SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “ESTONIA”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Common-pool resources and population genomics in Iceland, Estonia, and Tonga.

This paper addresses the application of the ethical concept of trust and the legal and political concept of public trust to population genomics projects in Iceland, Estonia, and Tonga. Focusing on trust and public trust, the paper explores analogies between the genomics projects and the treatment of other common-pool resources, making use of the notion of trust as an ethical demand, derived from the works of Emmanuel Levinas and Knud Eljer Løgstrup. The paper discusses the degree to which the ethical demands for trust and public trust have been established and maintained in the three national population genomics projects.

Confidentiality↗

PubMed2003

Incidence of adult epilepsy in Estonia.

PURPOSE: To estimate the main incidence-related characteristics of epilepsy in an adult population in Estonia. Epidemiologic data about epilepsy from central and eastern Europe is controversial. METHODS: All existing databases and lists in the area were reviewed to identify all persons with newly diagnosed epilepsy aged > or =20 years during 3 years. Special attention was paid to extensive adoption of definitions and criteria proposed by Guidelines for epidemiologic studies. RESULTS: Crude and age-adjusted incidence rates were 35 per 100,000 person-years. The age-specific rates tended to increase with advancing age. Of the seizure types, partial seizures had highest rates, 27 per 100,000. The largest syndromic categories were localization-related epilepsies. Risk factors for epilepsy were identified in 55.5% cases. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence-related characteristics in the adult population of Tartu was comparable with those reported from the developed countries. The predominance of localization-related syndromes and partial seizures is the result of age distribution of the study.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Assessment of the general health profile trends in the male population of Tallinn, Estonia.

OBJECTIVE: To construct a complex indicator, the Health Index, for the determination of the general health profile of the population and to assess the time trends of the latter in the male population of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. DESIGN: Three epidemiological studies of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factor involving independent random samples of the male population of Tallinn aged 30-59 y were carried out in 1981/82 (survey I), in 1984/85 (survey II) and in 1992/94 (survey III), the total number of participants was 5019. The screening procedure included standard epidemiological methods. The cohorts of the surveys I and II were followed up for 11 y on average; 457 deaths of cases were registered during that period. For the assessment of the general health profile of the population the Health Index was constructed on the basis of mortality follow-up data of the above mentioned two cohorts by means of the survival analysis methods using SAS (Statistical Analysis System). 20 variables were tested, 11 of them were selected as statistically significant for the prediction of total mortality: systolic blood pressure, heart rate, coronary heart disease (CHD) status (P < 0.0001), total cholesterol (TC), TC2, body mass index (BMI), BMI2, education, smoking, alcohol consumption (P < 0.01), marital status (P < 0.05). The predictive ability of the Health Index for CHD, CVD and total mortality was confirmed by analysing the age-adjusted relative risks according to the deciles of the Health Index. RESULTS: The Health Index was used to determine the general health profile of the male population of Tallinn aged 30-59 y at surveys I, II and III and for the assessment of its time trends between the three surveys (1981/82-1992/94). We have established an improvement of the health profile in the studied population from survey I to survey II and a further improvement for those aged over 40 y from the surveys II and III. CONCLUSION: The Health Index should be regarded as a valuable tool for the assessment of health trends in the population. The mortality decline expected in this study was confirmed by observed mortality trends in the Estonian male population.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Alarmingly high occurrence and case fatality of acute coronary heart disease events in Estonia: results from the Tallinn AMI register 1991-94.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to produce stable estimates for the incidence, attack and mortality rates and case fatality of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The Tallinn AMI register covers the population aged 25-64 years and official residents of Tallinn. The register follows the WHO MONICA project protocols in the data collection and diagnostic evaluation of the suspected AMI events and CHD death. RESULTS: Age-standardized annual incidence, attack rate and mortality in men aged 35-64 years were high, varying from (per 100000 per year) 352, 499 and 208, respectively, in 1991 to 438, 628 and 317, respectively, in 1993. In addition, in women, annual incidence, attack rate and mortality were high, varying from (per 100000 per year) 82, 100 and 31, respectively, in 1991 to 110 and 142 in 1993 for the incidence and attack rate, and to 61 in 1992 for mortality. The percentage of out-of-hospital coronary death (sudden death) increased in men from 33 to 52% and in women from 24 to 42% during 1991-94, and the 28-day case fatality increased in men from 42 to 58%, and in women from 32 to 50%. In Tallinn, women with AMI were treated as actively as men with invasive treatment (thrombolysis, angioplasty, bypass surgery) during the acute phase of MI. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence, attack rate and mortality of AMI were high in both men and women in Tallinn. The high 28-day case fatality observed was primarily due to the high proportion of out-of-hospital deaths.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2002

