PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

N Eriksson

Publications and source records attributed to N Eriksson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Common VKORC1 and GGCX polymorphisms associated with warfarin dose.

We report a novel combination of factors that explains almost 60% of variable response to warfarin. Warfarin is a widely used anticoagulant, which acts through interference with vitamin K epoxide reductase that is encoded by VKORC1. In the next step of the vitamin K cycle, gamma-glutamyl carboxylase encoded by GGCX uses reduced vitamin K to activate clotting factors. We genotyped 201 warfarin-treated patients for common polymorphisms in VKORC1 and GGCX. All the five VKORC1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms covary significantly with warfarin dose, and explain 29-30% of variance in dose. Thus, VKORC1 has a larger impact than cytochrome P450 2C9, which explains 12% of variance in dose. In addition, one GGCX SNP showed a small but significant effect on warfarin dose. Incorrect dosage, especially during the initial phase of treatment, carries a high risk of either severe bleeding or failure to prevent thromboembolism. Genotype-based dose predictions may in future enable personalised drug treatment from the start of warfarin therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Changes in health over time in patients with symptoms allegedly caused by their dental restorative materials.

OBJECTIVES: In Sweden, many patients with symptoms allegedly caused by their dental materials have exchanged their restorations, but the effects of the exchange have been insufficiently investigated. Therefore, the aim of the study was to describe the change in health over time for these patients and the hypothesis was that the patients could be divided based on their symptoms and that the ability to recover differs between these groups. Furthermore, we also examined if other factors such as replacement of dental restorative materials and follow-up time had any impact on the perceived health status. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to 614 patients who had been referred to the School of Dentistry, Umeå, Sweden, with symptoms allegedly caused by dental restorative materials. The response rate was 55%. RESULTS: The risk of having any further complaints was higher for patients with complex symptoms (P = 0.03) and these patients had exchanged their restorations to a significantly larger extent than the others (P = 0.03). The remaining complaints was more frequent among men (P = 0.02). Exchange of dental restorative materials had no significant impact on the ability to recover completely. However, the patients who had exchanged their restorations completely perceived a significantly larger alleviation of their symptoms than the others (P < 0.01), although the frequency of most of the symptoms had increased. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with complex symptoms had a more unfavorable long-term prognosis concerning persistent complaints than those with localized symptoms only. Furthermore, the results indicate that the patients might experience health improvements after removal of their dental restorative materials. The reason for this improvement, however, is unclear. Further analyses regarding other possible explanations than the 'odontological/medical' are needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Coping and self-image in patients with visual display terminal-related skin symptoms and perceived hypersensitivity to electricity.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to measure coping resources and self-image in patients with visual display terminal (VDT)-related skin symptoms and hypersensitivity to electricity (HE). METHODS: From 1980 to 1998, 350 patients with electrical sensitivity were registered. The patients were subdivided into two groups: patients with skin symptoms evoked by VDTs, television screens, and fluorescent-light tubes and patients with so-called hypersensitivity to electricity with multiple symptoms evoked by exposure to different electrical environments. A questionnaire was sent to all patients and contained the coping resources inventory (CRI) and the structural analysis of social behaviour (SASB) in order for us to measure coping resources and self-image, respectively. The CRI and SASB scores were compared with those of control groups. Two hundred and fifty respondents (73%) returned the questionnaire, 200 (78.5% women) in the VDT group and 50 (62% women) in the HE group. RESULTS: The patient group rated high on the CRI spiritual/philosophical scale and high on the SASB spontaneous, positive and negative clusters but low on the controlled cluster. The female patients scored high on the CRI emotional scale. The VDT group rated lower than the controls on the SASB controlled cluster and higher on both the positive and negative cluster. The HE group scored higher than the control group on the SASB spontaneous and positive clusters. The women in the HE group scored higher on the CRI cognitive and CRI total scale than the VDT group and control group and higher on the CRI emotional scale than the controls. The women in the HE group rated higher than both the women in the VDT and control groups on the SASB spontaneous and positive clusters. CONCLUSIONS: The deviant self-image found in these patients, especially the female HE patients, support the view that VDT and HE symptoms can be stress related. In the clinic, a trustful alliance should be established with the patient in order for a more realistic view to be achieved of the capacity.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1998

