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Descriptive epidemiology of roe deer mortality in Sweden.

A retrospective epidemiologic study was conducted to examine causes of mortality of 985 wild roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) submitted to the National Veterinary Institute (SVA; Uppsala, Sweden) from January 1986 to December 1995. Age, sex, body condition, and geographic distribution as related to disease conditions are reported herein. The most common causes of mortality in roe deer were trauma (19%), winter starvation (18%), gastritis/enteritis (15%), bacterial infections (11%), parasitic infection (11%), systemic diseases (11%), neoplasia (2%), congenital disorders (1%), and miscellaneous causes (6%). Cause of death was not determined in 6% of the cases. The distribution of causes of death reported in this study differ from previous works in Sweden in that infectious and parasitic diseases were more common than winter starvation. The pathologic findings in studies like this do not necessarily represent what is occurring in the natural environment, but they do provide a good indication of distribution of diseases over time as well as age and sex structure in relation to disease conditions. Further research and more detailed studies are in progress to better understand specific mortality factors as well as etiologies of certain described diseases in roe deer in Sweden.

Age Factors↗

Assessment of the quality improvement of prehospital emergency care in Sweden.

The optimal competence level of personnel involved in prehospital emergency care is a matter for discussion. In Sweden a national quality improvement process has been initiated including strict regulation of the authorization of ambulance personnel to administer drugs and increased involvement of registered nurses. The aim of the present study was to assess from a national survey the present status of the ongoing quality improvement process in prehospital emergency care in Sweden. A questionnaire, detailing organizational, staffing, competence and functional aspects, was sent to all medical directors of prehospital EMS. The response frequency was 87.5%. Variations in the local organization of the prehospital care were observed. Only a limited number (20%) of the districts organized the ambulance services according to the competence level of the personnel. It was found that the competence level of the personnel involved in prehospital emergency care had improved considerably compared with the situation 5 years ago. A majority of the ambulancemen had increased their competence level by completing nurse assistant training and more registered nurses had been employed. The changes in the competence level and organization of the ambulance services and prehospital emergency care were considered to have had moderate (38.5%) or great (51.9%) impact on the quality of the services during the past 5 years. The effect was reported by 53.2% of the directors to be objectively verified from review of ambulance records, regular proficiency tests, patient survival data (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), and analyses of computer-based records. It is concluded that the present study clearly shows that quality improvement process initiated by the Swedish authorities has resulted in a considerable improvement of prehospital emergency care in Sweden during the past few years.

Clinical Competence↗

Management of pregnancies with suspected intrauterine growth retardation in Sweden. Results of a questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis and management of intrauterine growth retardation during pregnancy remain a major challenge in obstetric care. The objective of this survey was to evaluate the routine clinical management of pregnancies with suspected intrauterine growth retardation at obstetric departments in Sweden. METHODS: In 1997, a questionnaire was sent to all 59 obstetric departments in Sweden. Forty-two departments, caring for 83% of all deliveries in Sweden, replied. Four major topics were addressed: definition and diagnosis of intrauterine growth retardation; magnitude of the problem; clinical management; use of Doppler ultrasound in clinical decision-making. RESULTS: Intrauterine growth retardation is diagnosed by a combination of serial fundal height measurements and ultrasonic fetal biometry at 40 departments, two departments perform routine fetal biometry at 32 weeks. The diagnosis is most often made at 32-36 gestational weeks. Five departments use 1.5 s.d. below the mean as cut-off point for diagnosis of small for gestational age fetuses; 35 departments use mean - 2 s.d. and two departments mean - 2.5 s.d. Intrauterine growth retardation is suspected in 1.6-6.3% pregnancies. About 19% of patients with suspected intrauterine growth retardation are hospitalized. On average, 63% of all small-for-gestational age babies are diagnosed prenatally. Thirty-nine out of 42 obstetric departments use formalized management protocols. All departments use cardiotocography, repeat ultrasound scans and Doppler ultrasound for antenatal surveillance. CONCLUSIONS: In Swedish obstetric units, the diagnostic procedures and methods of fetal surveillance in pregnancies suspected of intrauterine growth retardation are more or less uniform. Doppler examination of umbilical artery is used at all responding departments and is considered a valuable asset in clinical decision-making.