Prevalence of antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori isolates in Estonia during 1995-2000 in comparison to the consumption of antibiotics used in treatment regimens.

OBJECTIVE: To find a possible relation between the dynamics of antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori isolates and the consumption of antibiotics during the last several years in Estonia. METHODS: Helicobacter pylori isolates were collected from the gastric mucosa of patients with peptic ulcer (153) and gastritis (68) and isolated on the Columbia Agar Base. From 1995 to 1997 the disk-diffusion method was used for testing of H. pylori susceptibility to metronidazole (115 isolates), erythromycin (119 isolates), tetracycline (119 isolates) and amoxicillin (119 isolates). From 1998 to 2000 the susceptibility of H. pylori to metronidazole (106 isolates), amoxicillin (30 isolates), clarithromycin (106 isolates) and ciprofloxacin (30 isolates) was assessed by E tests. Data from the Estonian State Agency of Medicines were used to determine the antibiotic consumption rate. RESULTS: Up to the year 2000 all the investigated H. pylori isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin; the resistance to clarithromycin, tetracycline, amoxicillin and erythromycin was 3%, 1.7%, 0.7% and 2.5%, respectively. Forty-six percent of H. pylori isolates were resistant to metronidazole. During 1995-2000 the consumption of amoxicillin, erythromycin and ciprofloxacin increased and the consumption of tetracycline decreased. The increasing consumption of amoxicillin reached a level 5.7 times than that of the consistent use of metronidazole. The resistance to amoxicillin appeared to be very low and resistance to metronidazole was continuously high. The increase of clarithromycin consumption (from 0.002 to 1.119 defined daily doses/1000) during three years was associated with the appearance of the first clarithromycin-resistant isolates in 2000. CONCLUSION: No relation was observed between the antibiotic consumption rate and the resistance pattern of H. pylori to metronidazole, amoxicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin during recent years among the in population.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Epilepsy in Estonia: a quality-of-life study.

PURPOSE: To study the impact of epilepsy and its treatment on people with epilepsy in Estonia and to analyze how it is affected by the characteristics of epilepsy. METHODS: Clinical and demographic data about patients were obtained from medical notes and mailed self-completed questionnaires (including the RAND 36-Items Health Survey 1.0 (RAND-36)). RESULTS: Information was collected from 203 patients aged 20-74 years, who all had active epilepsy. A third of the respondents had been seizure free during the last year. Eighty-four percent were receiving monotherapy. More than half of respondents felt stigmatized by epilepsy, 24.7% of them highly so. A third were working full-time, 31.9% were underemployed workers, and 11%, unemployed. Sixty-two percent of these same unemployed or underemployed workers considered their epilepsy to be a significant reason for this situation. Overall, 44% believed they had been treated unfairly at work or when trying to get a job. Study respondents scored lower in all domains on the RAND-36 than did persons from the control group. The biggest differences were found in five domains: Social functioning, Role limitations-physical, Role limitations-emotional, General health, and Vitality. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical characteristics of this study were similar to those of most other series of prevalence cases of epilepsy. The level of employment among persons with epilepsy was not lower than that in the general population. The percentage of stigmatization was high. There were significant differences in the way respondents scored on the stigma scale and on the RAND-36 domains when measuring their health status, depending above all on seizure frequency and type.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Epidemiological studies on animal and human trichinellosis in Estonia.

