[Wild privatisation or a remarkable model solution? - The pathology in the privatisation of health services in Szeged]
VAJDA Angéla
SEPTEMBER 10, 2001
Lege Artis Medicinae - 2001;11(08-09)
VAJDA Angéla
SEPTEMBER 10, 2001
Lege Artis Medicinae - 2001;11(08-09)
Lege Artis Medicinae
[Based on in vitro and animal research, it has been found that calcium antagonist drugs are capable of inhibiting directly the atherosclerotic process. In spite of their advantegous antiatherosclerotic effect, the fast-release, first-generation dihydropyridines had an unfortunate effect on the number of newly developed myocardial infarctions and on cardiovascular mortality. New, controlled clinical studies have found long acting calcium antagonists to decrease significantly the progression of the atherosclerosis in the carotid artery - verified with B-mode ultrasound scans - and the appearance of cardiovascular clinical events, when either proven coronary sclerosis (PREVENT, CAPARES studies) or hypertension (INSIGHT, ELSA, VHAS) was present. If further clinical trials (CAMELOT, NORMALISE - now under way) justify these promising clinical data, then long-acting calcium channel blockers may become new and significant tools in the prevention of the progression and clinical complications of atherosclerotic disease.]
Lege Artis Medicinae
Lege Artis Medicinae
[In the past two decade numerous data has been collected about the role of endothelium in the development of several cardiovascular disorders i.e. hypertension, congestive heart failure and atherosclerosis. Endothelial cells had been thought to be passive barriers only, but it turned out that through paracrine and autocrine hormone secretion they take part in modulating and regulating the vasodilator and vasoconstrictor effects being directed to vascular smooth muscle cells. The intact endothelium prevents the adhesion of platelets and monocytes, the platelet aggregation, as well as the migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. It has been shown that both in experimental and human hypertension the endothelial function i.e. the so-called endothel-dependent vasodilatation is damaged, being the main feature of endothelial dysfunction. In spite of extensive research it is not clear whether endothelial dysfunction is a cause or a consequence of hypertension, with exact pathomechanism being also unclear. Methods, by which this important parameter could be precisely measured are under development. Researchers also examine whether recently used antihypertensive agents could improve or eliminate endothelial dysfunction and whether this effect may offer benefit to patients in terms of morbidity and mortality. This article attempts to summarize the most up-to-date information about the endothelial dysfunction research.]
Lege Artis Medicinae
[Extensive research efforts based on principles of evidence-based medicine have helped lately to accumulate large amount of information on the risks to the fetus during pregnancy. As a result, the standpoints concerning risks to the fetus have become more precise in many respects. A number of earlier assumptions have been proven to be exaggerated or unfounded and the range of cases at risk has been narrowed down. This paper presents the most important data on potential risks to the fetus originating from hereditary factors, infections, maternal diseases, drugs, irradiation and special gestational anomalies. The data presented highlight the necessity of identifying the fetal damage during the pregnancy unequivocally, based exclusively on evidence of probative force and with realistic appraisal of the danger of any existent fetal damage.]
Lege Artis Medicinae
[INTRODUCTION - Wegener’s granulomatosis is a disease of unknown origin classified as an immune vasculitis. The main pathologic feature is necrotising granulomatous small vessel vasculitis. Clinically the upper and/or lower airways are affected most often as well as the kidneys in the generalised form. The highly specific antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies have diagnostic significance beside the pathology and clinical symptoms. PATIENTS AND METHODS - We have studied the clinical and diagnostic characteristics of 15 cases diagnosed in our centre from the last 25 years. All patients had pulmonary manifestation. We analysed the organ involvement, clinical signs indicating the diagnosis, chest radiography, chances for biopsies of diagnostic significance and the difficulties of differential diagnostics. RESULTS - The diagnosis was made based on histological samples from the upper airways in three cases and from the lower airways in six cases (in four cases the bronchoscopic biopsies were diagnostic, in two patients thoracotomy was necessary). In six cases, clinical signs and typical organ manifestations were the basis of the diagnosis. CONCLUSION - This very rarely occurring disease which is difficult to recognise requires pulmonological examination due to the involvement of lungs. If this diagnosis comes to mind - based on findings of bilateral, multiplex, round pulmonal shadows with cavitation - the pulmonologist should search for other organ manifestations and involve respective specialists. Ideally, diagnosis is established by histopathology or by positive cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies.]
