Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Scandinavian Countries (scandinavian + country)
Selected AbstractsWorld dental research production: an ISI database approach (1999,2003)EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 2 2006Jose Antonio Gil-Montoya The objective of this study was to obtain a geographic world map of scientific production in dentistry by analysing published papers. Articles and reviews in the Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine category published from 1999 to 2003 were accessed through the ISI database. The data were analyzed quantitatively (number of documents, number of researchers, productivity, interannual variation rate and relative specialization index), qualitatively (weighted impact factor, relative impact factor, citation rate per document and top 5 publications) and socioeconomically (number of documents per inhabitant and per dentist and in relation to the country's GDP). The USA, UK, Japan and Scandinavian countries were found to be the most productive countries (number of publications). Publications from Scandinavian countries were also of high quality as measured by Impact Factor and Citation Rate, while the UK had one of the highest productivity rates (number of documents per researcher). [source] Shaping the future of Scandinavian anaesthesiology: a position paper by the SSAIACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 9 2010E. SØREIDE Traditionally, Scandinavian anaesthesiologists have had a very broad scope of practice, involving intensive care, pain and emergency medicine. European changes in the different medical fields and the constant reorganising of health care may alter this. Therefore, the Board of the Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (SSAI) decided to produce a Position Paper on the future of the speciality in Scandinavia. The training in the various Scandinavian countries is very similar and provides a stable foundation for the speciality. The Scandinavian practice in anaesthesia and intensive care is based on a team model where the anaesthesiologists work together with highly educated nurses and should remain like this. However, SSAI thinks that the role of the anaesthesiologists as perioperative physicians is not fully developed. There is an obvious need and desire for further training of specialists. The SSAI advanced educational programmes for specialists should be expanded and include formal assessment leading to a particular medical competency as defined by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). In this way, Scandinavian anaesthesiologists will remain leaders in perioperative, intensive care, pain and critical emergency medicine. [source] Pharmacokinetics after an intravenous single dose of the opioid ketobemidone in childrenACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2010S. LUNDEBERG Background: Ketobemidone is often used as an alternative to morphine in children in the Scandinavian countries. The aim of this clinical trial was to explore the pharmacokinetics of ketobemidone in children because these properties have not been reported previously. Methods: Thirty children, newborn to 10 years, scheduled for elective surgery were included in the trial. Ketobemidone hydrochloride was administered as a single intravenous bolus dose and ketobemidone and norketobemidone concentrations were measured by LC-MS over 8 h. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using compartmental methods. Results: Six children were excluded from pharmacokinetic analysis because of incomplete blood sampling. The values of ketobemidone clearance (l/h/kg) given as median (range) were 0.84 (0.29,3.0) in Group A (0,90 days), 0.89 (0.55,1.35) in Group B (1,2.5 years) and 0.74 (0.50,0.99) in Group C (7,10 years). The corresponding values for apparent volume of distribution (l/kg) were 4.4 (3.7,6.9) (Group A), 2.6 (2.0,5.6) (Group B) and 3.9 (2.7,5.0 (Group C), and for elimination half-life (h) 3.0 (1.4,8.9) (Group A), 2.0 (1.2,4.7) (Group B) and 3.7 (2.4,6.9) (Group C), respectively. In the two neonates the elimination half-life was almost 9 h. The metabolite norketobemidone did not reach levels above the limit of quantification (0.07 ng/ml) in any of the patients. Conclusion: The pharmacokinetic parameters of ketobemidone in children older than 1 month appear to be similar to those in adults. Because of the large interindividual variability of the pharmacokinetics in neonates, further studies especially in this age group are warranted. [source] A comparison of SAPS II and SAPS 3 in a Norwegian intensive care unit populationACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2009K. STRAND Background: Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) is the most widely used general severity scoring system in European intensive care medicine. Because its performance has been questioned in several