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PubMed2005

Trends in suicide mortality in the deprived region of Epirus (north-west Greece) during the period 1998-2002.

This study determines the risk factors associated with suicide rates and the investigation of time trends in the deprived region of Epirus, north-west Greece, which is considered to be one of the least developed prefectures of the EU. Data selected demonstrated: (1) a mean age-standardized suicide rate per year of 4.00/100,000 for males, 1.29/100,000 for females and 2.65/100,000 for the total population; (2) a significant rising trend of male suicides in the 35-44 and 65-74 age groups; (3) a low female suicide rate in < 35 years age group and a relatively stable rate in the other age groups; (4) a significantly higher suicide rate in men than in women from both urban and rural areas and in older men from rural areas; (5) higher rates of suicide among widowed men and unmarried women; (6) the use of predominantly violent suicide methods, especially self-shooting, hanging and drowning; (7) a significant peak in the total suicide rate in the spring and summer months and a decreased rate in September; and (8) three out of four of the suicide victims had consumed alcohol and/or other drugs before the act. Data reported here shows some remarkable trends compared to previous reports on suicide in Greece and other countries, probably due to cultural and life style characteristics of the study population.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Greece: clinical course and outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of clinical course and outcome of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a representative Greek population. BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is characterized by unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy and varied clinical expression. Recent studies suggest ethnic differences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred seventy-four consecutive Greek patients (117 male, 57 female, age 47+/-16 years) from 143 different families were assessed at the Department of Cardiology of the University of Athens, Greece, and the State Cardiac Department, Hippokration Hospital, both located in Athens, Greece. To reduce selection bias, referral was based on disease diagnosis irrespective of clinical status or treatment needs. All patients were examined clinically, echocardiographically, and by ECG ambulatory monitoring at 6-month intervals for a period of 74+/-22 months (range, 8 to 108 months). RESULTS: Most patients (n = 156, 89.7%) were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I or II. The disease was familial (at least one affected first-degree relative) in 81 of the 143 families (56.6%), and in 19 of these (13.3%) there was familial history of sudden cardiac death. At initial examination, intraventricular septal thickness was 17.3+/-4.1 mm and posterior wall thickness was 13.7+/-3.8 mm and a left ventricular outflow gradient >30 mm Hg was present in 58 patients (33.3%). Similar were the findings during the last examination (17.5+/-4.3 mm, 13.5+/-4.4 mm, and 56 (32.2%, respectively, p = not significant). Episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia were noted in 15 patients (8.6%). There were eight deaths during follow-up: four sudden deaths and four from intractable heart failure. Syncope was reported by all patients who died. The annual mortality in this study was 1%. Syncope and NYHA class were the only predictors of outcome. CONCLUSIONS: In this representative Greek patient cohort with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the arrhythmogenic substrate was modest and the clinical course benign. Sudden cardiac death was infrequent and syncope, functional class, and ventricular arrhythmias were the only predictors of a poor outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Fetal ultrasound imaging and the production of authoritative knowledge in Greece.

In Greece repetitive and intensive fetal scanning is now a universal feature of prenatal care. This article examines some of the ways in which pregnant women and obstetricians experience the intensive use of fetal ultrasound in a small city in eastern Greece. Based on observations and interviews conducted in a public hospital, it is argued that fetal imaging plays a privileged role in the production of authoritative knowledge around pregnancy for both doctors and women. The authority of the technology rests primarily on its ability to create a straightforward sense of reality and visual pleasure. These qualities lead women to actively demand fetal scanning, which helps them to feel the reality of their pregnancies, reassures them of fetal health, and provides a pleasurable sense of contact with, and knowledge about, the fetus. Doctors freely offer multiple scans to attract women to the public hospital, to practice "modern" obstetrics, and to negotiate among themselves for control over the management of pregnant women.

Authoritarianism↗
PubMed2002

Psychological problems in Christian and Moslem primary care patients in Greece.

