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Lars Bjerrum

Publications and source records attributed to Lars Bjerrum.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

[Secondary prophylaxis in general practice for patients with ischemic heart disease].

INTRODUCTION: We examined the extent to which the Danish College of General Practitioners' guidelines of 1998, "Prevention of ischaemic heart disease in general practice--with special focus on dyslipidaemia", are complied with in the secondary preventive care of patients with ischaemic heart disease. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Twenty-six general practitioners from Ringkjøbing County registered all patients with ischaemic heart disease consecutively over three weeks in May 1999. One hundred and ten patients had suffered acute myocardial infarction, 141 had ischaemic heart disease without acute myocardial infarction. Blood pressure, total cholesterol, and use of cardiovascular drugs were registered. RESULTS: In patients with previous acute myocardial infarction, 66% had had their serum cholesterol measured within the past year; 76% were being treated with acetylsalicylic acid, 46% with beta-blockers, and 27% with lipid-lowering drugs. Of the patients with previous myocardial infarction and a serum cholesterol level > or = 5.0 mmol/l, 33% took lipid-lowering drugs. DISCUSSION: The present study demonstrates that in some areas actual treatment practice does not always comply with the given recommendations. In particular the frequency of cholesterol measuring and treatment with beta-blockers and lipid-lowering drugs show that continued, targeted quality development is required.

Anticholesteremic Agents↗
PubMed2002

[Can we rely on the results of urine microscopy and culture when tests are performed in general practice?].

INTRODUCTION: Urinary tract infections (UTI) account for 2-5% of consultations in general practice, but only about half the patients with dysuria have significant bacteriuria (> 100,000 bacteria per ml). A microbiological diagnosis can be made by examination of a urine sample, and in Danish family practice the diagnosis of UTI is often reached by a microscopic analysis or a dip-slide culture test. These methods have a high validity when performed in hospital, but we need knowledge about the validity of microbiological urine examinations when performed in general practice. The aim of this study was to validate detection of bacteriuria by urine microscopy and dip-slide culture in general practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Urine specimens artificially produced by adding a known quantity of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecalis) to sterile urine were sent to 25 general practices for microscopic examination and dip-slide culture. No prior instruction in testing procedure was given. As the gold standard, the results of a standardised culture method performed by skilled laboratory technicians at the Department of Microbiology, University of Southern Denmark, were used. RESULTS: Significant bacteriuria was identified by microscopy with a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 83%. The corresponding figures for urine culture were 95% and 96%. The morphology of bacteria was interpreted correctly in 80% of microscopic examinations, and 60% of the bacteria strains were classified correctly in terms of their motility. DISCUSSION: The results of urine microscopy and culture performed in general practice are to be relied on.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed2002

[Resistance tests in general practice. Validity can be improved by standardized procedures].

INTRODUCTION: Susceptibility testing of bacteria in urine is one of the commonest laboratory tests in general practice in Denmark. It is quick and easy to perform, but recent studies have shown low validity when the test is performed in general practice. If it is to continue as a diagnostic tool in general practice, its quality should be improved. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an intervention to improve the quality of susceptibility testing in general practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-three randomly selected general practices took part in the study. The intervention consisted of visits by laboratory technicians who instructed the practitioners in standardised procedures for susceptibility testing. Before and after the intervention, urine specimens containing monocultures of typical uropathogenic bacteria were sent to the practices. The practitioners performed susceptibility testing by the Sensicult and the Iso-Resagar methods, and the validity of the results before and after the intervention was compared. Results from susceptibility testing at the bacteriological laboratory, Odense University Hospital, were used as the gold standard. RESULTS: The median frequency of correct results increased from 82% to 98% for susceptibility testing by the Sensicult method (p = 0.001) and from 90% to 96% by the Iso-Resagar method (p = 0.05). DISCUSSION: The validity of susceptibility testing in general practice improves when preceded by instruction in standardised procedures.

Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary↗
PubMed2002

Non-antiarrhythmic drugs prolonging the QT interval: considerable use in seven countries.