external validation studies, SAPS 3 was recently released. To our knowledge, there are no published validation studies of SAPS II or SAPS 3 in the Scandinavian countries. We aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of SAPS II and SAPS 3 in a Norwegian intensive care unit (ICU) population. Method: Prospectively collected data from adult patients admitted to two general ICUs at two different hospitals in Norway were used. Probability of mortality was calculated using the SAPS 3 global equation (SAPS 3 G), the SAPS 3 Northern European equation (SAPS 3 NE), and the original SAPS II equation. Performance was assessed by the standardized mortality ratio (SMR), area under receiving operating characteristic, and the Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness-of-fit , test. Results: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two patients were included after excluding readmissions, and patients who were admitted after coronary surgery or burns. The SMRs were SAPS 3 G 0.71 (0.65, 0.78), SAPS 3 NE 0.74 (0.68, 0.81), and SAPS II 0.82 (0.75, 0.91). Discrimination was good in all systems. Only the SAPS 3 equations displayed satisfactory calibration, as measured by the Hosmer,Lemeshow test. Conclusion: The performance of SAPS 3 was satisfactory, but not markedly better than SAPS II. Both systems considerably overestimated mortality and exhibited good discrimination, but only the SAPS 3 equations showed satisfactory calibration. Customization of these equations based on a larger cohort is recommended. [source] Dietary interventions in Finland, Norway and Sweden: nutrition policies and strategiesJOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 2 2002G. Roos Aims To describe the organization and implementation of nutrition policies, and examine intervention strategies for dietary change in three Scandinavian countries. Methods Descriptions of nutrition policies and dietary intervention strategies are based on published nutrition policy research and reports. Results All countries studied have adopted formal nutrition policies. Norway issued its first white paper in 1976, the Finnish National Nutrition Council published an action plan in 1989, and the Swedish Government issued an official action plan in 1995. Norway has a centralized National Nutrition Council with a permanent administration whereas the responsibilities and administration are more spread out between several authorities and groups in Finland and Sweden. Amongst the dietary intervention strategies employed, a Norwegian nutrition campaign, symbol labelling of foods in Sweden, the community-based North Karelia Project in Finland, and mass catering in Finland and Sweden have been selected as potentially transferable. Conclusions Policy documents serve as guidelines for activities and assist in achieving dietary targets. A responsible administrative body with advice from a standing expert committee is valuable for implementation. Guidelines, recommendations or voluntary labelling standards can be incentives to product development and changes to food production. Regional demonstration projects may also encourage action and collaboration. [source] A prospective 5-year study of fixed partial prostheses supported by implants with machined and TiO2 -blasted surfaceJOURNAL OF PROSTHODONTICS, Issue 1 2001Klaus Gotfredsen DDS Purpose The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether there was a difference between machined and TiO2 -blasted implants regarding survival rate and marginal bone loss during a 5-year observation period. Materials and Methods A total of 133 implants (Astra Tech Dental Implants; Astra Tech AB, Mölndal, Sweden) were placed in 50 patients at 6 centers in 4 Scandinavian countries. Forty-eight implants were installed in the maxilla and 85 implants in the mandible. A randomization and a stratification were done, so that each fixed partial prosthesis was supported by at least 1 machined and 1 TiO2 -blasted implant. The implant-supported fixed partial prostheses (ISFPP) were fabricated within 2 months after postoperative healing. A total of 52 ISFPP (17 maxillary, 35 mandibular) were inserted. The patients were clinically examined once a year for 5 years. At the annual follow-up, biological as well as technical complications were recorded. Results Of the 133 implants placed, 3 were reported as failed after 5 years of follow-up, resulting in an overall cumulative survival rate of 97.6%. The cumulative implant survival rates were 100% for the TiO2 -blasted implants and 95.1% for the machined implants. No significant difference in survival was, however, found between the machined and TiO2 -blasted implants after 5 years. The mean marginal bone loss in the maxilla was 0.21 ± 0.83 mm (SD) for the machined implants and 0.51 ± 1.11 mm (SD) for the TiO2 -blasted implants during the 5-year observation period. In the mandible, the mean