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Biomedical subjects

G Sundström

Publications and source records attributed to G Sundström.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Local variations in old age care in the welfare state: the case of Sweden.

Swedish local municipalities are responsible for the provision of social welfare, including old age care. Local autonomy is far-reaching, and local inequities are indeed great for all kinds of domestic and institutional care for the elderly. Not only coverage rates differ widely but also costs per citizen and spending per elderly person vary vastly. Numerous parameters of the political, economic and geo-social structure of the municipalities explain only very little of these local variations. It seems that local differences are often of long standing: this may explain why 'rational' indicators of needs and local capacity fail to explain much of the inequities. Yet, one factor of socio-political importance emerges as significant: the system of tax redistribution enforced on largely autonomous municipalities.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

[Dementia is not the only mental problem among the elderly. Long-term perspective is important for care].

The entire 1902 and 1903 birthyear cohorts in the catchment area of Dalby Community Health Centre in southern Sweden have been followed with health examinations and interviews every second year since 1969-70. Of the total of 192 subjects, complete data are available for 153. Of 65 subjects surviving at the age of 83, 6 per cent were advanced dementia cases, 11 per cent were in the early stages of dementia, and a further 17 per cent were afflicted with other mental problems requiring help and care. Of those who died before the age of 83, 11 per cent were afflicted with dementia, with a further 4 per cent in the early stages, and 17 per cent had other mental problems. Thus, the overall risk of dementia is at least 16 per cent, but may eventually turn out to be as high as 30 per cent, while those with other forms of mental dysfunction, serious enough to require help in ADL, account for a similar proportion. The annual incidence of dementia is 7.5 per mill (10.6 per mill including those in early stages). The risk of institutionalisation and death was much higher among the dementia victims, most of whom had had little support from the social services, and some none at all, before being institutionalised. Dementia victims came into contact with the medical services much earlier than did mentally healthy patients with other, often vague and more varied symptoms. It is argued in the article that current concern with dementia should not be allowed to divert our attention from the needs, diagnosis and care of the many elderly patients with other mental problems.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Hepatitis C virus RNA in blood donor sera detected by the polymerase chain reaction: comparison with supplementary hepatitis C antibody assays.

The low specificity of screening ELISAs for antibodies to hepatitis C virus in blood donors has called for confirmatory tests. Two types of supplementary antibody assays are available, recombinant immunoblot assays (RIBA-1 and RIBA-2) and an antibody consumption test referred to as a neutralization assay. Amplification of viral nucleic acid by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provides an antibody independent mode of detecting viral infection. We applied reverse transcription-double PCR to detect an HCV 5'-noncoding viral RNA sequence in serum specimens and compared PCR findings with confirmatory antibody tests. This study includes sera from 37 blood donors found positive by the Ortho anti-HCV (C100-3) ELISA out of 14,591 donations. Of the 37 positive sera, 8 were positive by RIBA-1 and 1 further by RIBA-2. Seven of the RIBA positive sera contained HCV RNA by PCR. Among the 8 indeterminate and the 21 negative donor sera by RIBA-1, no PCR positive serum was found. The 37 anti-HCV positive donor sera identified by Ortho ELISA were also tested by Abbott anti-HCV (C100-3) ELISA whereby 22 were positive. Of these 22 sera plus 1 further with ELISA OD just below cutoff, 8 were positive by the "neutralization assay," (Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL, USA) and 6 of these, including the borderline serum, were PCR positive. One of the two neutralizable but PCR negative sera was RIBA positive and the other was indeterminate. However, one ELISA (Abbott Laboratories) positive (OD 1.99) serum was not neutralizable but nevertheless contained HCV RNA by PCR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Blood Donors↗
PubMed1991

Antibody to hepatitis-C-virus-related proteins in sera from alanine-aminotransferase-screened blood donors and prospectively studied recipients.

A prospective study of posttransfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis was conducted in Malmö, Sweden, in 1984-1985, in which donors were alanine aminotransferase (ALT) screened but not ALT selected. Among 741 patients studied at 0, 6, and 12 weeks after transfusion, 13 developed non-A, non-B hepatitis, and these were further followed up. Stored sera from the 13 hepatitis patients and their 123 donors were tested for anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) by ELISA and if positive, analyzed by recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA). All ALT-elevated blood units (n = 301) and a similar number of ALT-normal units were also tested. Only 4/13 patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis seroconverted to anti-HCV, all with ALT peaks greater than 10 times the upper normal. All seroconversions occurred within 5 months after transfusion and could be confirmed by RIBA. Hepatitis C in recipients occurred both after transfusion of blood that was strongly positive, weakly positive, and/or negative for anti-HCV by ELISA. In donors grouped by ALT levels, the anti-HCV prevalence varied between 0.4 (normal ALT) and 14% (ALT elevated greater than or equal to 2 times). Of the total of 9 donor units positive by ELISA, only 5 were confirmed by RIBA. Of the 5 recipients of the RIBA-positive blood units, 3 went into hepatitis, 1 remained normal at 10.5 weeks, and 1 showed a slight, transient ALT elevation at week 12. The recipients of ELISA-positive but RIBA-negative blood remained healthy.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1989

Lung function and bronchial reactivity in aluminum potroom workers.