AIMS: Many drugs belonging to different therapeutic classes appear to share a potentially fatal side-effect: ventricular tachyarrhythmias associated with QT prolongation. The aim of this study was to assess the relevance and the magnitude of the problem in seven countries by grouping all nonantiarrhythmic drugs according to the type of evidence on QT prolongation and analysing their sales data. METHODS: We divided all nonantiarrhythmic QT-prolonging agents into the following categories (in increasing order of clinical relevance): group A, drugs with published clinical or preclinical evidence on QT prolongation or with relevant official warnings; group B, drugs with published clinical or preclinical evidence; group C, drugs with published clinical evidence; group D, drug with published clinical evidence on torsades de pointes or ventricular arrhythmias associated with QT prolongation; group E, drugs belonging to group D with official warnings. We retrieved 1998 sales data from community pharmacies in seven countries (Australia, Denmark, England, Germany, Greece, Italy and Sweden). Data for individual agents were expressed as defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day (DDD/1000/day). Overall use in each country was calculated for each drug group. Groups D and E were considered as the most clinically relevant. RESULTS: Among the 102 nonantiarrhythmic agents meeting at least one of the inclusion criteria, 33 drugs had sales data > or =1 DDD/1000/day and 71 drugs had a use > or =0.1 DDD/1000/day in at least one country. Among the 37 nonantiarrhythmic agents with published reports of ventricular arrhythmias associated with QT prolongation, 12 compounds had sales data > or =1 DDD/1000/day. Total consumption in each country ranged: from 51.9 to 94.7 DDD/1000/day for group A; from 51.6 to 92.7 DDD/1000/day for group B; from 37.1 to 76.6 DDD/1000/day for group C; from 12.9 to 29.1 DDD/1000/day for group D; and from 5.8 to 15.3 DDD/1000/day for group E. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of wide variations in the sales of individual agents, the overall extent of use of nonantiarrhythmic QT-prolonging drugs was of the same order of magnitude in all countries. The significant use of drugs belonging to categories D and E should prompt careful risk/benefit assessment of each agent.

Australia↗
PubMed2002

Do general practitioner and patient agree about the risk factors for ischaemic heart disease?

OBJECTIVE: To analyse agreement between patients' and GPs' perceptions of risk factors and overall risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study based on paired information from patients and GPs. SETTING: Twenty-six GPs in the County of Ringkøbing, Denmark, participating in a medical audit during 3 weeks in May 1999. SUBJECTS: 252 patients with IHD and 1239 without IHD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: GPs and patients were asked about specific risk factors for IHD and their perception of overall risk. Their agreement was evaluated by Kappa statistics. RESULTS: Agreement between GPs and patients varied from 70% to 97%. Disagreement was observed most often for patients with IHD and patients listed with elderly GPs ( > 50 years). Generally, patients perceived the overall risk of IHD lower than their doctors, and for most patients with a perception of low risk the GP estimated the risk as high. CONCLUSIONS: Patients and GPs have different perceptions of the risk of [HD. This may be due to different perceptions of the importance of specific risk factors and different reference frames for risk perception. GPs have an important role in communicating the meaning of risk factors and interventions should be considered to improve risk communication in general practice.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Antibiotic prescribing in general practice: striking differences between Italy (Ravenna) and Denmark (Funen).

OBJECTIVE: To compare antibiotic prescribing in primary care in two European populations, one in Denmark (Funen), the other in Italy (Ravenna). METHODS: Reimbursement data (1999) were retrieved from the Odense Pharmacoepidemiologic Database (Denmark) and the Emilia Romagna Health Authority Database (Italy). The extent of antibiotic use (ATC J01) was analysed as the number of defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day (DDD/1000 inhabitants/day), and as annual prevalence of use. A qualitative analysis was carried out according to the Drug Utilization 90% (DU90%) approach. RESULTS: Antibiotic consumption was 16.5 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day in Ravenna and 10.4 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day in Funen; the annual prevalence of use was 40 and 30 subjects/100 inhabitants, respectively. Italian children received a greater amount (four-fold in DDDs) of antibiotics than Danish ones, whereas consumption was only slightly higher in Italy than in Denmark in the other age groups. In Italy, injectable antibiotics (third generation cephalosporins or aminoglycosides) accounted for 4% of total DDDs and 11% of exposed subjects. In Funen, use of injectable antibiotics was negligible. The bulk of prescription (90% of total DDDs) was made up of eight (out of 38) different antibiotics in Denmark, mainly narrow-spectrum penicillins and macrolides (1st: phenoxymethylpenicillin), and of 18 (out of 74) antibiotics in Italy, mainly broad-spectrum penicillins, macrolides, fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins. CONCLUSIONS: These data show remarkable differences in antibiotic prescribing between Italy and Denmark, and suggest possible overuse and misuse of antibiotics in Italy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Treatment failures after antibiotic therapy of uncomplicated urinary tract infections. A prescription database study.