From 1992 to 1999, muscle samples from 814 sylvatic animals and 1,173 domestic and synanthropic animals were collected in 15 districts of Estonia; the prevalence of trichinellosis ranged from 1.0% to 79.4% for sylvatic animals and from 0.6% to 24.5% for domestic or synanthropic animals and for animals from fur-bearing farms. The most important reservoirs of Trichinella in nature were the raccoon dog, the red fox, the lynx and the wolf. Three species of Trichinella (T. spiralis, T. nativa, and T. britovi) were identified by several types of PCR-based analyses. Meat from sylvatic animals was the main source of Trichinella infection for humans.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis in Sweden and Estonia: clinical, genetic and ultrastructural findings in eighty-three patients.

Congenital (non-bullous) ichthyosis is a rare group of keratinizing disorders which can be tentatively subclassified based on clinical criteria, analysis of transglutaminase 1 gene mutations and electron microscopy of epidermis. We studied 83 patients who were all on topical therapy and in 16 cases also on oral retinoids. Three main groups of patients were distinguished: (A) those with transglutaminase 1 gene mutations (n=44), (B) those without transglutaminase 1 gene mutations showing a coarse, generalized scaling (n=19), and (C) those without transglutaminase 1 gene mutations showing only fine or focal scaling (n=20). On clinical scoring, patients in group A were more hyperkeratotic and less erythematous than those in group B (p < 0.05). Anhidrosis was recorded in nearly all patients (> or = 80%), but ectropion and a collodion phenotype at birth were more common in group A versus other groups. Ultrastructurally, a high frequency of type I (Anton-Lamprecht's classification) was found in all three groups (37-63%), 20 cases of type II in group A and a few cases of types III and IV in groups B and C, respectively. In conclusion, transglutaminase 1 gene mutation is a major cause of congenital ichthyosis in Sweden and Estonia, and is often associated with severe scaling and ultrastructural type II in corneocytes. The transglutaminase-unrelated cases are more heterogeneous, probably reflecting a more varied aetiology.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Orthopedic surgery in Estonia.

We did a survey on the development of orthopedic surgery in Estonia, especially during the past 10 years, including education, hospital-based orthopedic surgery and orthopedic research. The main types of orthopedic operations were analyzed, on the basis of data from the Estonian Social Ministry, Bureau of Medical Statistics and several departments of orthopedic. On the average, 11,831 orthopedic operations were performed yearly during the years 1996-1998 in hospital departments.

Education, Medical↗

PubMed1999

Lipoprotein(a), apolipoprotein A-I and B serum levels in young families from Tallinn, Estonia. Relationships with other cardiovascular risk factors and nationality.

Serum lipid, lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and B concentrations were studied in young families of Tallinn: 157 husbands, 81 wives and 149 newborns participated in the study; 48% of subjects were Estonians, 39% Russians and 13% other nationalities. As previous studies among middle-aged men and school children of Estonia revealed clear national differences in serum lipoprotein profiles, our special interest was to study lipoprotein parameters in relation to ethnic origin. Body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP) and smoking habits were determined. In newborns, maturity by physical and neurological criteria and Apgar score after birth were assessed. At the age of 18-30 years, Estonian men had significantly higher serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride and Lp(a) levels than did Russian men. Estonian newborns had higher serum triglyceride concentration than Russian ones. Among women no national differences were recorded in the measured parameters. Lp(a) levels were not statistically correlated with age, BMI, BP or current smoking. Negative associations were revealed between Lp(a) and serum level of apo A-I (in men) or triglycerides (in newborns). Lp(a) concentrations correlated positively with LDL cholesterol (in women) and apo B (in newborns). Lp(a) levels of newborns were not associated with birthweight or health status, but correlated strongly with the sum of parental and fathers' Lp(a) concentrations, demonstrating that a genetic factor(s) is involved in the values of plasma Lp(a) levels.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of community- and hospital-acquired Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in Estonia.

