Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “IRELAND”

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 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

The Geat Britain and Ireland perspective: current perfusion safety issues, preparing for the future.

The Great Britain and Ireland (GBI) recommendations for standards of monitoring and alarms during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) came into force in January 2004. While perfusion departments in Great Britain and Ireland should now have a good baseline level of safety, it is important that department-specific safety is also considered. Patient safety is paramount, but safety within our speciality must also take into account the protection of the perfusionists' health and the protection of their careers. These different aspects of safety are fundamentally interrelated. This paper focuses on the importance of careful assessment, implementation and documentation when a new component or technique is being introduced to the CPB circuit, even when the aim is to increase safety. Knowledge of the civil justice system and the trends in medical negligence claims are an integral part of perfusionist safety. Perfusion in Great Britain and Ireland is rightly striving for professional recognition from the Health Professions Council (HPC). As we raise the profile of perfusion, we educate more people about the importance of our role and level of responsibility within the cardiac operating team. This will increase the potential for medical negligence claims to be directed specifically at our speciality. All these issues are discussed in detail.

Extracorporeal Circulation↗
PubMed1998

An epidemiologic study of multiple sclerosis in Northern Ireland.

We wanted to establish the point prevalence of MS in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has been a known high-risk area for MS since the original work of Allison and Millar in 1951. Studies demonstrated a rising prevalence in 1951 of 41 (95% CI, 37 to 44), in 1961 of 57 (95% CI, 53 to 61), and in 1986 of 104 (95% CI, 85 to 128)/10(5) population for probable/early probable and latent disease. We surveyed four districts (area 2,030 km2, population 151,000). Case sources included Regional Neurology Service records, postal survey of general medical practitioners, hospital databases, MS charities, and MS respite facilities. We used the Poser and Allison and Millar criteria in diagnosis. From a provisional list of 402 patients, 254 (177 female, 77 male, ratio 2.3:1) were identified with definite or probable disease by the Poser criteria, prevalence 168.2/10(5) (95% CI, 147.5 to 188.9/10(5)) with 34 suspected patients and an overall prevalence 190.7/10(5) (95% CI, 168.7 to 212.7/10(5)). We interviewed and examined over 87% of these 288 patients. There were 246 patients classified as probable/early probable and latent by Allison and Millar, prevalence 162.9/10(5) (95% CI, 142.6 to 183.3/10(5)). Seventy-six probable or definite patients had onset between 1985 and 1992 (estimated incidence, 6.5/10(5)/yr). Age range of prevalent patients was 18 to 79 years (mean +/- SD, 49.2 +/- 13.3 years). Mean age at onset was 31.6 +/- 10.1 years. Overall, 12.5% had primary progressive disease and 20% had benign MS. Northern Ireland has an extremely high and rising MS prevalence. This may reflect a true increase in disease incidence or may be explained by increasing survival, improved case ascertainment, increased disease awareness, or improved laboratory and radiologic diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Incidence and prevalence of ALS in Ireland, 1995-1997: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a prospective, population-based study of ALS in the Republic of Ireland for the 3-year period 1995 to 1997. METHODS: To ensure complete case ascertainment, multiple sources of information were used, including consultant neurologists, neurophysiologists, primary care physicians, and the Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association. The El Escorial diagnostic criteria for ALS were applied to all cases enrolled on the register and each patient was regularly followed up during his or her illness. RESULTS: Between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 1997, 231 patients were diagnosed with possible, probable, or definite ALS, including 133 men (57.6%) and 98 women (42.4%). The average annual incidence rate was 2.1 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 1.8 to 2.4), and 2.8 per 100,000 person-years for the population older than 15 years (95% CI, 2.4 to 3.1). The incidence rate was higher for men, being 2.5 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 2.0 to 2.9), than for women, at 1.8 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 1.5 to 2.2), and increased with age for both sexes. The median age at onset was 64.2 years for men and 67.8 years for women. On December 31, 1996, the crude prevalence was 4.7 per 100,000 of the total population (95% CI, 4.0 to 5.5), and 6.2 per 100,000 for the population older than 15 years (95% CI, 5.3 to 7.1). Adjusting to the 1996 Irish population as standard, the incidence of ALS in Ireland during the 3-year study period is the third highest reported to date. CONCLUSIONS: There was a trend toward a higher incidence of ALS in the northwestern region of Ireland, although the numbers of cases involved were small and further study is required.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2003

The status of cancer fatigue on the Island of Ireland: AIFC professional and interim patient surveys.