OBJECTIVES: The efficacy of sulfamethizole and pivmecillinam in the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI) has been questioned because of an increase in the prevalence of resistant strains. The aim of this study was to describe the risk of treatment failures over the last 10 years. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. MATERIAL: Data were retrieved from Odense Pharmaco Epidemiological Database and consisted of women receiving sulfamethizole (n = 44,716) or pivmecillinam (n = 3093) during the period 1990-99. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prescription of a new antibiotic drug appropriate for UTI within 4 weeks after the initial treatment was considered as an indicator for a treatment failure. The risk of treatment failure was estimated by calculating the cumulative incidence proportion of new antibiotic prescriptions within 4 weeks after the initial treatment. RESULTS: A new antibiotic followed 8% of sulfamethizole and 9.5% of pivmecillinam treatments. The cumulative incidence proportion of treatment failures did not change during the study period. A logistic regression model showed pivmecillinam to be associated with a higher risk of treatment failure (OR 1.42, CI 1.14-1.77) than sulfamethizole. CONCLUSION: This study does not support a change in current Danish practice of sulfamethizole being first-line treatment for uncomplicated UVI.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Patient information leaflets--helpful guidance or a source of confusion?

BACKGROUND: According to the European Community Directive 92/27, pharmaceutical companies are responsible for working out patient information leaflets (PILs) for all products marketed, and every PIL should comply with the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) and be phrased so that it is easily understandable by the patient. However, the volume of information included in the PIL may differ for different brands, and furthermore, the same drug may be registered for different indications. Patients may therefore receive different drug information when they renew prescriptions for the same generic drug. OBJECTIVES: To examine if PILs on different brands of generically identical drugs contain inconsistent and diverging information that may lead to confusion. DESIGN: Case-finding among patients who contacted a pharmacy because of problems related to the information retrieved from the PIL. SETTING: Inquiries to a Danish pharmacy during one year (1 June 2000-31 May 2001). RESULTS: Different brands of generically identical products included PILs with substantial inconsistencies. Diverging information about indications for drug use, adverse effects, drug-drug interactions and precautions and considerations concerning pregnancy and breastfeeding resulted in inquiries to the pharmacy. CONCLUSION: Patients may be confused by inconsistent information in PILs from different brands of generically identical drugs. Confusion about drug treatment may lead to reduced compliance and initiatives should be taken to coordinate information in PILs covering the same generic product.

Community Pharmacy Services↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hormone therapy and cerebrovascular events: a population-based nested case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) and cerebrovascular disease has been examined in several epidemiological studies and clinical trials with conflicting results. The authors aimed to evaluate the association between the use of HT and the incidence of first cerebrovascular event. DESIGN: The study cohort comprised 158,031 women 50 to 69 years old registered in the U.K. General Practice Research Database between 1991 and 1997. The authors conducted a nested case-control analysis using all 920 confirmed cases of cerebrovascular events identified during the follow-up (536 of transient ischemic attack [TIA]; 259 of ischemic stroke; 125 of hemorrhagic stroke) and 10,000 controls. RESULTS: The odds ratios of TIA, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke among women currently using HT were 1.48 (95% CI, 1.17-1.87), 1.12 (95% CI, 0.78-1.59) and 1.21 (95% CI, 0.76-1.93), respectively, compared to never users. The overall risk estimate for having a cerebrovascular event was 1.34 (95% CI, 1.11-1.61). The risk of TIA was greater (1.96) among women using high doses of estrogen (95% CI, 1.34-2.87). CONCLUSION: Overall, a small increased risk of stroke associated with HT use of comparable magnitude to the one observed in recent clinical trials was found. The increased risk was more apparent for TIA than for stroke and was greater at higher doses.

Aged↗