Clinical Neuroscience
Cognitive dysfunction (CD) is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Alexithymia is a still poorly understood neuropsychiatric feature of PD. Cognitive impairment (especially visuospatial dysfunction and executive dysfunction) and alexithymia share common pathology of neuroanatomical structures. We hypothesized that there must be a correlation between CD and alexithymia levels considering this relationship of neuroanatomy. Objective – The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between alexithymia and neurocognitive function in patients with PD. Thirty-five patients with PD were included in this study. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale–20 (TAS-20), Geriatric Depression Inventory (GDI) and a detailed neuropsychological evaluation were performed. Higher TAS-20 scores were negatively correlated with Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) similarities test score (r =-0.71, p value 0.02), clock drawing test (CDT) scores (r=-0.72, p=0.02) and verbal fluency (VF) (r=-0.77, p<0.01). Difficulty identifying feelings subscale score was negatively correlated with CDT scores (r=-0.74, p=0.02), VF scores (r=-0.66, p=0.04), visual memory immediate recall (r=-0.74, p=0.01). VF scores were also correlated with difficulty describing feelings (DDF) scores (r=-0.66, p=0.04). There was a reverse relationship between WAIS similarities and DDF scores (r=-0.70, p=0.02), and externally oriented-thinking (r=-0.77,p<0.01). Executive function Z score was correlated with the mean TAS-20 score (r=-62, p=0.03) and DDF subscale score (r=-0.70, p=0.01) Alexithymia was found to be associated with poorer performance on visuospatial and executive function test results. We also found that alexithymia was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms. Presence of alexithymia should therefore warn the clinicians for co-existing CD.
Clinical Neuroscience
Microdiscectomy (MD) is a standard technique for the surgical treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Uniportal percutaneous full-endoscopic interlaminar lumbar discectomy (PELD) is another surgical option that has become popular owing to reports of shorter hospitalization and earlier functional recovery. There are very few articles analyzing the total costs of these two techniques. The purpose of this study was to compare total hospital costs among microdiscectomy (MD) and uniportal percutaneous full-endoscopic interlaminar lumbar discectomy (PELD). Forty patients aged between 22-70 years who underwent PELD or MD with different anesthesia techniques were divided into four groups: (i) PELD-local anesthesia (PELD-Local) (n=10), (ii) PELD-general anesthesia (PELD-General) (n=10), (iii) MD-spinal anesthesia (MD-Spinal) (n=10), (iv) MD-general anesthesia (MD-General) (n=10). Health care costs were defined as the sum of direct costs. Data were then analyzed based on anesthetic modality to produce a direct cost evaluation. Direct costs were compared statistically between MD and PELD groups. The sum of total costs was $1,249.50 in the PELD-Local group, $1,741.50 in the PELD-General group, $2,015.60 in the MD-Spinal group, and $2,348.70 in the MD-General group. The sum of total costs was higher in the MD-Spinal and MD-General groups than in the PELD-Local and PELD-General groups. The costs of surgical operation, surgical equipment, anesthesia (anesthetist’s costs), hospital stay, anesthetic drugs and materials, laboratory workup, nursing care, and postoperative medication differed significantly among the two main groups (PELD-MD) (p<0.01). This study demonstrated that PELD is less costly than MD.
Clinical Neuroscience
[The well-known gap between stroke mortality of Eastern and Western European countries may reflect the effect of socioeconomic differences. Such a gap may be present between neighborhoods of different wealth within one city. We set forth to compare age distribution, incidence, case fatality, mortality, and risk factor profile of stroke patients of the poorest (District 8) and wealthiest (District 12) districts of Budapest. We synthesize the results of our former comparative epidemiological investigations focusing on the association of socioeconomic background and features of stroke in two districts of the capital city of Hungary. The “Budapest District 8–12 project” pointed out the younger age of stroke patients of the poorer district, and established that the prevalence of smoking, alcohol-consumption, and untreated hypertension is also higher in District 8. The “Six Years in Two Districts” project involving 4779 patients with a 10-year follow-up revealed higher incidence, case fatality and mortality of stroke in the less wealthy district. The younger patients of the poorer region show higher risk-factor prevalence, die younger and their fatality grows faster during long-term follow-up. The higher prevalence of risk factors and the higher fatality of the younger age groups in the socioeconomically deprived district reflect the higher vulnerability of the population in District 8. The missing link between poverty and stroke outcome seems to be lifestyle risk-factors and lack of adherence to primary preventive efforts. Public health campaigns on stroke prevention should focus on the young generation of socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods. ]
Lege Artis Medicinae
[The rapidly spreading SARS-CoV2 respiratory virus has evoked an epidemic with serious aftermath around the world. In addition to the health effects, the global economic damage is actually unpredictable. At the same time, the pandemic has launched a series of unprecedented collaborative scientific research, including the development of vaccines. This study summarizes up-to-date information on vaccines, immune memory, and some emerging clinical effects.]
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Journal of Nursing Theory and Practice
[Correlations Between Burnout and Socio-demographic and Workplace Related Factors Among Health-care Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemics]5.
Journal of Nursing Theory and Practice
[Operational Efficiency Investigation from APN Perioperative Perspective]1.
Clinical Neuroscience
[COVID-19 with strange hallucinations and focal EEG abnormalities: Two case reports]2.
Clinical Neuroscience
[The peak latency prolongation of the blink reflex in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia of Meckel’s cave mass ]3.
Clinical Neuroscience
A case study of acute oropharyngeal palsy concomitant with diabetic ketoacidosis4.
Clinical Neuroscience
[Telecare in Parkinson’s disease: A nationwide survey among Hungarian neurologists ]
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