The objectives of the All Ireland Fatigue Surveys are: A) to learn more about the nature of cancer patients' fatigue; B) to explore the impact that fatigue has on the lives of these patients; C) to determine physicians' and nurses' perceptions of fatigue in patients; and D) to find the current level of management of cancer fatigue in Ireland. In two surveys, one involving 109 physicians and another involving 160 nurses, the vast majority of respondents reported that they believe nausea to be the side effect of most concern to their cancer patients. In contrast, 41% of 143 patient respondents to a third survey reported that fatigue was the side effect that had the greatest impact on them. Patients indicated that fatigue affected them physically, mentally, emotionally, and economically. Yet, approximately half the patients who reported their fatigue to their physician or nurse received no treatment to relieve their fatigue. The number one recommendation made to patients who did receive treatment to help reduce their fatigue was rest/relaxation, even though research suggests that exercise can be of greater benefit. Thus, it appears that cancer patients' fatigue has been largely under-recognized and poorly managed or ignored. With the formation of interdisciplinary groups of health care professionals focused solely on cancer fatigue, efforts are under way on the island of Ireland to address this too long misunderstood and neglected aspect of cancer patients' lives.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nutrient processing capacity of a constructed wetland in western Ireland.

In Ireland, constructed wetland systems are increasingly being used to perform tertiary treatment on municipal waste effluent from small towns and villages located in areas whose receiving waters are deemed sensitive. The bedrock formation in the west of Ireland is primarily karst limestone and where the overburden-soil cover is very shallow, such waters are highly sensitive to pollution sources, as little or no natural attenuation and/or treatment will occur. Constructed wetland technology has been seen to offer a relatively low-cost alternative to the more conventional tertiary treatment technologies, particularly when dealing with low population numbers in small rural communities. This paper examines the waste treatment performance, in terms of nutrient (P and N) reduction, of a recently constructed surface-flow wetland system at Williamstown, County Galway, Ireland. Performance evaluation is based on more than two years of water quality and hydrological monitoring data. The N and P mass balances for the wetland indicate that the average percentage reduction over the two-year study period is 51% for total N and 13% for total P. The primary treatment process in the wetland system for suspended solids (between 84 and 90% reduction), biological oxygen demand (BOD) (on average, 49% reduction), N, and P is the physical settlement of the particulates. However, the formation of algal bloom during the growing season reduces the efficiency of the total P removal.

Ecosystem↗
PubMed2001

Isolation and characterisation of rhabdovirus from wild common bream Abramis brama, roach Rutilus rutilus, farmed brown trout Salmo trutta and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in Northern Ireland.

Rhabdovirus was isolated from wild common bream Abramis brama during a disease outbreak with high mortality in Northern Ireland during May 1998. Rhabdovirus was also isolated at the same time from healthy farmed rainbow Oncorhynchus mykiss and brown trout Salmo trutta on the same stretch of river and 11 mo later from healthy wild bream and roach Rutilus rutilus in the same river system. Experimental intra-peritoneal infection of bream and mirror carp Cyprinus carpio var specularis with 2 of these isolates produced low mortality rates of < or = 12%. Serological testing of these isolates by virus neutralisation indicated that they were antigenically closely related to pike fry rhabdovirus (PFRV) but not to spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV), while testing by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay indicated them to be antigenically different from both. Comparison of nucleotide sequence data of a 550 base pair segment of the viral glycoprotein generated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction indicated a high (> or = 96.6%) degree of similarity between these isolates and a previous Northern Ireland isolate made in 1984, a 1997 isolate from bream in the Republic of Ireland and an earlier Dutch isolate from roach. In contrast, similarity between these isolates and PFRV was < 82.4%, indicating that these viruses belong to 2 distinct genogroups, while similarity to SVCV was even lower (< 67.4%).

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

St. Brendan's and the community: mental health services in Ireland.