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric problems are often expressed through, or coexist with, somatic symptoms. Cultural factors may influence this association. This study aims to 1) estimate the prevalence of mental health problems in a sample of primary care attendees in a rural area of Greece, and 2) investigate the differences in psychiatric symptomatology among patients from different religious/cultural backgrounds. METHOD: Over a three-month period, 300 consecutive adult patients (Christians and Moslems) at the rural Primary Care Health Centre of Iasmos in Thrace, Greece, were assessed with the 28-item General Health Questionnaire. RESULTS: The probable prevalence of mental health problems was estimated at 32 percent. Only for a small minority of the patients (3.3 percent) psychological problems were the presenting complaint. Moslems scored significantly higher than Christians in the somatic complaints subscale (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Mental health problems are common in primary care although they rarely constitute a reason for consultation. Sociocultural background may affect the presentation of psychological distress. Primary health care staff have a significant role in identifying hidden psychiatric morbidity.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Mental health problems of Army personnel seen in medical outpatient clinics in Greece.

OBJECTIVE: The problem of the underdiagnosis and inadequate treatment of mental disorders in people who visit health services has been studied in Greece as well as in other countries. There is not, however, enough research data for military personnel. The purpose of the present study is to assess the psychiatric morbidity of military personnel referred to outpatient clinics for physical problems. METHOD: Two hundred twenty-two (222) males serving in the Army, aged 21.9 +/- 2.8 years, were examined when they visited the outpatient clinics of a General Military Hospital of a border area of Greece. They gave information concerning demographic data, completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), and were assessed by the psychiatric interview M.I.N.I. (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). RESULTS: Eighty-two out of 222 individuals (36.9%) were classified as GHQ cases. Enlisted men and personnel with chronic physical disabilities were classified more often as cases than were professionals and physically able military men. Those referred for fractures had fewer psychiatric problems than those referred for other reasons. The most common diagnoses were anxiety disorders, major depressive episode, and alcohol abuse. CONCLUSIONS: A large number of military personnel present undiagnosed psychological problems despite attempts in the last few years by army services to develop mechanisms of timely diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric cases. Measures for the improvement of this situation are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

From the North Sea to the Mediterranean? Constraints to health reform in Greece.

The report of an international experts' committee, recently invited by the Ministry of Health to review Greece's health care system, recommended the creation of a network of family doctors, reimbursed on a capitation basis. The committee also proposed that family doctors should manage a budget for the purchase, on behalf of their patients, of specialist and hospital services and drugs. The author examines the exportability of the fundholding experience from Britain to a country in which health care organization is very different, social health insurance is fragmented, private health care is large and growing, ambulatory health care services are provided by specialists, and behavioral-cultural factors cast doubt on the consequences of the proposed change. An attempt to implement fundholding in Greece is likely to have effects opposite to those intended. The more humble task of tackling the inequities and inefficiencies of the present system should be the starting point of all future reform projects.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed2003

Athletes' satisfaction among team handball players in Greece.

The aim of this study was to measure the satisfaction of a sample of 234 team handball athletes from the Youth Team Handball Finals Tournament in Greece. 99 men and 135 women completed the Scale of Athlete Satisfaction. Analysis indicated that the athletes were satisfied with their leaders' behavior and their personal outcomes. No differences between the sexes were noted. Also, the more practices per week in which the athletes were engaged, the more satisfied they were. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the Scale of Athlete Satisfaction is a promising tool for measuring satisfaction of athletes in team handball in Greece.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

History of pediatric hematology and oncology in Greece.

The history of pediatric hematology and oncology in ancient and modern Greece is reviewed. Ancient Greek literature concerning cancer starts with Hippocrates, is enriched by Galen during the 2nd century AD, and ends with the end of the Byzantine period. Hematology and oncology in modern Greece were adopted as fields of special interest by a few Greek pediatricians. Their work constituted the basis for and the start of pediatric hematology and oncology, which has followed the advances of science ever since.

Child↗
PubMed1996

Computed and chemically determined nutrient content of foods in Greece. The Foods and Nutrients Working Group.