Cardiotocography↗

[From dreaded epidemic to rare disease - smallpox in Sweden 1750-1900].

Smallpox contributed to the death of 300,000 people in Sweden between 1750 and 1800. It was one of the most feared diseases of the time. Most victims were children under the age of 10 years. It is estimated that one out of every ten children died from smallpox. The mortality rate was between 10% and 20% but those who survived faced severe complications. Most common were the disfiguring pockmarks among those previously infected. It turned out that women who had contracted smallpox married much later in life than the healthy. Also, both female and male fertility was lowered by smallpox infection. By the mid 1750s inoculation was introduced in Sweden. This was a preventive method where a mild infection was given by putting smallpox matter into an incision in the skin. Success was restricted to the wealthy, even if the doctors tried to reach the common people. The main reasons were lack of confidence for doctors, medical and epidemiological risks, costs and an ineffective organization. In 1801 Eberhard Zacharias Munch of Rosenschöld performed the first vaccination with cowpox matter in Sweden. In a few years an extensive practise was stabilized, which made the Swedish population one of the best vaccinated in the world. Moreover, a unique registration was compiled which, together with the parish records, makes the country one of the best documented. The main reasons behind the success was previous experiences of inoculation, international influences, abolition of the physicians monopoly, an effective organization, better opportunities for financing and rewards, and the compulsory law of 1816.

History, 18th Century↗

[The rise and fall of the general pediatric practitioner in Sweden].

At the end of the 1960s the Minister of Health in Sweden became interested in the way Czechoslovakia had organised the care of both healthy and sick children with one general pediatric practitioner for every 1500 children. After thorough investigation The National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden proposed that outpatient pediatric care be integrated with health care both of pre-school- and of school children. It was stated by The National Board of Health and Welfare that it would be sufficient with one pediatrician for 2500 children, since highly qualified pediatric nurses were employed both at the well-baby clinics and in the schools. Thus it was calculated that 700 pediatricians would be needed in primary care in Sweden. This proposal was received in a positive way and in many counties it was planned that specialists in pediatrics should be in charge of the children in pediatric outpatient clinics. However, in the aftermath of the events of 1968, the opinion changed during the 1970s. The revolutionary groups that wanted to destruct the society in order to create something new did not want to have reform proposals that they regarded as cosmetics. Science was considered anti-social and professionalism was viewed highly suspect. Specialists were looked down upon, both within the health profession and elsewhere. The institutions and their representatives were not unaffected by these sentiments. The Swedish Medical Association, that from the beginning had applauded the counties that had planned to follow the proposal from The National Board of Health and Welfare, did a right-about turn under the pressure of the general practitioners who did not want to abstain from the children? "this nice group of patients". In 1974 the Swedish Medical Association declared that pediatricians should not be active in primary care. Also The National Board of Health and Welfare became influenced by the spirit of the times and thus, in 1978, decided that a substantially lower number of pediatricians should be trained than they had earlier planned. At that stage, many of the counties changed their plans regarding pediatric care to be benefit of the general practitioners. Altogether well over 200 positions for general pediatric practitioners were established. At the turn of the millennium, this number remains virtually unchanged. Some counties have a very well established pediatric cae, whereas others do not have one single pediatrician employed in the primary health care. However, it presently seems that the general opinion in this regard is changing. There is a growing consciousness that children are in need of professional medical care as the status of children during the 1990s has steadily deteriorated because of e.g. immigrations and increasing social inequalities. Both the Minister of Health and other influential health care politicians have recently claimed the need for pediatricians in primary care. However, during the next few years many of the specialists in pediatrics born during the 1940s will retire. Therefore a substantial expansion of the education and training of pediatricians of utmost importance in order to replace the retired professionals and to fill the needs of primary care.

History of Medicine↗

Relationship of Plummer-Vinson disease to cancer of the upper alimentary tract in Sweden.