marginal loss was 0.22 ± 1.13 mm for the machined implants and 0.52 ± 1.07 mm for the TiO2 -blasted implants from baseline to the 5-year examination. No significant difference in marginal bone loss between the 2 surface groups was found during the 5-year observation period. Conclusions The present study shows good 5-year results with small ISFPP in the mandible, as well as in the maxilla. No significant differences were found in failure rate and marginal bone loss around implants with a machined rather than a TiO2 -blasted surface. [source] Corporate governance and the returns to acquiring firms' shareholders: an international comparison,MANAGERIAL AND DECISION ECONOMICS, Issue 8 2007Dennis C. Mueller We examine the effects of mergers on the returns to acquiring companies' shareholders for a large sample of companies from both Anglo-Saxon and non-Anglo-Saxon countries over the 1980s and 1990s. With the important exception of Japan, we find similar patterns of returns across both types of countries. For a sample of 9733 acquiring companies the mean percentage gain over a short window of 21 days is 0.6%. This picture changes dramatically as the market has more time to evaluate the mergers and/or the acquiring firms. After three years, acquirers' shareholders in the United States and continental Europe lost on average 19% of their market value compared to a portfolio of non-merging firms in their size deciles and their two-digit industry, in Canada, Australia and New Zealand roughly 16%, and in the four Scandinavian countries almost 15%. Further analysis indicates that some mergers are consistent with the hypothesis that mergers generate synergies, but that a majority of mergers in Continental Europe are explained by the managerial discretion and/or hubris hypothesis. Our findings also suggest that corporate governance institutions in the United States and the other Anglo-Saxon countries lead to better investment performance than in continental Europe, when one confines one's attention to mergers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A practice survey on vasopressor and inotropic drug therapy in Scandinavian intensive care unitsACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 6 2003A. Oldner Background: This practice survey was performed to analyse the indications for use of vasopressor/inotropic drugs, preferred drugs and doses as well as concomitant monitoring and desired haemodynamic target values in Scandinavian ICUs. An internet-based reporting system was implemented. Methods: A total of 223 ICUs were identified in the Scandinavian countries and invited to participate in a one-day point-prevalence study. An internet-based database was constructed and a practice survey protocol designed to identify haemodynamic monitoring, indications for vasopressor/inotropic drug-therapy, fluids used for volume loading, pretreatment circulatory state, actual and targeted haemodynamic variables. Patients were eligible for the study if on vasopressor/inotropic drug-therapy for more than 4 h. Results: A total of 114 ICUs participated. A total of 114 adult patients matched the inclusion criteria. Sixty-seven per cent of the patients had received vasopressor/inotropic drug-treatment for >24 h and 32% received more than one drug. Arterial hypotension (92%) and oliguria (50%) were most common indications. Fluid loading prior to therapy was reported in 87% of patients. Dopamine (47%) and noradrenaline (44%) were the most commonly used drugs followed by dobutamine (24%). No other drug exceeded 6%. Non-catecholamine drugs were rarely used even in cardiac failure patients. Invasive arterial pressure was monitored in 95% of patients, pulmonary artery catheters were used in 19%. Other cardiac output monitoring techniques were used in 8.5% of the patients. Conclusion: Dopamine and noradrenaline seem to be the most commonly used inotropic/vasopressor drugs in Scandinavia. Traditional indications for inotropic/vasopressor support as hypotension and oliguria seem to be most common. Invasive monitoring was used in almost all patients, whereas a limited use of pulmonary artery catheters was noted. The internet-based reporting system proved to be an efficient tool for data collection. [source] Decreased oxygen saturation as a result of haemoglobin TitusvilleTHE CLINICAL RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, Issue 4 2008H. Avellan-Hietanen Abstract Introduction:, Our patient was admitted to the hospital due to shortness of breath. Although partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood was normal, oxygen saturation measured with pulse oximetry (SpO2) was markedly decreased. SpO2 and oxygen saturation of arterial blood (SaO2) stayed low during monitoring even with an increased fraction of oxygen in inspired air. Methods:, Report of a case. Results:, After extensive investigations, a rare haemoglobin variant, haemoglobin Titusville, with decreased oxygen binding capacity was discovered. This is the first haemoglobin Titusville case reported in Scandinavian countries. Please cite this paper as: Avellan-Hietanen H, Aittomaki J, Ekroos H, Aittomäki K, Turpeinen U, Kalkkinen N and Sovijärvi A. Decreased oxygen saturation as a result of haemoglobin Titusville. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2008; 2: 242,244. [source] A population study of a mutation allele associated with cone,rod dystrophy in the standard wire-haired dachshundANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 4 2009A. C. Wiik Summary Cone,rod dystrophy in the standard wire-haired dachshund (SWHD) is inherited as a simple autosomal recessive trait and the recently discovered mutation is widespread within the SWHD population in Norway and other Scandinavian countries. The gene frequency was estimated to be 4.8%. On the basis of the assumption that the size of the ancestral haplotype around a mutation is inversely correlated with the number of generations since the mutation arose, we have found that the mutation is of a relatively recent origin. The conserved haplotype was found to be 8 Mb in size and therefore we estimate that the mutation arose roughly eight generations (approximately 37 years) ago. This indicates that the mutation arose after breed separation. [source] Thrombolytic treatment for stroke in the Scandinavian countriesACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2009K. Bruins Slot Objective,,, We wanted to describe the use of thrombolytic treatment for stroke in Scandinavia, to assess stroke doctors' opinions on this treatment, to identify barriers against treatment, and to suggest improvements to overcome these barriers. Methods,,, We sent questionnaires to 493 Scandinavian doctors, who were involved in acute stroke care. Results,,, We received 453 (92%) completed questionnaires. Overall, 1.9% (range per hospital 0,13.9%) of patients received thrombolytic treatment. A majority (94%) of the respondents was convinced of the beneficial effects of thrombolytic treatment and many (85%) felt that its risks were acceptable. Main barriers were: unawareness of stroke symptoms among patients (82%) and their failure to respond adequately (54%); ambulance services not triaging acute stroke as urgent (23%); and insufficient in-hospital routines (15%). The respondents suggested that the following measures should be prioritized to increase the treatment's use: educational programmes to improve public awareness on stroke and how to respond (96%); education of in-hospital (88%) and prehospital (76%) medical staff. Conclusions,,, A large majority of Scandinavian doctors regard thrombolytic treatment for stroke as beneficial, yet its implementation in clinical practice has so far been poor. Our survey identified important barriers and potential measures that could increase its future use. [source] Effect of infants' position on serum bilirubin level during conventional phototherapyACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 8 2010ML Donneborg Abstract Aim:, To compare the decrease in total serum bilirubin (TSB) concentration during conventional phototherapy in infants treated in supine position exclusively versus infants alternated between exposure in supine and prone position every third hour. Moreover, to survey current practice patterns in two Scandinavian countries as far as alternating exposure. Methods:, A total of 112 infants with non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia, but otherwise healthy, and a gestational age ,33 weeks were randomized to one of the treatment groups. All infants received phototherapy for 24 h. TSB was measured at start of phototherapy and after 12 and 24 h of treatment. Questionnaires about routines for position changes in infants during phototherapy were sent to all 41 neonatal departments in Denmark and Norway. Results:, No statistically significant differences in the decrease in TSB were observed between the two treatment groups: at 12 h of therapy, TSB decreased 32% in both groups and at 24 h 49% and 50%, respectively. In two-thirds of Danish and Norwegian departments, the infants were routinely turned during phototherapy, most often every third hours. Conclusion:, The decrease in TSB was not significantly associated with positioning of the infant during conventional phototherapy. Alternating exposure is widely practiced in Scandinavia but is unnecessary. [source] The enigma of the welfare state: excellent child health prerequisites , poor subjective healthACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2010C Lindgren Abstract The rate of subjective health complaints among Swedish children is increasing by age and over time, and more so than among children in other Scandinavian countries. In contrast, the somatic health and prerequisites for wellbeing are excellent. This paradoxical