1. In Ireland, the regional administrators--including the chiefs of nursing and psychiatry--have as their responsibility all of the related outpatient clinics, day hospitals, day care centers and community residences, including all levels of acuity. Discharge planning becomes easier than in the United States. 2. In Ireland, Assessment Units are unlocked, nurses are in uniform, there is no equivalent of a Master's prepared clinical specialist or an advanced level Nurse Practitioner, and residences are integrated into neighborhoods. 3. The majority of chief psychiatric nurses and officers and nurse tutors in Ireland are men. Teaching is not a top priority of staff nurses, and nurse tutors are not involved regularly with students on the wards.

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed1997

The service implications of regional differences in suicide rates in the Republic of Ireland.

This paper examines variations in suicide within the Republic of Ireland in order to determine if the services, as currently available, require redistribution. The rates of suicide and undetermined death in the four provinces, 26 counties and five cities of Ireland are examined for the years 1976 to 1994, with the age and gender distributions of local populations taken into consideration. Marked variations between areas are noted with a threefold difference between the counties with the highest and lowest rates. Counties tend to be similarly ranked for men and women but the male suicide rate, overall, was almost three times that for women. The male:female ratio was 2.3:1 for the first half of the study, but this increased to 3.4:1 for the second half; a reflection of increasing numbers of male suicides. Surprisingly, the male suicide rate in Dublin city has stayed steady at 12 per 100,000 over the entire study period, while the national male rate has more than doubled reaching approximately 18 per 100,000 in recent years. There is a need for improved services in rural Ireland. If the various available services are to help reduce the suicide rate, then a mechanism must be found to deliver these in areas of low population density where the need could well be greatest.

Female↗
PubMed1999

Spatial variation of anthropometric traits in Ireland.

To further elucidate the relationship between geography and genetics in Ireland, we considered variation in anthropometric traits of adult males by town using spatial autocorrelation methods. By describing and distinguishing significant patterns of anthropometric variation, we determined whether the anthropometric traits display a simple pattern of spatial variation, as predicted by the isolation by distance model, or other patterns of spatial variation. Several hypotheses were examined, including (1) whether there was spatial patterning of 20 anthropometric phenotypic distributions and 7 principal components of Irish males and (2) if there was, whether these phenotypic distributions could be explained by a simple isolation by distance model. The results of this study can be summarized by several key findings: (1) There is significant spatial patterning among towns, as detected in correlograms of 14 anthropometric traits and 2 principal component factor scores (values of Moran's I ranging from 0.7510 to -0.3616, p < or = 0.0071); (2) 4 spatial patterns were detected, including clinical patterns, long-distance differentiation, distance distinction, and regional patchiness. These results suggest several likely causes of the observed spatial patterns. First, in Ireland patterns of anthropometric variation could not be explained by a single spatial pattern (i.e., isolation by distance). Second, through an examination of the various combinations of statistical homogeneity or heterogeneity, spatial patterning or nonpatterning, and similarity or dissimilarity of spatial patterns, we conclude that several migrational events structured the genetic landscape of Ireland.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Reviewing the mid-year population estimates in Northern Ireland.

This article describes the thorough review of the mid-year population estimates for Northern Ireland. No major problems have been identified with the current estimates but a number of enhancements have been put in place. The new figures are consistent with a number of administrative data sources. The overall effect has been to revise the estimated Northern Ireland population by about 6,000 people, or between 0.3 and 0.4 per cent, for each year between 1991 and 1997. The revised estimates for Northern Ireland have been incorporated into the population figures for the United Kingdom included in the Table section of this issue of Population Trends.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Multiple sclerosis in Northern Ireland: a historical and global perspective.

The uneven worldwide distribution of multiple sclerosis has been of interest to epidemiologists, neurologists and statisticians for over a century, prevalence rates for the disease apparently being determined by variations in age, gender, geography, race and ethnic group. Northern Ireland has been recognised as an area of high MS prevalence since the truly seminal work of Allison and Millar almost 50 years ago. The most recent study in Northern Ireland was undertaken in 1996 and involved the neighbouring districts of Coleraine, Ballymena, Ballymoney and Moyle (population, 151,000). Overall, 254 definite and probable cases were identified (prevalence: 168.2/100,000) with a further 34 suspected cases (overall prevalence: 190.7/100,000). Females predominated (ratio, 2.1:1) and the average age at onset was 31.6 years. The highest age specific prevalence rate for females was in the 35-44 years old age group (519.6/100,000) and for males was in those aged 55-64 (292.3/100,000). The spectrum of disability was broad and 20% could be considered to have relatively "benign" disease. These figures sadly confirm that Northern Ireland has one of the highest and rising MS prevalence rates in the world and implies an enormous potential for societary costs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Prevalence and awareness of excess weight in 13 and 14 year olds in Northern Ireland using recent international guidelines.