Sideropenic anemia with epithelial lesions (Plummer-Vinson syndrome) was previously very common among women in northern Sweden. The incidence of this condition is decreasing, however, because of better nutrition and improved health care. Plummer-Vinson syndrome as a sequela of previous sideropenic anemia still influences the pattern of hypopharyngeal and oral cancer in northern Sweden where the female/male ratio in these diseases is remarkably high and where cancer in the postcricoid part of the hypopharynx is relatively common. In Sweden as a whole, a decreasing trend in the incidence of hypopharyngeal cancer in women can be demonstrated, which is probably due to diminished prevalence of Plummer-Vinson syndrome.

Adult↗

Illegitimacy in Sweden and Australia: 1911-1974.

"Despite the long standing interest in illegitimacy as well as the importance of its consequences, and the concern which the post war upturn has generated, researchers know surprisingly little about the social, economic, demographic, and cultural factors that influence temporal variation in illegitimacy. By using annual time series data for Sweden and Australia, [the authors] examine trends in and levels of illegitimacy over a sixty year period and assess the impact of various social, economic, demographic, and cultural factors on change in illegitimacy rates. [The] primary focus is the extent to which cultural differences between Australia and Sweden explain differences in illegitimacy and the effects of particular economic, demographic, and social factors. "Sweden and Australia have both reported the annual number of illegitimate births and bridal pregnancies since 1911. These are the longest annual time series available for these two measures. The Australian and Swedish data have never been subjected to statistical analyses which test assumptions about similarities and differences in causes of trends and fluctuations in illegitimacy across these two nations."

Australia↗

[A woman's weight before and during pregnancy is of importance to her infant. USA guidelines would benefit public health in Sweden].

This paper describes weight gain during pregnancy in Sweden in relation to guidelines from the United States. These guidelines take into consideration the fact that optimal weight gain during pregnancy is related to the woman's prepregnant weight in relation to her height. Almost 50 per cent of women delivering babies in Sweden during the year 2000 were obese or overweight. In the three populations studied, less than 50 per cent gained weight in accordance with the US guidelines, while more than 20 per cent gained less weight than recommended. The results indicate that, in Sweden, more attention should be paid to the body weight of women who bear children.

Birth Weight↗

Recent mild and wet years in relation to long observation records and future climate change in Sweden.

Recent mild and wet years in Sweden were compared with long observation series of temperature, precipitation and runoff. Spatial average series for northern and southern Sweden were constructed and analyzed for the period 1901-2002. Precipitation increased considerably during the period, whereas temperature and runoff increases were weaker. On average, for the whole country, the differences between the period 1991-2002 and 1901-1990 were +0.7 degrees C for temperature, +11% in precipitation and +7% in runoff. The differences in temperature and precipitation, but not runoff, were significant at the 5% level. However, the 1930s were equally mild, and the runoff was almost as high in the 1920s. The characteristic feature of the past decade is the combination of high temperature, precipitation and runoff. The deviation between the most recent decade and the preceding years is consistent with climate scenario projections for Sweden, but there are also differences in the seasonal pattern.

Climate↗

[HIV in Sweden--more and more part of the world epidemic].