This study compares the susceptibility patterns of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli isolated from patients with hospital-acquired and outpatient infections. A total of 902 isolates of S. aureus and 1,114 of E. coli were collected in five different Estonian medical centers between January 1997 and November 1997. Strains were grouped into two different categories, depending on whether they had been obtained from inpatients or outpatients. Compared to S. aureus strains isolated from inpatients, the strains from outpatients were significantly more resistant to erythromycin (25.3% vs. 17.9%), tetracycline (33.5% vs. 22.4%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (13.9% vs. 7.9%). The overall prevalence of oxacillin-resistant S. aureus was 10.4%, with no significant differences noted between isolates recovered from inpatients and outpatients. In the case of E. coli, significantly more isolates from inpatients (42.8%) than from outpatients (34.4%) were ampicillin-resistant. Inpatient isolates of E. coli were also more resistant to cefotaxime (9.3%) and nitrofurantoin (11.2%) than outpatient strains (0% and 3.1%, respectively). Analysis showed remarkable co-resistance among both inpatient and outpatient strains of S. aureus and E. coli. Multiple resistant S. aureus and E. coli strains represented 15.1% and 17.3%, respectively of the organisms examined in this study. With respect to E. coli, significantly more multiresistant isolates were found in inpatient than outpatient isolates (20.4% vs. 8.9%). Our results indicate that the distinction between community-acquired and hospital infections due to S. aureus and E. coli may not be valid in Estonia.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2004

The burden of infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2: seroprevalence study in Estonia.

Information on age- and gender-specific prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 infections is crucial to guide genital herpes control strategies. Such data are not available from the newly independent Eastern European countries. We present of study of the age- and gender-specific prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 in low risk populations in Estonia. Serum samples from 1016 children, 794 first trimester antenatal women, and 1036 blood donors (462M, 574F) were tested for HSV IgG antibodies by type-specific HSV-1 and HSV-2 assays. High seroprevalence rates of HSV-1 among children, pregnant women and (non-paid) blood donors were found. HSV-2 infection was not detected among boys. Gender differences in HSV-2 seroprevalence rates among people of reproductive age were observed: higher rates were recorded among pregnant women (23%) and female blood donors (21%), compared to 11% among male blood donors. HSV-1 seroprevalence was high in adults. HSV-2 seroprevalence was higher among females than males and increased substantially with age. HSV-2 prevalence in these non-high risk populations was relatively high, and may indicate a risk for an impending sexually- and STI- driven HIV epidemic.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Sweden, Estonia and Iceland.

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii which infects up to one-third of the world human population. Toxoplasmosis in neonates and immunocompromised patients can lead to severe disease and death. We investigated the prevalence and risk factors for T. gondii infection in Iceland, Sweden and Estonia, and tested the hypothesis that T. gondii infection causes systemic inflammation and protects against atopy. Blood samples were collected from 1277 randomly selected subjects. The presence of T. gondii IgG antibodies was determined by an ELISA method and levels of Hs-CRP by immunoturbidimetric assay. The prevalence of T. gondii antibodies was 54.9% in Tartu, 23% in Uppsala and 9.8% in Reykjavik (p<0.0001). The risk of positive T. gondii antibodies increased with the number of siblings and with age in Sweden. T. gondii infection was associated with asthma related symptoms and increased Hs-CRP (p = 0.02). No association was found with IgE-sensitization and lung function. We concluded that risk factors for T. gondii infection suggested that soil exposure was 1 of the mechanisms in all 3 countries and a meat-associated infection route is a risk in Sweden.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Seroprevalence of tick-borne Lyme borreliosis in a defined population in Estonia.

Sera from 200 randomly selected individuals living in Karksi Nuia, south Estonia, near an area endemic for tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme borreliosis (LB), were tested for antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi. Antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 6 individuals (3%; 95% CI: 1-5%), who were middle-aged, asymptomatic anti-nuclear and anti-smooth muscle antibody negative. Our data show that there is low seroprevalence rate of antibodies to B. burgdorferi in an unselected south Estonian population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Inflicted traumatic brain injury (ITBI) or shaken baby syndrome (SBS) in Estonia.