UNLABELLED: Concern has been expressed in recent years over the rising trends in overweight and obesity, particularly in children in developed countries. No recent data were available for Northern Ireland, therefore measurements of height and weight were included in a study in Northern Ireland originally designed as part of an international study to estimate the prevalence of symptoms of asthma and atopy in childhood. Twenty-six schools across the province were sampled. 2484 children aged mainly 13 and 14 y completed questionnaires, and 2307 were weighed and measured. Using recently proposed international guidelines on defining overweight and obesity in children the prevalence of overweight in boys was 16%, with 4% being obese. In girls 16% were also overweight and 2% were obese. This concurs with figures for English and Scottish schoolchildren up to 12 y of age from 1994. Less than one-sixth of obese boys but more than one-third of obese girls were on weight-reducing diets (the majority self-prescribed), reflecting differing attitudes towards excess weight. CONCLUSION: In line with figures in younger children from England and Scotland this study shows that 16% of boys and girls from Northern Ireland are classed as overweight using recent international guidelines. Only 15% of obese boys compared with 38% of obese girls stated that they were on weight-reducing diets.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Tuberculosis in the Republic of Ireland at the end of the 1990s.

There has been limited detailed epidemiological data available on tuberculosis in the Republic of Ireland. The 1998 and 1999 National TB Reports produced by the National Disease Surveillance Centre presented disaggregate national data describing in detail the epidemiology of TB in the Republic of Ireland. Individual case notifications were collated by health boards, forwarded to NDSC where they were entered onto a national TB database and then analysed using Epi-Info. There were 893 cases of TB notified in 1998-1999. It was more common in older age groups and men. 50% of cases occurred in those less than 45 years, an indication of considerable ongoing transmission of tuberculosis. Regional variation in the rate of TB exists and a relatively small proportion of cases occurred in foreign-born patients. TB in HIV positive patients was not common and MDR-TB has also been observed. TB has not disappeared from the Republic of Ireland. Treatment, contact tracing and surveillance need to be maintained and preferably enhanced.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Management of bronchiolitis: current practices in Ireland.

To establish current practice for hospital-based treatment of uncomplicated respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in the Republic of Ireland. A questionnaire was sent to all consultant general paediatricians in the Republic of Ireland. The questionnaire described a clinical scenario and this was followed by a list of management questions. The scenario was of a 3-month-old infant with uncomplicated but moderately severe RSV infection requiring hospitalization. Seventy-three questionnaires were sent. 63/73 (86%) of the questionnaires were returned. With respect to management of this case almost all (61/63) the paediatricians felt that oxygen therapy was necessary (oxygen saturation described in the case was 90%). With respect to bronchodilator therapy, ipratropium bromide (38/63--60%) was chosen much more frequently than salbutamol (15/63--24%). Chest physiotherapy would have been prescribed by 8/63--13% of paediatricians. Oral steroids were infrequently chosen (1/63--2%) but nebulised steroids were selected in 7/63 (11%) cases. The routine use of RSV monoclonal antibody, palivizumab, for RSV prophylaxis was reported by 49% (31/63) of paediatricians. Prematurity with bronchopulmonary dysplasia was considered an indication for its administration by all of these but only 23% considered prematurity alone to be an indication. The management of infants with RSV bronchiolitis varies greatly among consultant paediatricians in Ireland. Evidence based guidelines may be of value in establishing a more uniform national treatment approach.

Albuterol↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Incidence of cervical dyskaryosis in Ireland: report of a five-year audit.

