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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Comparison of serological and DNA HLA-DR typing results for transplantation in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America and South America.

In a previous study, DNA typing revealed that 25% of serological HLA-DR typings of kidney transplants were incorrect. In the current study, we analyzed whether this error rate had improved in recent years, and whether there were differences according to geographical region. From 1988 to 1991 the error rate of serological typing improved slightly in Western Europe from 19% to 16%, and in North America, from 21% to 16%. In Eastern Europe, the error rate decreased from 49% to 33% in 1991, whereas the rate remained high in South America at 60% in 1988 and 72% in 1991. The high error rates in South America and Eastern Europe reflected a lack of good quality serological typing reagents. The 16% typing errors in Western Europe and North America demonstrated the current limit of serological techniques for cadaver donor typing and underlined the need for prospective DNA typing.

DNA↗
PubMed1985

Radiofrequency radiation exposure limits in Eastern Europe.

Eastern European standards on radiofrequency radiation (RFR) exposure limits (EL) are reviewed. These standards are mandatory. Additional standards specify requirements for equipment and methods for RFR measurements to determine compliance. The standards are based on USSR ELs with the exception of Poland and Czechoslovakia, where different approaches to exposure limitation were used. According to informal private communications, a new joint recommendation on RFR ELs for all countries belonging to the Council of Mutual Economic Cooperation (COMECON) is being developed. As far as can be judged from recent USSR publications, the new recommendations will establish ELs at levels comparable to those indicated in the international guidelines developed by the International Non-Ionizing Radiation Committee of the International Radiation Protection Association (INIRC/IRPA).

Czechoslovakia↗
PubMed1998

Evolution of renal replacement therapy in Central and Eastern Europe 7 years after political and economical liberation. Central and Eastern Europe Advisory Board in Chronic Renal Failure.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The conditions of renal replacement therapy (RRT) were very poor in the countries located in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) when they were members of the so-called 'socialist bloc'. The aim of the present analysis was to document the impact of the socioeconomic changes on dialysis therapy in the CEE countries. DESIGN: This was a special survey with the participation of 12 CEE countries, with data obtained through national registries (with the exception of Russia). RESULTS: During the period 1990-1996 the number of haemodialysis units increased by 56% and the number of centres performing peritoneal dialysis by 296%. The number of patients increased respectively by 78% (haemodialysis) and 306% (peritoneal dialysis). The percentage of patients with diabetic nephropathy and elderly patients rose dramatically during this period. One of the main reasons of such expansion was the rapid development of peritoneal dialysis programmes in the majority of the CEE countries. The introduction of modern haemodialysis machines and a wider choice of different dialysers and concentrates permitted individualization of dialysis procedures. These points and the wider use of erythropoietin had a positive influence on quality of life and treatment outcome. There was also a notable increase in the number of transplant centres, but less so of the number of transplanted patients. CONCLUSION: Renal replacement therapy experienced a major expansion in the CEE countries. Despite the progress achieved, the level of RRT is not yet completely satisfactory in most CEE countries.

Europe↗
PubMed1983

Doctoring in eastern Europe.

Health care in Eastern Europe has not achieved world standards nor the goals of planners of socialist societies. With luck, perseverance, bribes or good connections, it is possible to obtain good medical and surgical care in Eastern Europe for a major illness. Primary and even secondary care usually are substandard, however, and often completely unacceptable to most Western foreigners. The reasons for this are complex but mainly rooted in different attitudes of health workers towards their patients, poor physical plants, poor salary structures, inadequate advancement opportunities for health care workers, poor social status and professional recognition for nurses and almost complete isolation of the average primary care doctor from hospital medicine.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2002

[Tuberculosis control in Eastern Europe].

The annual incidence of tuberculosis in Eastern Europe has increased from an average of 40 per 100,000 in 1990 to 60 per 100,000 in 1998. In particular, the increase in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, which is difficult to treat, is a great cause for concern due to increasing migration. The breakdown in the healthcare infrastructure, which has jeopardised medicine supplies, is largely to blame for this increased incidence. Eastern Europe has a long standing tuberculosis control system which is characterised by extensive and specialised knowledge about the disease, but also by a lack of knowledge concerning its control. A great deal of attention is paid to the number of medical procedures carried out, but the results are ignored. For a few years now, Western aid organisations have been involved in tuberculosis control in Eastern Europe and have introduced the WHO DOTS strategy ('directly observed treatment, short-course'), with emphasis on case detection by sputum smear microscopy, directly observed uninterrupted treatment with short-course intensive chemotherapy and evaluation of treatment outcome. The Netherlands play a prominent role in these activities. The DOTS strategy is only slowly becoming accepted in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia. It is in Western Europe's interest to help Eastern Europe rebuild their tuberculosis control system. Education and training are important elements to prepare doctors for their new role, in which public health should be given greater emphasis.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1993

Action plan for a tobacco-free Europe: implementation in central and eastern Europe, 1993-94. WHO Regional Office for Europe.