situation, The Enigma of the Welfare State, is the focus of this viewpoint. We argue that one important background factor may be late adverse effects of the welfare society itself and some of its inherent values. We have identified several possible pathways. We have given them names of diseases , on the society level , like health obsession, stress panic, welfare apathy and hyper-individualism. Together with other factors such as a dysfunctional school and an unsatisfactory labour market for youth, these diseases are involved in an interplay that is constantly inducing anxiety and low self-esteem. Conclusion:, The gradually deteriorating self-reported health among Swedish youth may, to some degree, be explained as a late adverse effect of the welfare society itself and its inherent values. [source] Mucopolysaccharidoses in the Scandinavian countries: incidence and prevalenceACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 11 2008Gunilla Malm Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS disorders) in Scandinavia. Methods: The retrospective period used for the incidence study covered the period from 1975 to 2004 in Sweden and Denmark and from 1979 to 2004 in Norway. Prevalence was derived from the number of MPS patients alive as of December 31, 2007. Results: The incidence of all MPS disorders was 1.75 cases in Sweden, 3.08 cases in Norway and 1.77 cases in Denmark per 100 000 newborns. The incidence of MPS I was the most common in all three countries, with 0.67, 1.85 and 0.54 cases per 100 000 newborns, respectively; for MPS II, numbers were 0.27, 0.13 and 0.27, respectively. For patients with other MPS disorders the incidence varied widely. The prevalence for all MPS disorders was 4.24, 7.06 and 6.03 per 1 000 000 inhabitants in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, respectively. Conclusion: From three Scandinavian countries the incidence of MPS disorders is retrospectively evaluated for 25 years in Norway and 30 years in Sweden and Denmark. Incidence and prevalence studies of lysosomal disorders are prerequisites for cost benefit calculations in the face of newly developed and expensive therapies in the future. [source] Pathological gambling: an increasing public health problemACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2001Article first published online: 7 JUL 200 Gambling has always existed, but only recently has it taken on the endlessly variable and accessible forms we know today. Gambling takes place when something valuable , usually money , is staked on the outcome of an event that is entirely unpredictable. It was only two decades ago that pathological gambling was formally recognized as a mental disorder, when it was included in the DSM-III in 1980. For most people, gambling is a relaxing activity with no negative consequences. For others, however, gambling becomes excessive. Pathological gambling is a disorder that manifests itself through the irrepressible urge to wager money. This disorder ultimately dominates the gambler's life, and has a multitude of negative consequences for both the gambler and the people they interact with, i.e. friends, family members, employers. In many ways, gambling might seem a harmless activity. In fact, it is not the act of gambling itself that is harmful, but the vicious cycle that can begin when a gambler wagers money they cannot afford to lose, and then continues to gamble in order to recuperate their losses. The gambler's ,tragic flaw' of logic lies in their failure to understand that gambling is governed solely by random, chance events. Gamblers fail to recognize this and continue to gamble, attempting to control outcomes by concocting strategies to ,beat the game'. Most, if not all, gamblers try in some way to predict the outcome of a game when they are gambling. A detailed analysis of gamblers' selfverbalizations reveals that most of them behave as though the outcome of the game relied on their personal ,skills'. From the gambler's perspective, skill can influence chance , but in reality, the random nature of chance events is the only determinant of the outcome of the game. The gambler, however, either ignores or simply denies this fundamental rule (1). Experts agree that the social costs of pathological gambling are enormous. Changes in gaming legislation have led to a substantial expansion of gambling opportunities in most industrialized countries around the world, mainly in Europe, America and Australia. Figures for the United States' leisure economy in 1996 show gross gambling revenues of $47.6 billion, which was greater than the combined revenue of $40.8 billion from film box offices, recorded music, cruise ships, spectator sports and live entertainment (2). Several factors appear to be motivating this growth: the desire of governments to identify new sources of revenue without invoking new or higher taxes; tourism entrepreneurs