During the years 1997-2001 there were 1213 cases of HIV reported in Sweden. By using a questionnaire sent to respective clinics, additional information was obtained for 1018 patents. The transmission routes were: 28 per cent homosexual, 65 per cent heterosexual, 10 per cent intravenous drug abuse, 1 per cent blood transfusion (none in Sweden) and 6 per cent other/unknown. 61 per cent of men infected by sex with men had contracted their infection in Sweden whilst this was true for 14 per cent of heterosexually infected men and 20 per cent of heterosexually infected women. Instead many with heterosexually transmitted infections had been infected in Africa or Asia where in many cases the patients also originated from. In 15 per cent of cases the HIV infection was detected in conjunction with a diagnosis of aids. Partner notification led to at least 0.12 (127/1018) new cases per index case.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Gendered experiences of conflict and co-operation in heterosexual relations of Somalis in exile in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Political upheaval and poverty at home has been forcing many Somalis to immigrate. These immigrants do not only leave their physical house, families, relatives, loved ones, friends, but also familiarities, culture, customs, and often they do end up in no man's land being between their own and new home culture. Available reports suggest that there are about 15,000 Somalis in Sweden and their majority came here from late 1989 to 1996. About one third these immigrants live in and around the city of Gothenburg. This paper explores and describes gendered experiences of conflict and co-operation in heterosexual relations of Somalis in exile in Gothenburg, Sweden. A qualitative sociological in-depth interviews with 6 women and 7 men was performed during May 1999 to January 2000. A follow up focus group interviews with 10 people (2 women and 8 men) was also carried on. The results show that both the Somali culture and Muslim religion do not support the children being taught sex education in schools or the names of the sex organs being pronounced other than to be used as metaphors. The girls, unlike their age group males, experience a very painful and terrifying process during childhood in which their self-esteem is downgraded by means of serious degrading traditional active violence such as female genital mutilation and visible virginity control. The narratives tell stories in which Somali women are degraded and expected to obey in situations characterised by their man's arbitrariness. They are subject to a very extensive form of social control, which is especially pronounced on issues regarding sexuality. Their integrity as women is, consequently set aside. When Somali refugees came to Sweden some of them came to adopt much of the modern lifestyle and cultural norm systems, preferable young people and some of the females. Relating to a new culture with its new expectations on the norm obedience also created changes in self-esteem. Exile situation tends to generate horizontal conflicts, among spouses and between groups of people. It also tends to generate vertical conflicts because now generations stand up against each other and this is especially pronounced when it is about issues of sexuality and sexual relations. The young generations questions their parents authority. They are now living in new social context and perceive risks, as well as possibilities. Their new dreams and choices, however, do not fit their parents' expectations, which sometimes leads to big problems. From a traditional perspective these deviants lack of respect for traditions and the original culture. From a male perspective this means more specifically a lack of respect for male dominance and superiority.

Adult↗

[Equally good care of myocardial infarction in Sweden today. Geographic differences in mortality are without significance for the individual patient].

It is a known fact that the 1990s brought a decrease in mortality after myocardial infarction in Sweden but that differences in mortality rates following myocardial infarction still remain between the Swedish counties. Unresolved, however, are questions as to what these inter-county differences mean for the individual patient and what role hospital care plays in this context. We analysed all patients aged 64-85 years who were hospitalised following diagnosis of myocardial infarction in Sweden during the period 1993-1996. To gain an understanding of the relevance of geographical differences in mortality after myocardial infarction for the individual patient we applied multi-level regression analysis and calculated county and hospital median odds ratios (MORs) in relation to 28-day mortality. For hospitalised patients with myocardial infarction, being cared for in another hospital with higher mortality would increase the risk of dying by 9% (MOR = l.09) in men and 12% in women. If these patients moved to another county with higher mortality the risk would increase by 7% and 3%, respectively. The small geographical differences in 28-day mortality after myocardial infarction found in Sweden suggest a high degree of equality across the country; however, further improvement could be achieved in hospital care, especially for women--an issue that deserves further analysis.

Aged↗

Economic assessment of the negative impacts of ozone on crop yields and forest production. A case study of the estate Ostads Säteri in southwestern Sweden.

Ground level ozone concentrations, in combination with the prevailing climate, at the estate Ostads Säteri in southwestern Sweden were estimated to reduce the yield of wheat and potato ranging between 5% and 10%. Occasionally, in years with the highest ozone concentrations and/or climatic conditions favoring high rates of ozone uptake to the leaves, yield loss levels above 10% may occur. Based on simple extrapolation, these ozone-induced reductions of crop yields at Ostads Säteri represent a potential total annual yield loss in Sweden in the range of 24.5 million Euro for wheat and 7.3 million Euro for potato, respectively. A simulation of forest growth at Ostad Säteri predicted that prevailing mean ozone exposure during 1993-2003 had the potential to reduce forest growth by 2.2% and the economic return of forest production by 2.6%. Using this value for extrapolation to the national level, the potential annual economic loss for Sweden due to negative impacts of ozone on forest production would be in the range of 56 million Euro (2004 prices).

Agriculture↗

Rheumatoid arthritis registries in Sweden.