The implementation of a national cervical screening programme in Ireland will require agreement on achievable standards in reporting cervical cytology similar to those published by the NHS cervical screening programme. Due to the opportunistic nature of screening in the Republic of Ireland, national incidence figures for uterine cervical disease are not available. An audit of our practice was performed to find the incidence of human papilloma virus related cervical disease in our population. Our laboratory reported 158,066 cases from 1996-2000. The overall rate of dyskaryosis increased from 3.6% to 7.9%, mostly due to increased low grade dyskaryosis (up from 2.3% to 6.0%). High grade dyskaryosis also increased (from 1.3% to 1.9%), particularly in the under-25 year age group who account for a growing proportion of high grade dyskaryosis (from 15.4% of all high grade diagnoses in 1996 to 23.0% in 2000). The positive predictive value of a diagnosis of high grade dyskaryosis remained stable between 76.0 and 79.5%. While opportunistic screening data may not be directly applicable to the entire screening population it is hoped that these data may form a foundation on which to estimate national incidence figures and define achievable standards for cervical screening cytology in Ireland.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Patterns of Catholic-Protestant intermarriage in Northern Ireland.

"Some of the social factors governing the incidence of religious intermarriage in Northern Ireland are reviewed before setting out data from a special tabulation of the 1971 census of Northern Ireland. According to the tabulation only some 2% of married couples enumerated declared themselves to be in Catholic-Protestant marriages....The tabulation suggests that the likelihood of marriage across the Catholic-Protestant divide is no greater for manual workers than for nonmanual workers when controls are introduced for relative group size.... There are indications that the incidence of Catholic-Protestant marriage was rising in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s."

Catholicism↗
PubMed2003

The Three Rivers Project--water quality monitoring and management systems in the Boyne, Liffey and Suir catchments in Ireland.

The "Three Rivers Project" is a government initiative and one of a series of catchment based water quality monitoring and management systems being developed throughout Ireland since 1997. The establishment of these multi-sectoral, basin-wide and community based systems is a response to historically perceived disjointed, legalistic and non-participative approaches to water resource management and purports to transcend the restrictions of traditional local authority administrative boundaries. The new management model embodies the concepts and objectives contained in the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) enacted in December 2000. Ireland, in common with many EU countries, has failed to halt decades of increasing levels of eutrophication of surface waters due principally to phosphorus loading. The "Three Rivers Project" is promoting the benefits of an integrated and cooperative approach to the management of three important river systems in Ireland, namely, the Boyne, Liffey and Suir. The project objective is to protect and improve water quality to conform with "good ecological status". The implications of the Project findings for agricultural, municipal and industrial policy are grave and one of the greatest challenges now is to organise and fund Irish River Basin Management Systems as envisaged by the WFD to continue and build on the work which the "Three Rivers Project" has undertaken.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2004

Early experience with chronic hepatitis C in Northern Ireland: epidemiology and response to monotherapy.

UNLABELLED: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has become a major health problem affecting an estimated 170 million people worldwide. The epidemiology of HCV and its response to treatment in Northern Ireland has not been described before. Our aims were to determine the epidemiology, histological stage, suitability for treatment and response to treatment in patients with hepatitis C presenting to one clinic in Northern Ireland. All patients were prospectively recruited with hepatitis C attending the Liver Clinic, Royal Victoria Hospital during the period December 1992 to June 1997. Sixty patients (33 male, mean age 44 years, range 19-84 years) who tested anti-HCV antibody positive were identified. The predominant genotypes were 1b (33%), 3a (28%) and 1a (26%). Most patients (78%) were asymptomatic at the time of detection and only four (7%) gave a history of jaundice. The most common modes of transmission were i.v. drug use in 30 (50%) and blood products in 20 (33%) patients. Forty-eight (86%) of the 56 patients tested were PCR positive for HCV RNA. Fifty-one patients (85%) underwent liver biopsy of whom 13 had cirrhosis (22% of original group). Twenty-nine patients were suitable for treatment, but three declined treatment and only 26 (43%) started interferon-alpha. During treatment 17 (65%) patients became PCR negative and eight (31%) remained PCR negative 12 months after completion of therapy. Liver histology was assessed before and after interferon treatment in 17 patients and showed no change in total necroinflammatory scores (p = 0.1) or staging of architectural change (p = 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiology and response to therapy of HCV in Northern Ireland appear comparable to elsewhere in the UK. Only a minority of anti-HCV positive non-haemophiliac patients progress to have interferon therapy suggesting that the cost of treating chronic HCV may not be as great as initially thought.

Adult↗