Major political and social changes in central and eastern European (CEE) countries offer new opportunities and challenges in tobacco control. Action against tobacco in CEE countries is part of an overall European strategy, the action plan for a tobacco-free Europe. Several CEE countries have voiced their concern about the deterioration of tobacco control and about the entry of the international tobacco industry. In response, the Regional Office has set up a framework for an international task force. The core of the task force consists of the EURO staff and a special consultant. Several European countries and organizations have already expressed their willingness to joint the task force by seconding an expert to participate in the country missions and consensus conferences. This paper describes particular steps to implement the action plan in central and eastern Europe. It outlines priority action to be carried out by the CEE countries themselves and describes possibilities for assistance by all European countries. A key role is assigned to a European alliance on tobacco or health to create psychological and material prerequisites for action as well as act in an advisory role. Some of the projects are already underway, but they can be considerably strengthened by extra resources and support. Some of the projects are possible only with new resources. The project proposals are classified according to the six areas of the new action plan but presented in a different order. This paper sets out a range of activities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Environmental Health↗
PubMed1991

Current status of food-borne parasitic zoonoses--eastern Europe.

For this review, the countries of Eastern Europe are the USSR and Poland (in the eastern part of the European continent), what was formerly East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary (in the north and center), and Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania (to the south). During 1989 and 1990, all of these countries experienced remarkable political and social change, thereby making the term "Eastern Europe" a political anachronism. There are a great many differences among these countries in terms of human behavior, parasites, environment and animal husbandry practices. In spite of recent political changes, however, livestock husbandry practices, which affect the status of food-borne parasites, will not likely change in the near future. Some of the characteristics of the eastern European countries allow the epidemiology of food parasitic zoonoses to be discussed as a common problem.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Comparison of the post-Chernobyl 137Cs contamination of mushrooms from eastern Europe, Sweden, and North America.

A comparison was made of 134Cs and 137Cs contamination in fungi from eastern Europe and eastern North America. Mean activities of 25 Ukrainian, 6 Swedish, and 10 North American collections were 4,660, 9,750, and 205 Bq/kg (dry weight), respectively. Additional measurements were made on samples from the Moscow, southern Belarus, and Yugoslavia/Bulgaria regions. Activity values were found to vary by several orders of magnitude within all geographic areas, even for the same mushroom species. Significantly higher specific activities were observed in mycorrhizal species than in saprophytic and parasitic fungi. Unfortunately, many of the European mycorrhizal species considered as prized edibles contained unacceptably high levels of 137Cs (> 1,000 Bq/kg [dry weight]) and should be used sparingly as food. By contrast, no mushrooms collected in Ontario or northern Michigan exceeded 1,000 Bq of 137Cs per kg (dry weight). The excessive 137Cs contamination was evident in mushrooms from areas that had substantial fallout from the 1986 accident in reactor 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power station. However, observations suggest that about 20% of the 137Cs in eastern Europe (Moscow area, Belarus, and Ukraine) is of non-Chernobyl origin.

Air Pollution, Radioactive↗
PubMed1991

[HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe epidemiology, prevention and control].

During recent years, in the eight countries of Eastern Europe (Albania, Bulgaria, The Czech-o-Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, USSR and Yugoslavia), the health situation has stagnated, or, in some areas, even deteriorated. The development trend of some common diseases and of risk factors emphasizes the uneven health development in Eastern Europe, and the increasing gap between health conditions in Eastern and Western Europe. The spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) started relatively late in Eastern Europe, but has recently increased markedly in several countries. Partly as a result of the rapidly changing social and economic conditions in Eastern European countries, a dynamic expansion of this epidemic is taking place, and a sharp increase in the number of people infected with HIV may be expected over the next years. Intensive cooperation between WHO and the individual countries in Eastern Europe has been initiated in the fields of health promotion and disease prevention. One element of this cooperation has been to produce comprehensive National Aids Control Programmes in all these countries. External support of the Aids Control Programmes in Eastern Europe can help to prevent a rapid development of the HIV epidemic, and, in addition, have a catalytic effect on the development of all aspects of the primary health service in these countries.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1997

The regulatory situation in central and eastern Europe.

The countries of central and eastern Europe, as part of their integration into the European Community, are required to adopt Community regulatory systems for medical devices. This article discusses the challenges faced by these countries during the transition, and support the Community itself can provide to assist their integration. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the European Commission.

Equipment and Supplies↗
PubMed1994

Reproductive health in central and eastern Europe: priorities and needs.

The countries in Central and Eastern Europe combine induced abortion as the method of choice for family planning with low contraceptive use (Hungary and Slovenia excepted). This widespread use of induced abortion has a negative influence on reproductive and general public health, and an effort should be made to introduce modern, effective family planning. Both information, education and communication (IEC) programmes (for the users) and training in contraceptive technology and counselling (for the providers) is badly needed, as well as a continuing supply of contraceptives. In order to design optimal programmes, more research into knowledge, attitude and practice with regard to sexuality, sexual behaviour and contraception is urgently needed. So far, little research into contraceptive behaviour and its determinants has been done in Central and Eastern Europe, but the few data that are available point towards a lack of contraceptive knowledge in both the population and amongst contraception providers. The cultural differences between Western and Eastern industrialized countries are often underestimated or ignored, but because of the special situation in the countries in Central and Eastern Europe, education programmes which were successful elsewhere in the world may not work in these countries and may require extensive adaption to local needs and customs. Alternatively, special education programmes need to be developed. Programmes, especially those addressing contraception, should be combined with a long-term commitment for support and the provision of contraceptives.