BACKGROUND: Inflicted traumatic brain injury (ITBI) or shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is recognized as a major cause of disability and death in the paediatric population. AIM: To find out the incidence of ITBI in Estonia. METHODS: 26 cases of ITBI were recognized: four children died, 22 survived. RESULTS: Of 26 children, 20 (77%) were boys and six (23%) were girls. Median age at admission to hospital was 3.9 mo, and the boys were younger than the girls. CONCLUSION: The overall incidence of ITBI was 28.7 per 100,000 infants. In the prospective group the incidence was 40.5 per 100,000, and in retrospective group 13.5 per 100,000. ITBI is not rare but not always a recognized form of child abuse. Healthcare professionals should be more aware of this condition.

Estonia↗

PubMed2002

Intercomparison of translocation and dicentric frequencies between laboratories in a follow-up of the radiological accident in Estonia.

PURPOSE: To perform an interlaboratory comparison of FISH chromosome painting and to study the time-course of translocations and dicentrics in three accident victims exposed to radiation. Also, to use the data in the validation of the FISH technique as a retrospective dosimeter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve blood samples were collected during 4 years from three subjects exposed to radiation in an accident in Estonia in 1994 involving gamma-radiation from a 137Cs source. Two of the subjects were exposed during approximately 7 h, both receiving a protracted dose of about 1 Gy and also localized exposure. The third subject received a protracted whole-body dose of 2.7 Gy during 4 weeks as well as a short-term partial-body dose. Preparations from 48-h metaphase cultures were painted by the FISH technique using routine methods and probe cocktails in four laboratories. Samples from each subject were analysed in two different laboratories that used different combinations of whole chromosome probes. The PAINT nomenclature was applied when recording chromosome aberrations. RESULTS: The intercomparison of FISH analysis data showed reasonable similarities between laboratories, the largest discrepancy being 21% in the frequency of two-way translocations in subject 3. Half-time calculations, based on combined data sets from two laboratories, showed that dicentrics decreased rapidly with half-times of approximately 2 years. In all cases, the initial dicentric yields were lower than the initial translocation yields. During the 4-year follow-up, the frequencies of all translocations in cells containing only simple rearrangements fell on average to about 65% of their initial value. Two-way translocations were slightly more persistent than all translocations. The average half-time was about 8 years for two-way translocations and around 6 years for all translocations. Cells containing complex rearrangements were few in number and they disappeared with time. In general, the inclusion of complex cells caused a more rapid fall in aberration yield. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the results imply that relatively consistent scoring data were obtained with different chromosome painting protocols. They also support the idea that the reduction of translocations with time is associated with partial-body irradiation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Comparison of dust sampling methods in Estonia and Sweden--a field study.

The purpose of this field study was to compare an Estonian dust sampling method, a method also used in other former East Block countries, with a Swedish method and to estimate inter-method agreement with statistical analyses. The Estonian standard method (ESM), used to assess exposure in Estonia since the early 1950s, is based on a strategy where air samples are collected for 10 minutes every hour over a full shift. This method was compared to a Swedish standard method (SSM), a modified NIOSH method, comparable to international standards, where one air sample is collected during a full shift. The study was carried out at a cement plant that in the beginning of the 1990s was subjected to an epidemiological study, including collection of exposure data. The results of the analysis from 31 clusters of parallel samples of the two methods, when dust consisting of Portland cement was collected, showed a relatively weak correlation between the SSM and the ESM, ri = 0.81 (Pearson's intra-class correlation coefficient). A conversion factor between the two methods was estimated, where SSM is 0.69 times ESM and the limits of agreement are 0.25 and 1.84, respectively. These results indicate a substantial inter-method difference. We therefore recommend that measurements obtained from the two methods should not be used interchangeably. Because the present study is of limited extent, our findings are confined to the operations studied and further studies covering other exposure situations will be needed.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗

PubMed2001

Physical agents in the occupational environment in Estonia.

Physical agents cause several physical and mental health disorders and reduce human capability for work, in most severe cases they cause disability. Usually the influence of these physical factors takes place in the work environment and depends on the factor's intensity, exposure time, and individual characteristics. Influence is cumulative and may manifest itself after a long period of time, in several years. It is recommended to follow internationally recognized limit values of factors and introduce medical control of people before they start working as well as periodical medical control. From the most widespread risk factors, this article deals with noise with the data obtained from objective studies on Estonia.

Accidents, Occupational↗