Energy-generating nutrients and total energy were computed and analytically determined for four widely used foods in Greece (mousaka, bean soup, infant food, and feta cheese), as well as for the individual food items necessary for their preparation. Standard procedures were used for chemical analyses, whereas computed values were generated through the Unilever Dietary Analysis Program--UNIDAP (Barrow et al., 1988) on the basis of the British food composition tables. Pesticides and pesticide residues were also determined in the studied samples. A very good agreement was noted with respect to the nutrient composition of the four prepared foods, whereas the agreement was somewhat weaker for the individual food items used for the preparation of the composite foods. It is concluded that the UNIDAP program generates reliable nutrient composition data for composite foods and for time integrated dietary intakes in Greece. The concentrations of several of the determined pesticides were towards the higher end of the spectrum of levels reported in the literature. This project has demonstrated the value of collaboration between academic institutions, industry, and state laboratories towards the development and validation of food composition databases.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Smoking habits among the hospital staff of a General Hospital in northern Greece: a long way for smoke-free hospitals.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the smoking habits of all staff working in a General Hospital, and to examine whether these habits comply with the introduction of a tobacco law in July 2002, where smoking in enclosed public areas, including hospital buildings, has been forbidden in Greece. METHODS: All hospital staff in Serres General Hospital was asked to complete and return a questionnaire about their smoking habits. The questionnaire was voluntary and anonymous. The survey was conducted from October 2003 to January 2004. RESULTS: Six hundred and twenty three (74%) of the 847 members of staff responded; 310 (50%) were current smokers and 313 (50%) were non-smokers of whom 101 (32%) were ex-smokers. The prevalence of current smokers was the highest among nurses (57%) and the lowest among doctors (31%). Male smokers (42%) were outnumbered by female smokers (54%) in all age groups up to the age of 60 years (p<0,01), although the reverse is the trend in Greek population (47% and 29%, respectively). The highest rate of smokers was found at the age group of 31-40 years (60%), while these above sixty years had the smallest (29%). Seventy percent of current smokers had at least one family member who was current smoker vs 49% of non-smokers (p<0,001). The vast majority of smokers (94%) continued to smoke in hospital, of whom 62% smoke more than 5 cigarettes while at work. CONCLUSIONS: The high rate of smokers among the health professionals compared to those in the general population would probably have a negative influence on the development, implementation and inspection of workplace smoking bans in Greece. Increased efforts to promote tobacco education and intervention among doctors and nurses and to establish specialist smoking cessation services throughout the National Health Service should be the standard component of antismoking policy for the law to be effective.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Dengue in Greece in 1927 and 1928 and the pathogenesis of dengue hemorrhagic fever: new data and a different conclusion.

A massive outbreak of dengue, with a high incidence of hemorrhagic manifestations and a high death rate, occurred in Athens and neighboring areas of Greece in 1927 and 1928. For many years it was believed that the episode had been caused by dengue type 1 virus. Recently, it was claimed that dengue type 2 virus also was present in Athens in 1928, and this report is cited in support of the hypotheses that dengue hemorrhagic fever is almost always the result of sequential infection with different dengue serotypes and that infection with dengue type 2 following dengue type 1 is particularly pathogenic. In the present study of 258 Greek residents born from 1914 to 1938, it was also found that dengue type 2 had occurred in Greece--but after 1928. No evidence was found that that virus had occurred in the country during, or within 13 years before, the 1927-1928 epidemic.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Rickettsia conorii in Greece: comparison of a microimmunofluorescence assay and western blotting for seroepidemiology.

Since 1972, there have been no reports of Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) in Greece. In 1991, a seroepidemiologic survey was conducted in three rural villages in the Province of Fokida in central Greece, using both an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and Western blot to evaluate the prevalence of specific IgG and IgM antibodies to Rickettsia conorii, and to compare these two techniques. Of 254 sera tested by IFA, 148 (58.3%) were positive for IgG at a titer > or = 32 and 117 (46.1%) at a titer > or = 64. Two sera were positive for IgM at a titer > or = 32. Among the IFA-positive sera, 115 reacted against the specific protein antigen (SPA) using Western blotting and were considered as confirmed positive results, indicating a seroprevalence of 45.3%. Using the SPA reaction as a reference, the IFA diagnostic value of a single serum is poor in such an endemic area, suggesting the need for more specific tests. The results of this study have led us to conclude that for seroepidemiologic use, the IFA is not specific for MSF. Thus, the IFA is useful for sero-epidemiologic analysis only in areas where the true prevalence of MSF has been estimated using Western blotting.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

European brown hare syndrome in wild European brown hares from Greece.

From 1999 to mid-2003, 97 European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) found dead throughout Greece were examined by necropsy, histopathology, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the presence of European brown hare syndrome (EBHS) and EBHS virus (EBHSV), respectively. Hare losses were sporadic, starting in the cold season and lasting for many months (December to May). The most prominent gross lesions were observed in the liver and included swelling and discoloration; congestion and hemorrhages were present mainly in lungs and tracheal mucosa. Necropsy findings were suggestive of EBHS, which was confirmed by histopathology and RT-PCR. This study documents, for the first time, EBHS in Greece.