Abortion, Induced↗
PubMed2000

Systematic study and stratigraphic correlation of the Grandispora complex in the Famennian of northwest and eastern Europe.

In northwest and eastern Europe different miospore zonation schemes have been erected for the Famennian rocks, and correlation of these has proved problematical. However, in both regions of Europe Grandispora taxa are common elements in the respective Famennian spore successions, and it appears these taxa may have important intra-continental correlation potential. In order to assess this potential, a C.I.M.P. working group has undertaken a taxonomic study of the Grandispora complex in the Famennian of both regions. Representative material from Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium, France and Ireland has been exchanged, and then jointly studied, at four workshop meetings. A consensus of agreement has been reached on the morphological delineation and nomenclature of 13 species of Grandispora, and a description of each taxon is presented. One new species Grandispora tamarae is erected, and six new generic combinations are proposed. The stratigraphic range of each species in both regions is documented and calibrated with the respective conodont zonation schemes. It can be shown that many of the Grandispora species seem to have their first occurrence at similar stratigraphic levels. These new data allow detailed correlations of the Famennian miospore zonation schemes to be proposed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy and cardiovascular mortality in Central-Eastern Europe.

BACKGROUND: The leading cause of death among elderly women is cardiovascular (CV) disease in the United States and in Western Europe as well. The protective effect of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on coronary heart disease has been verified in epidemiologic studies. There are no data available on the rate of HRT use in Eastern Europe. Our goals were to study the rates of HRT in Eastern Europe, to compare them to those of the United States and Western Europe, as well as to compare their CV mortality rates. METHODS: The use of HRT in Eastern Europe was calculated from sales records obtained from all pharmaceutical companies that ship HRT preparations to the given area. Data on HRT in Western countries were taken from the literature. Mortality rates were obtained from the World Health Organization. RESULTS: The rate (mean +/- SD) of HRT in Eastern Europe was 2.88 +/- 2.67%, whereas 12.67 +/- 9.97% in Western Europe and the United States, p < .05. The cardiovascular mortality rate per 100,000 women older than 45 years in Eastern Europe was higher (1766 +/- 158.3) than in the Western countries (1155 +/- 164.1, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of HRT is markedly lower. whereas CV mortality rates are notably higher in Eastern Europe than in the United States or Western Europe. Because HRT seems to be underutilized in Eastern Europe, to increase its use might be an important tool to improve CV mortality rates. However, due to the risks associated with HRT, other measures to prevent coronary heart disease, such as smoking cessation programs, and other efforts should also be considered in Eastern Europe.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Malignant mesothelioma in central and Eastern Europe.

To obtain data on mesothelioma incidence in Central and Eastern Europe, a short questionnaire was sent to 83 researchers from 19 countries. The questions referred to the approximate number of mesotheliomas diagnosed per year in the country, degree of asbestos consumption, and percentage of lung carcinomas attributable to asbestos. Answers were received from 12 countries. For some major asbestos producers and/or consumers, such as Russia and Ukraine, mesothelioma data were unavailable or unreliable. In various countries of Central-Eastern Europe, the crude incidence of mesothelioma appeared to be lower than in Western countries. The reported annual numbers of mesotheliomas were 120 in Poland, 133 in Romania, and 78 in Hungary. Among the countries with a population of 5 million or less, the highest incidence was observed in Croatia (46 cases per year, peritoneal tumors not included). Data on the percentage of asbestos-related lung carcinomas are lacking. The knowledge about asbestos related cancer in Central and Eastern Europe remains fragmentary. Further investigations in this relevant area of public health should be encouraged.

Asbestos↗
PubMed1985

Sarcoidosis in Eastern Europe.

When analysing the data on sarcoidosis in Eastern Europe, it is seen that the incidence of sarcoidosis considerably varies in respect to individual countries, as is also the case in West Europe. The highest incidence was observed in GDR (12.0) and the lowest one in Poland (1.26). Data on the incidence could be obtained for Hungary (4.3), Czechoslovakia (3.5) and Yugoslavia (2.5), while for the Soviet Union, Romania, Turkey (Istanbul), Bulgaria and Greece there are only data for certain districts, with the exception of Albania where these data are thoroughly unknown. In all countries of Eastern Europe, sarcoidosis generally appears in persons aged 29-50, predominantly in the group of those aged 29-40. In respect to sex, the disease is more frequently diagnosed in women, the incidence of which ranges from 53% in Lithuanian SSR to 69.5% in Hungary. Acute forms (Löfgren's syndrome) account for 9% in Poland and 24% in Yugoslavia.

Adult↗