Epidemiology of repeat ectopic pregnancy: a population-based prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To study infectious pathology at index ectopic pregnancy and to determine what other factors predispose a woman to repeat ectopic pregnancy. METHODS: All women (n = 697) with their first (index) ectopic pregnancy histologically verified between January 1, 1978, and December 31,1993, at the only two hospitals in one Norwegian county were eligible. Included were permanent residents of the county who were 37 years of age or younger and who had not had tubal surgery before the index pregnancy. When the study closed on November 1, 1994, the participants had been observed prospectively for fertility events from approximately 1 to 17 years. Included in the final analyses were 353 women who had from one to five natural conceptions, for a total of 555 pregnancies. Chi-square test was used in univariate analysis, and the generalized estimating equations approach was used to analyze correlated responses and covariates that changed over time. RESULTS: Pregnancy order is the stronger correlate of subsequent ectopic pregnancy. The frequency of repeat ectopic pregnancy decreased by one-third for each pregnancy from the first to the third pregnancy. The odds of having another ectopic pregnancy were nearly three times higher for women with a diagnosis of infectious pathology than for women who had no infectious pathology. Other correlates of repeat ectopic pregnancy include age 24 years or younger at first ectopic pregnancy, history of repeat ectopic pregnancy, initiation of infertility work-up, and conception with an intrauterine device at index pregnancy. Method of surgery was not associated with repeat ectopic pregnancy. CONCLUSION: The most crucial reproductive event after first ectopic pregnancy is the first event to occur. Women who have experienced two ectopic pregnancies should be considered candidates for assisted reproduction.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The psychosocial work environment and skin symptoms among visual display terminal workers: a case referent study.

BACKGROUND: This study is a part of the interdisciplinary project The Office Illness Project in Northern Sweden, which was initiated with a questionnaire study in late 1988. Previously published results from the project have shown that facial skin symptoms reported among visual display terminal (VDT) workers are associated with a number of exogenous factors. This part of the project investigated the relation between the psychosocial work environment and facial skin complaints. METHODS: From an initial questionnaire study among 4943 office workers, 163 VDT workers were selected for a case referent study of facial skin symptoms. The data comprise a self-administered questionnaire filled out by 149 subjects and interviews with representatives of the organizations concerned. RESULTS: Psychosocial conditions, especially lack of social support from co-workers, were associated with an increased risk of reporting skin symptoms. Stratification by sex showed that the associations between some psychosocial factors and health differed between men and women. The results indicate that there might be an interaction between psychosocial factors and electric fields in the workplace which increases the risk of reporting skin symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the idea that the aetiological basis of facial skin symptoms among VDT-workers includes physical as well as psychosocial factors, and that the interaction between such factors might be significant in the understanding of skin complaints among VDT workers.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Facial skin symptoms in office workers. A five-year follow-up study.

This longitudinal study is a part of the interdisciplinary project. The Office Illness Project in Northern Sweden, which was initiated with a questionnaire study in late 1988. Among 3233 visual display terminal (VDT) workers, an initial case-referent group of 163 individuals was selected. The data acquisition included two questionnaires, assessments at the workplaces, interviews with personnel staff of the organizations concerned, and a clinical examination of the respondents. Subjects participating in the case-referent study 1988 filled out a questionnaire in the beginning of 1994. The primary objective of this study is to discuss changes in and causes of facial skin symptoms among VDT workers in the long term. The results show that (1) facial skin symptoms among VDT workers seem to be of a transitory nature for most of those with isolated skin symptoms, whereas the prognosis for those with a more complex symptom picture is more negative, (2) assumptions that measures taken in the work environment-including those involving the VDT and other electric devices-would have a positive effect on symptoms were not supported, and (3) the strongest external risk indicators for lasting skin symptoms seem to be found in the psychosocial work environment. Therefore, one important issue for the understanding of facial skin symptoms is organizational climate and personnel policies. The results also imply that individual factors, both constitutional and psychological, must be considered.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Facial skin symptoms in visual display terminal (VDT) workers. A case-referent study of personal, psychosocial, building- and VDT-related risk indicators.

BACKGROUND: The Office Illness Project in northern Sweden, comprising both a screening questionnaire study of 4943 office workers and a case-referent study of facial skin symptoms in 163 subjects was recently completed. Previously published results from the survey showed that female gender, asthma/rhinitis, high psychosocial work load, visual display terminal (VDT) and paperwork were related to an increased prevalence of facial skin symptoms. METHODS: The case-referent study presented in this paper used data from the questionnaire supplemented by information from a clinical examination, a survey of psychosocial factors at work, building data and VDT-related factors from inspection and measurements taken at the work site. RESULTS: Psychosocial conditions and exposure to electromagnetic fields or conditions associated with such factors were related to an increased occurrence of skin symptoms. The results also indicated that personal factors such as atopic dermatitis and physical exposure factors influencing indoor air quality, such as paper exposure and cleaning frequency were related to an increased prevalence of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that skin symptoms reported by VDT users have a multifactorial background.

Administrative Personnel↗
PubMed1994

The Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) in office workers. A case-referent study of personal, psychosocial and building-related risk indicators.