developing new destinations for entertainment and leisure; and the rise of new technologies and forms of gambling (3). As a consequence, prevalence studies have shown increased gambling rates among adults. It is currently estimated that 1,2% of the adult population gambles excessively (4, 5). Given that the prevalence of gambling is related to the accessibility of gambling activities, and that new forms of gambling are constantly being legalized throughout most western countries, this figure is expected to rise. Consequently, physicians and mental health professionals will need to know more about the diagnosis and treatment of pathological gamblers. This disorder may be under-diagnosed because, clinically, pathological gamblers usually seek help for the problems associated with gambling such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse, rather than for the excessive gambling itself. This issue of Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica includes the first national survey of problem gambling completed in Sweden, conducted by Volberg et al. (6). This paper is based on a large sample (N=9917) with an impressively high response rate (89%). Two instruments were used to assess gambling activities: the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised (SOGS-R) and an instrument derived from the DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling. Current (1 year) and lifetime prevalence rates were collected. Results show that 0.6% of the respondents were classified as probable pathological gamblers, and 1.4% as problem gamblers. These data reveal that the prevalence of pathological gamblers in Sweden is significantly less than what has been observed in many western countries. The authors have pooled the rates of problem (1.4%) and probable pathological gamblers (0.6%), to provide a total of 2.0% for the current prevalence. This 2% should be interpreted with caution, however, as we do not have information on the long-term evolution of these subgroups of gamblers; for example, we do not know how many of each subgroup will become pathological gamblers, and how many will decrease their gambling or stop gambling altogether. Until this information is known, it would be preferable to keep in mind that only 0.6% of the Swedish population has been identified as pathological gamblers. In addition, recent studies show that the SOGS-R may be producing inflated estimates of pathological gambling (7). Thus, future research in this area might benefit from the use of an instrument based on DSM criteria for pathological gambling, rather than the SOGS-R only. Finally, the authors suggest in their discussion that the lower rate of pathological gamblers obtained in Sweden compared to many other jurisdictions may be explained by the greater availability of games based on chance rather than games based on skill or a mix of skill and luck. Before accepting this interpretation, researchers will need to demonstrate that the outcomes of all games are determined by other factor than chance and randomness. Many studies have shown that the notion of randomness is the only determinant of gambling (1). Inferring that skill is an important issue in gambling may be misleading. While these are important issues to consider, the Volberg et al. survey nevertheless provides crucial information about gambling in a Scandinavian country. Gambling will be an important issue over the next few years in Sweden, and the publication of the Volberg et al. study is a landmark for the Swedish community (scientists, industry, policy makers, etc.). This paper should stimulate interesting discussions and inspire new, much-needed scientific investigations of pathological gambling. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Guido Bondolfi and Robert Ladouceur Invited Guest Editors References 1.,LadouceurR & WalkerM. The cognitive approach to understanding and treating pathological gambling. In: BellackAS, HersenM, eds. Comprehensive clinical psychology. New York: Pergamon, 1998:588 , 601. 2.,ChristiansenEM. Gambling and the American economy. In: FreyJH, ed. Gambling: socioeconomic impacts and public policy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1998:556:36 , 52. 3.,KornDA & ShafferHJ. Gambling and the health of the public: adopting a public health perspective. J Gambling Stud2000;15:289 , 365. 4.,VolbergRA. Problem gambling in the United States. J Gambling Stud1996;12:111 , 128. 5.,BondolfiG, OsiekC, FerreroF. Prevalence estimates of pathological gambling in Switzerland. Acta Psychiatr Scand2000;101:473 , 475. 6.,VolbergRA, AbbottMW, RönnbergS, MunckIM. Prev-alence and risks of pathological gambling in Sweden. Acta Psychiatr Scand2001;104:250 , 256. 7.,LadouceurR, BouchardC, RhéaumeNet al. Is the SOGS an accurate measure of pathological gambling among children, adolescents and adults?J Gambling Stud2000;16:1 , 24. [source] | ||||||||||