Patient registries provide valuable contributions to the field of rheumatology for both quality control and scientific purposes. With respect to the latter, patient registries are among the most important datasets used for longitudinal observational studies in rheumatic diseases, which are in turn an essential complement to data obtained from randomized, controlled trials. In Sweden a number of registries are available for such studies, ranging from general medical registries such as the in-patient registry, to rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-specific inception cohorts and biologics registries focusing on a specific patient population defined by a group of treatments. In recent years it has become particularly clear that questions regarding new therapies, their use in practice and their long-term safety, as well as aspects such as pharmacoeconomics, cannot fully be assessed using the data from clinical trials, and that registries are indispensible to obtain accurate answers to such questions. In this review we describe the Swedish rheumatology registries, including the Swedish RA registry and the Swedish biologics registries ARTIS (Antirheumatic Therapies Iin Sweden), SSATG (Southern Sweden Antirheumatic Therapy Group), and STURE (Stockholm Tumor Necrosis Factor-a Follow-up Registry). Data obtained from analyses based on these registries are reviewed. It is concluded that rheumatology registries are excellent tools for improving our knowledge base regarding rheumatic diseases.

Antirheumatic Agents↗

Risk factors in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a population-based case-control study in southern Sweden.

In the year 2002, about 275,000 inhabitants around the world developed oral cancer and over half of them will die of their disease within 5 years. Oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OOSCC) accounts for about 1% of all cancers in Sweden - which is low compared to the incidence on the Indian subcontinent and in other parts of Asia, where it is one of the most common forms of cancer. The incidence in Sweden is increasing, however. The study comprised 80% (132/165) of all consecutive cases living in the Southern Healthcare Region, born in Sweden and without previous cancer diagnosis (except skin cancer), who were diagnosed with OOSCC during the period September 2000 to January 2004. Using the Swedish Population Register, 396 cancer-free controls were identified and matched by age, gender and county. Of these individuals, 320 (81%) agreed to take part in the study. Cases and controls were subjected to a standardised interview, identical oral examinations including panoramic radiographs, and cell sampling for human papillomavirus (HPV) analysis. In total 128 patients with planned curative treatment were followed for a median time of 22 months (range 0 - 36). The aims were to assess different potential risk factors in OOSCC such as oral hygiene, dental status, oral mucosal lesions, alcohol and tobacco use, virus infection, and some related to lifestyle. A further aim was to assess the influence of these factors on recurrence or occurrence of a new second primary tumour (SPT) of squamous cell carcinoma. In multivariate analysis average oral hygiene (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.1-3.6) and poor oral hygiene (OR 5.3; 95% CI 2.5-11.3), more than 5 defective teeth (OR 3.1; 95% CI 1.2-8.2) and more than 20 teeth missing (OR 3.4; 95% CI 1.4-8.5), as well as defective or malfunctioning complete dentures (OR 3.8; 95 % CI 1.3-11.4) were identified as significant risk factors for development of OOSCC. Regular dental care reduced the risk of OOSCC (OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.2-0.6). The cases reported a higher consumption of alcohol than the controls. More than 350 g of alcohol per week (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.3-5.4) and 11-20 cigarettes per day (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.3-4.1) were dose-dependent risk factors. The results showed a tendency for women to have a greater risk (OR 1.8) than men at any given level of tobacco consumption. There was no increased risk of OOSCC among users of Swedish moist snuff. There was a significant relationship between high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and OOSCC (OR 63; 95% CI 14-280). Forty-seven of the cases (36%) were high-risk HPV infected and 7 (5.3%) were low-risk HPV infected in the specimens collected from the oral cavity. The corresponding figures for the controls were 3 (0.94%) and 13 (4.1%), respectively. The high-risk HPV types found in the oral cavity were the same types as observed in cervical cancer. Tumour stage was associated with both higher relative rate (RR) of recurrence or second primary tumour (SPT) of squamous cell carcinoma, and death in intercurrent diseases (DICD), defined as death before the occurrence of recurrence or SPT. High-risk HPV infected patients had an almost threefold increased RR of recurrence/SPT, but seemingly a lower RR of DICD compared to high-risk negative cases. Patients with tonsillar carcinoma had a significantly higher cause-specific RR of recurrence/SPT (RR 2.06; CI 0.99 - 4.28) compared to patients with OSCC of other sites. High alcohol consumption was associated with a high RR of recurrence/SPT, but not with DICD. There was no increased RR of recurrence/SPT related to smoking, but an association between smoking and DICD. In conclusion, the results in this study confirm that both smoking tobacco and alcohol consumption are risk factors for OOSCC. The use of Swedish moist snuff had no effect on the risk. Independent risk factors identified are poor oral hygiene, inadequate dental status and malfunctioning complete dentures. Regular dental check-ups are a preventive factor. Among other possible risk factors studied, high-risk HPV infection appears to be the strongest. High-risk HPV infection increases the cause-specific RR of recurrence or SPT. Tumour stage influences the rate of recurrence/SPT.