BACKGROUND: The Office Illness Project in Northern Sweden, comprising both a screening questionnaire study of 4943 office workers and a case-referent study of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) in 464 subjects was recently completed. Previously published results from the survey showed that female gender asthma/rhinitis, high psychosocial work load, paper and visual display terminal (VDT) work were related to an increased prevalence of SBS symptoms. METHODS: The case-referent study presented in this paper used data from the questionnaire supplemented with information from a clinical examination, a survey of psychosocial factors at work building data from inspection and measurements taken at the work sites. RESULTS: Personal factors such as atopy and photosensitive skin, psychosocial conditions and physical exposure factors influencing indoor air quality (IAQ), such as outdoor air flow rates and the presence of photocopiers were related to an increased prevalence of the reported SBS symptoms. The results were established using multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The rate response relationship between actually measured ventilation rates and the prevalence of perceived SBS symptoms presents strong evidence for the association between IAQ factors and health.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Fertilization in vitro--how large a proportion of couples will have a child?].

In Norway, the efficacy and the efficiency of IVF treatment for infertile couples have been questioned. Information about this topic is important for the general public, the infertile population, the gynaecologists and the health authorities. We have followed a cohort of 485 infertile couples accepted for in vitro fertilization treatment. During a 14 month period starting 1 January 1989 a total of 214 women have either delivered or are pregnant in the second or third trimester. This number represents 44% of the 485 women accepted for IVF treatment, irrespective of whether they were treated or not, and 50% of the couples who completed at least one IVF cycle. There was no difference in cycle efficiency (pregnancy rate) between the first to third cycle, but this was significantly lower in cycle 4-6. There was no difference in delivery rate between groups of patients with different diagnoses of female infertility, but an additional male factor reduced the delivery rate significantly. Replacement of cryopreserved/thawed embryos gave a 5% increase in the delivery rate per couple included in the study, and an increase of 13% in the number of deliveries.

Birth Rate↗
PubMed1993

Treatment of brain abscess with cefotaxime and metronidazole: prospective study on 15 consecutive patients.

The aim of the present investigation was to prospectively study the clinical and bacteriologic outcome of 15 consecutive patients with brain abscesses who were treated with surgical excision and cefotaxime (3 g every 8 hours) plus metronidazole (0.5 g every 8 hours) for at least 3 weeks. The patients were followed clinically and with computed tomographic (CT) examinations. All patients survived, and there were no recurrences within 1 year. CT scans showed an exponential decrease in the size of enhancement. Cultures of all six specimens obtained after < 24 hours of treatment with cefotaxime and metronidazole were positive compared with cultures of three of nine specimens obtained later (P = .017). Anaerobic bacteria were isolated from 2 of 3 patients given two doses of metronidazole or less compared with none of 12 given three doses or more (P = .029). Reversible side effects occurred in nine patients. It is concluded that cefotaxime plus metronidazole is an alternative treatment for brain abscess in addition to surgical excision because of their good abscess penetration, their ability to eradicate bacteria, and a good clinical outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Penetration of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime into brain abscesses in humans.

Since clinical trials comparing the efficacies of different antibiotic regimens for treatment of brain abscesses are difficult to perform, the choice of antibiotics must rely on the antibacterial spectrum and the ability of the drug to penetrate into the abscess fluid. The aim of this investigation was to study the ability of cefotaxime and its active metabolite desacetylcefotaxime to penetrate into brain abscesses. Eight patients were given 3 g of cefotaxime intravenously every 8 h. Abscess fluid samples, obtained at surgery at various times after dosing, and blood samples were analyzed for their concentrations of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime by using a newly developed microbiological assay. The brain abscess concentrations of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime were 1.9 +/- 1.7 and 4.0 +/- 2.2 mg/liter, respectively. Simultaneous concentrations in plasma were 2.0 +/- 1.0 and 3.9 +/- 1.8 mg/liter, respectively. With increasing time following cefotaxime dosing there was a significant increase in the abscess:plasma concentration ratio of desacetylcefotaxime. Since both cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime penetrate well into the brain abscess, reaching concentrations above the MIC for probable bacteria except gram-negative anaerobes, it is concluded that cefotaxime in combination with metronidazole may be used as an alternative in the treatment of brain abscesses.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Assessment of responsiveness in acute cerebral disorders. A multicentre study on the reaction level scale (RLS 85).

A new scale for assessment of overall responsiveness, the Reaction Level Scale (RLS 85), which has been shown to have better reliability than the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), has been tested in four neurosurgical departments regarding inter-observer agreement and coverage i.e. the proportion of patients that could be assessed by the scale. In a carefully designed study 51 observers pairwise performed 164 tests on 88 patients. Reliability was studied by the Kappa method, which is defined as inter-observer agreement corrected for agreement by chance. The inter-observer agreement measured as overall Kappa was good (K = 0.69 +/- 0.05) and there were no significant differences between the departments, professional categories or aetiologies. Regarding the separate RLS 85 levels the Kappa values were above 0.65, except for withdrawing (K = 0.51) and flexor responses (K = 0.55). There was good inter-observer agreement on coma (K = 0.71). In conclusion, the RLS 85 proved to be easily learnt, it showed full coverage without pseudoscoring, and it was used in a consistent way by doctors, nurses and assistant nurses of four different neurosurgical departments in two Scandinavian countries.

Adolescent↗