Alopecia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Endotoxin concentration in treated water of all hemodialysis units in Greece and inquisition of influencing factors.

Mains and purified water samples from all hemodialysis centers in Greece were surveyed to assess hemodialysis water quality and the potential consequences on the dialysis population of any microbial and endotoxin contamination. Total heterotrophic bacteria counts were estimated employing the pour-plate method, the membrane filter technique, for total coliforms, fecal coliforms, enterococci and Pseudomonas spp., and the most probable number method for sulfite-reducing clostridia. Overall 170 paired samples were tested. Endotoxin concentrations were assayed in treated water samples, by the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate method, employing a chromogenic substrate. Endotoxin concentration varied from 0-30 EU/ml and exceeded 5 EU/ml in 30.6% of the centers. Endotoxin contaminated samples showed higher counts of total heterotrophic bacteria, fecal coliforms, enterococci and Pseudomonas spp. than the rest of the samples, though the difference was significant only for total heterotrophic bacteria and enterococci. Additionally, samples with endotoxin contamination derived from the mains water had significantly higher counts of fecal coliforms, enterococci and Pseudomonas spp. Endotoxin concentration was correlated with the presence of a deionization system, counts of fecal coliforms in supply water and counts of total coliforms, fecal coliforms and enterococci in treated water. These results demonstrate that hemodialysis centers in Greece need to monitor and preventively maintain the entire hemodialysis system, in order to ensure renal replacement therapy of good quality.

Endotoxins↗
PubMed1987

Policy reform and health administration education in Greece.

Under a Socialist Government since 1981, Greece has had dramatic policy reforms that aim to socialize the health sector. The National Health System Act (1983) and related legislation have seriously affected most aspects of health care in favor of the public sector. However, the traditional consumption patterns developed in the private sector continue to exist, and many aspects of medical technology have remained almost untouched. From these reforms and their shortcomings, the need for extensive administrative reforms and health administration education has emerged. A task force on the latter has led to the establishment of a graduate program to be supplemented with continuing education for all health care employees. This article points out the importance of such training programs for Greece.

Government↗
PubMed1999

Paleoanthropological research at the cave site of Apidima and the surrounding region (South Peloponnese, Greece).

Paleoanthropological excavations and surveys at the cave site of Apidima (South Peleponnese, Greece) during the last fifteen years brought to light paleontological findings and prehistoric artifacts, the number of which approximates 30,000 recorded and classified remains. In particular, the discovery of a significant number of human fossil bones, which belong to 6-8 different individuals, distinguishes Apidima as the most important paleoanthropological site in Greece. These fossil remains were found in different stratigraphic layers of the site corresponding to different phases of the human evolution during the middle and the upper Pleistocene.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

An electronic network for the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial nosocomial isolates in Greece. The Greek Network for the Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance.

The present article reports an evaluation of the national electronic network for the continuous monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in Greece. The network employs a common electronic code and data format and uses WHONET software. Our four years' experience with the network confirms its practicality. A total of 22 hospitals in Greece are currently using the software, of which 19 participate in the network. Analysis of the information obtained has greatly helped in identifying the main factors responsible for the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in the participating hospitals. The data collected have also helped to identify priorities for further investigation of the genetic and molecular mechanisms responsible for the emergence of resistance and facilitated development of hospital-based empirical therapy of infections. In conclusion, the implementation of national networks for the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance should be regarded as a priority.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed1999

Reproductive health issues in Greece.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate reproductive health issues in Greece. METHODS: Analysis of hospital data and national registry reports. RESULTS: The rate of population growth in Greece is declining and is now 0.99% p.a. The maternal mortality ratio is approximately 3.6 per 100,000 live births, and perinatal and infant mortality are approximately 10/1,000 and 16/1,000 respectively. However, only 28-30% of sexually active women use contraception and approximately 300,000 terminations are performed each year. Sexually transmitted diseases are less common than in 1985: the incidence of syphilis is less than 4 per 100,000 population and that of gonorrhoea is less than 25/100,000. Between 1984 and September 1996, 1,421 cases of AIDS were reported; of these, 1,252 (88.1%) were in men and 169 (11.9%) in women. The incidence of human papilloma virus infection increased and at least 30% of sexually active women are infected. CONCLUSION: Good reproductive health is of major importance to women and health agencies but there are still significant obstacles to overcome in some regions.

Family Planning Services↗