seropositivity rates declined rapidly with age. Fifty percent of all 4-month-old infants and < 30% of all 6-month-old infants were positive by 1 test or more; at 12 months of age none of the tested specimens was positive by HI or NT and only 1 of 50 infants was positive by ELISA. In infants younger than 6 months of age, 5 (22%) of 23 specimens negative both by ELISA and by HI were positive by NT, but in 6-month-olds, only 2 (7%) of 28 negative by ELISA and HI were positive by NT, and in 12-month-olds none was positive. The results from southern Israel are similar to those obtained in North America and provide evidence that infants older than 6 months of age in a well-immunized population may be poorly protected against measles. On the basis of this information and epidemiologic data, the Israel Ministry of Health has recommended lowering the immunization age for measles, mumps and rubella from 15 months to 12 months.

Antibodies, Viral↗