Lung function and bronchial reactivity were measured in 38 aluminum potroom workers with no airway symptoms and in 20 healthy referents (office workers). All of the participants were non-smokers. The magnitude of exposure to airborne dust (alumina) and fluorides was determined. The aluminum potroom workers had obstructive lung function impairment with a significant decrease in expiratory flow and an increase in residual volume. Diffusing capacity was found to be lower than in the referents. No bronchial hyperreactivity was found in the aluminum potroom workers. The exposure to inhaled alumina and particulate and gaseous fluorides in the plant was low, 15-20% of the Swedish exposure limits. The finding of only modest lung function alterations with no bronchial hyperreactivity in the aluminum potroom workers is not consistent with the results of other authors. This discrepancy can probably be explained by the fact that the exposure to inhaled contaminants in the investigated aluminum plant was low.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Relation between donor transaminase and recipient hepatitis non-A, non-B in Sweden.

The relation between donor alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and recipient post-transfusion hepatitis (PTH) non-A, non-B was studied in patients tested before and 6 and 12 weeks after transfusion. The minimum ALT criterion for PTH was 105 IU/l (greater than 2.5 times the upper normal of 42 IU/l). In 8.8% of donors, ALT was greater than 42 IU/l, and in 2.3% ALT was greater than 63 IU/l, i.e., 1.5 times elevated. PTH non-A, non-B occurred in 14 of 742 recipients. The PTH incidence increased when donor ALT was above 63 IU/l (1.5 vs. 5.6%; p less than 0.05). However, if the confounding factor of volume variations was compensated for, elevated donor ALT and PTH were only statistically linked among recipients less than 70 years (p less than 0.02; Mantel-Haenszel test).

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1988

Prevalence of bronchial asthma among schoolchildren in a Swedish district.

The prevalence of asthma among 10,527 children aged 7-16 years was investigated in 1985. Children were assigned to the asthma group when replies to a questionnaire stated that at least two of four stipulated symptoms had been experienced in the preceding year. A validation study, comprising exploration of medical history, pulmonary auscultation and physiological tests (spirometry and methacholine inhalation challenge) was performed in 73 children. The overall prevalence of asthma was 4%. The most common symptom-inducing factors were physical exertion, upper respiratory tract infection, contact with animals and tobacco smoke. The methacholine test had limited value as a diagnostic aid, being positive in only 25% of children with a clear history of asthma.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Ending one's life in a nursing home: a note on Swedish findings.

Statistics on place of death, validated against longitudinal evidence on the entrance into nursing homes, show the "final" rate of institutionalization to have risen in the decades between 1938 and 1975 in Sweden. In a local study, 15 percent entered a nursing home between the ages of sixty-seven and eighty, which seems representative of national trends. The "final" rate is estimated to be between 22 percent and a maximum of about 40 percent. Currently, the socially and economically deprived dominate in Swedish nursing homes just as they did in the poor house of the past. Yet, rising rates may indicate raised welfare for the poorest in society. Issues concerning who is institutionalized and why appear more important than precise measurement of rates of institutionalization.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Post-transfusion hepatitis type non-A, non-B in southern Sweden: occurrence and clinical significance.

Two prospective studies of the occurrence and clinical significance of post-transfusion hepatitis non-A, non-B were performed in Malmö, Sweden. In both studies, patients of a broad clinical spectrum were followed up 6 and 12 weeks after transfusion. In a 7 week study from 1983, hepatitis non-A, non-B occurred in 9/173 transfused patients (5.2%) versus 1/203 untransfused controls (0.5%) (p less than 0.01). In a 6 month study from 1984-85, the incidence of hepatitis non-A, non-B had declined to 2.4% (18/739 transfused patients). The mean number of transfused units was about 5 in both studies and most patients had subclinical disease. Despite similar transfusion volumes to patients above or below 70 years of age, hepatitis non-A, non-B was predominantly seen among patients less than 70 years. In the 1984-85 study, hepatitis non-A, non-B incidence was 1.2% in recipients greater than or equal to 70 years, 3.4% in recipients less than 70 years and 4.5% in recipients less than 40 years. One year after the initial hepatitis non-A, non-B episode, 4/18 patients (22%) had biochemical signs of chronic hepatitis.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

The use of the bivalve Mytilus edulis as a test organism for bioconcentration studies. II. The bioconcentration of two 14C-labeled chlorinated paraffins.