Adult↗

[Visions contra democratic majority decisions. Invitation of ten Jewish specialists to Norway and Sweden in 1939].

The attempt to save Jewish physicians from Germany by issuing invitations to neutral countries was first initiated in 1939 in Danzig, then under the protection of the League of Nations. Dr. Karl Evang in Norway and Dr. J. Axel Höjer in Sweden, then heads of their respective country's Health Departments, went to considerable lengths in their efforts to obtain work permits in Norway or Sweden. In Sweden, both student unions and the medical profession were firmly opposed to allowing their foreign colleagues to enter the country, whereas Norway accepted to admit ten of the altogether 222 applying physicians, on certain conditions. Owing to the German occupation of Norway, the majority of those finally admitted had to find refuge elsewhere.

Democracy↗

Cost of composite and glass ionomer class II molar restorations and theoretical analyses of cost per year of function at public dental services in Sweden.

The aim was to evaluate the cost of direct composite and glass ionomer class II molar restorations, and the theoretical cost per year of function, at Public Dental Services (PDS) in Sweden, years 2000 and 2005. Costs for patients, Social Insurance Offices (SI; Försäkringskassan), and total cost, were calculated based on fee schedules from all PDS in Sweden. Theoretical cost per year calculations were based on the median survival times (MST) of failed direct composite and glass ionomer class II molar restorations, derived from a set of clinical studies conducted in Nordic general practices. Due to lack of national statistics from SI, the number of direct restorations including more than one surface, made in adults, in general dentistry at PDS in the county of Halland were studied. From the year 2000 to year 2005, the total cost of composite class II molar restorations increased by 25%, whereas the total cost of glass ionomer restorations more than doubled. Theoretical calculations implied a higher cost per year of function for composite restorations in year 2000, whereas in year 2005, glass ionomer restorations had a higher cost per year of function. The cost of direct composite and glass ionomer class II molar restorations increased from year 2000 to 2005, at PDS in Sweden. In the context of planning public health care funding, theoretical models for cost prediction may prove useful.

Acrylic Resins↗

Obstructive lung disease in northern Sweden: respiratory symptoms assessed in a postal survey.

The prevalence of respiratory symptoms in 6,610 adults (3,372 men and 3,238 women); 35-36, 50-51 and 65-66 yrs of age, living in selected areas of Norrbotten, northern Sweden, were assessed in a postal survey. Response rates were identical in men and women, and at least one respiratory symptom was reported by 41% of each sex. Twenty two percent reported sputum production, and 14% reported wheezing. Despite differences in smoking habits and in the different age groups, the prevalence of symptoms did not differ between the sexes, or between urban and rural areas. Symptoms were as common in people living in the rural interior as in the industrialized coastal area. Present or past history of asthma was reported by 323 (5.9%) subjects, whilst 234 (4.1%) subjects stated that they had chronic bronchitis or emphysema. Less than half of the subjects who reported attacks of breathlessness together with wheezing stated that they had at any time had asthma. Whilst the exact prevalence of had asthma. Whilst the exact prevalence of at any time had asthma and chronic bronchitis cannot be assessed from this postal survey, its results indicate that the prevalence of asthma may be higher in northern Sweden than has been reported from the south of Sweden.

Adult↗