The bioconcentration of two 14C-labeled chlorinated paraffins (CP) has been studied in a flow-through test system using the common mussel Mytilus edulis. Both CPs showed a rapid uptake rate and the CP with C16 carbon chain and 34% chlorination had a bioconcentration factor (BCF) of about 7000 (fresh weight). The CP with a C12 carbon chain and 69% chlorination had a very high BCF of almost 140,000 which on a lipid weight basis corresponds to a BCF of around 8,000,000. The C12-CP showed a slow depuration rate in analogy with what has been observed earlier in fish. Radioactivity was recovered from both the fat and protein fractions after exposure to the C12-CP with a level in the protein of about two orders of magnitude lower than in the fat. It is concluded that studies with CPs so far reported indicate that short carbon chain/high chlorinated chlorinated paraffins are strongly bioaccumulating and persistent chemicals.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Teratological studies on the TCDD congener 3,3',4,4'-tetrachloroazoxybenzene in sensitive and nonsensitive mouse strains: evidence for direct effect on embryonic tissues.

The teratogenicity of 3,3',4,4'- tetrachloroazoxybenzene ( TCAOB ), a TCDD congener, was studied in Ah-responsive (C57BL and NMRI) and non-responsive (DBA/2J and AKR/ NBom ) strains of mice. In the responsive strains, the TCAOB produced cleft palate and hydronephrosis in 50-90% of the offspring at a dose level of 6-8 mg/kg b.w. in the absence of apparent maternal toxicity. Day 11 was shown to be the day of highest sensitivity (palatal closure occurs at day 14) in the C57BL strain. Higher doses (16 mg/kg b.w.) produced high rate of fetal death both in responsive (C57BL; 60%) and non-responsive (DBA; 40%) strains. These doses induced cleft palate in 95% of the surviving C57BL fetuses but failed to do so in the DBA strain. The non-sensitivity of the DBA and AKR strains appeared to segregate as a dominant trait. Backcrosses between NMRI X DBA F1 generation and NMRI showed an intermediate sensitivity. It was shown that the genotype of the embryo was of ultimate importance for the development of cleft palate. There appeared however to be an additional host (maternal) factor as well, because the offspring of NMRI females mated with NMRI X DBA F1 males showed a higher rate of cleft palate as compared to those of the crossing between NMRI X DBA F1 females and NMRI males. Light and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the apical epithelial cells of the secondary palates failed to follow the normal pattern of programmed cell death, suggesting a similar mechanism of pathogenesis as previously described for TCDD.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Early changes in oesophageal function in progressive systemic sclerosis: a comparison of manometry and radiology.

The characteristics of oesophageal dysfunction were studied with manometry and cine radiography in a recumbent position in 21 patients with typical progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). Manometry was also performed in a matched control group. Only one patient had a completely normal manometry. Mean resting pressure in both the upper and lower oesophageal sphincters were significantly decreased in PSS. Twelve patients had no detectable peristalsis in the lower oesophagus. In the upper oesophagus, the mean pressure amplitude of the peristalitic wave was found to be lower than normal in all patients with detectable peristalsis. In some patients, the only feature of oesophageal dysfunction observed was an increased speed of the peristaltic wave in the middle and lower oesophagus. This is interpreted as an impaired coordination of the propulsive peristalsis. Neuromuscular dysfunction of the oesophagus in its full length was thus clearly demonstrated. At cine radiography, three patients were judged as normal, and 13 patients had severe impairment of the peristaltic function in the distal two-thirds of oesophagus. Oesophageal scoring based on manometry correlated well to scoring based on radiography. Cine radiography of the recumbent patient gives adequate information for clinical purposes. Detection of early changes in the amplitude and speed of the propagation wave requires manometry.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Urethral pressure profilometry: a low compliant recording system with perfused catheter.

A new catheter for recording the urethral closure pressure profile (UCPP) in men and women in introduced. The measuring system utilizes perfusion and saline as a transmission medium. The dynamic response of the whole catheter system as a unit was studied in vitro, and profile studies of the female urethra were performed in vivo using a solid catheter equipped with micro-transducers as a reference. The small transmission volume and low-compliant perfusion gave a sufficient bandwidth for recordings of the UCPP. No significant difference was found in closing pressure and functional length in the UCPP of women between the new catheter and the solid catheter.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Detoxication disturbances and uncoupling effects in vitro of some chlorinated guaiacols, catechols and benzoquinones.

The effects of chlorinated guaiacols, catechols and benzoquinones - earlier identified in discharges from pulp and paper mills -- on oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria and on detoxication mechanisms in microsomes have been investigated. The same biological systems have been used in testing outgoing water from a sulphite plant. Trichlorocatechol and tetrachlorocatechol and the corresponding guaiacols increase N oxygenation of N,N-dimethylaniline, while C-oxygenation decreases, indicating disturbances in microsomal detoxication. The substances tested have in general an uncoupling effect on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. However, tetrachloroguaiacol seems to differ in having a specific effect on the succinate dehydrogenase part of the respiratory chain. Extracts from waste water from a sulphite plant have a considerable effect on the mitochondrial system such as to produce an increase in basal respiration and a loss of respiratory control. N- and C-oxygenation and phosphorylation have been extensively used in this and other laboratories for evaluating the toxicity of chemicals. The application on water extract described here is rapid and easily handled and thus provides a valuable complement to other water quality tests.

Animals↗