Summary Objectives Despite strong national and international recommendations on immunization practices, rates for influenza (IV) and pneumococcal vaccinations (PV) are low. We aimed to review ...international immunization rates and to analyze attitudes and beliefs regarding IV and PV. Study design Systematic review. Method The MEDLINE database search comprised articles from 1966 to October 2005. Fourteen surveys evaluating a total number of 49 292 participants in nine different countries were included into the analysis. Results Vaccination rates among risk groups do vary significantly between different countries, reaching highest rates in the USA (IV, 82%; PV, 71%) and lowest in former West-Germany for IV (37%) and in Israel for PV (20%). Recommendations by doctors play a central role in promoting IV and PV. The main reason for not being vaccinated was lack of information. Conclusion Specific strategies targeted at groups are needed to increase the knowledge of IV and PV, and thereby decrease incidences of acute lung diseases.
Background: Exposure to chlorination by‐products through swimming pool attendance showed adverse health effects on children. The aim of our study was to assess whether pool attendance in childhood ...would be related to higher rates of allergic diseases in adulthood, with special regard to hay fever.
Methods: 2606 adults aged 35–74 years provided retrospectively collected information on swimming pool attendance and medical history, including data on atopic diseases. Information was assessed by a combination of a personal interview and a self‐administered questionnaire. Logistic regression models were applied to study associations between hay fever and swimming pool attendance, adjusted for potentially relevant confounders, such as age, gender, region, education and smoking.
Results: Higher rates of hay fever could be seen when frequently exposed at school age (aOR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.09–2.77), frequently exposed during the past 12 months (aOR: 1.32, 95% CI: 0.92–1.89) and ever exposed (aOR: 1.65, 95% CI: 0.98–2.78). Strongest associations were found for the youngest subjects and were dose‐related to the extent of current and school‐age pool attendance.
Conclusions: Impaired integrity of the lung epithelial by exposure to chlorination by‐products might facilitate a closer contact to allergens and therefore could result in higher rates of hay fever.
Background: Atopic diseases constitute a major public health problem, increasing constantly in frequency and severity. While treatments are improving, the main cause for an increasing trend of hay ...fever and its definite triggers remain unclear. The aim of our study was to assess whether physical inactivity could be a risk factor for hay fever.
Methods: We analysed data of a cohort of children aged 5–14 years at baseline (1992–1993) who were followed up until 2003–2005. Parental‐reported information on physical activity (being active, doing sports) was obtained for 2429 children participating at the baseline survey (active: n = 1923; semi‐active: n = 364; inactive: n = 142). A total of 1703 children (70.1%) were reapproached at least once during follow‐up. Logistic regression models were applied to study associations between hay fever, allergic sensitization and physical activity, adjusted for potentially relevant confounders such as age, gender, study site, parental education, breastfeeding, crowding, daycare, dampness or visible moulds, contact to cats, current or prior environmental tobacco smoke exposure and parental atopy.
Results: Significantly higher rates of hay fever were seen for inactive children aOR 2.39 (95% CI 1.31–4.36) for baseline survey 1992–1993 and aOR 1.76 (95% CI 1.14–2.71) for the follow‐up‐period until 2005. In addition, the relative risk of incident cases of hay fever increased depending on inactivity aRR 1.50 (95% CI 1.05–2.13). No association was found between physical inactivity and allergic sensitization assessed by radioallergosorbent test determinations.
Conclusions: Although the underlying biological mechanisms could not be clarified, increasing physical activity in childhood is suggested to prevent hay fever.
Original article Kohlhammer, Y; Zutavern, A; Rzehak, P ...
Allergy (Copenhagen),
11/2006, Letnik:
61, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Atopic diseases constitute a major public health problem, increasing constantly in frequency and severity. While treatments are improving, the main cause for an increasing trend of hay fever and its ...definite triggers remain unclear. The aim of our study was to assess whether physical inactivity could be a risk factor for hay fever. We analysed data of a cohort of children aged 5-14 years at baseline (1992-1993) who were followed up until 2003-2005. Parental-reported information on physical activity (being active, doing sports) was obtained for 2429 children participating at the baseline survey (active: n = 1923; semi-active: n = 364; inactive: n = 142). A total of 1703 children (70.1%) were reapproached at least once during follow-up. Logistic regression models were applied to study associations between hay fever, allergic sensitization and physical activity, adjusted for potentially relevant confounders such as age, gender, study site, parental education, breastfeeding, crowding, daycare, dampness or visible moulds, contact to cats, current or prior environmental tobacco smoke exposure and parental atopy. Significantly higher rates of hay fever were seen for inactive children aOR 2.39 (95% CI 1.31-4.36) for baseline survey 1992-1993 and aOR 1.76 (95% CI 1.14-2.71) for the follow-up-period until 2005. In addition, the relative risk of incident cases of hay fever increased depending on inactivity aRR 1.50 (95% CI 1.05-2.13). No association was found between physical inactivity and allergic sensitization assessed by radioallergosorbent test determinations. Although the underlying biological mechanisms could not be clarified, increasing physical activity in childhood is suggested to prevent hay fever.
Summary Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is a frequent and potentially fatal infectious disease which, in the majority of cases, needs an antibiotic intervention. Objectives Aim was to evaluate ...antibiotic treatment patterns regarding all types of mono- and combination-therapy throughout the local clinical centres (LCCs) represented in the German competence network CAPNETZ (= Community Acquired Pneumonia Network) and to identify clinical indicators for regional differences. Methods We analysed outpatients and inpatients recruited between March 2003 and April 2005. Patient and treatment details were registered online using standardised data entry forms. A logistic regression model was issued for the 4 most frequently applied antibiotics, adjusting for potentially relevant confounders. Results The study sample consisted of 3221 patients at the age of 18 to 102 years. Overall, aminopenicillins plus betalactamase inhibitor (20.4%), fluoroquinolone (17.0%), macrolides combined with cephalosporins third generation (10.6%) and cephalosporins third generation (8.9%) were most frequently prescribed. After control for potential confounders, significant treatment differences remained between study sites. Regional variability of antibiotic CAP-treatment could not be attributed to a number of clinical or sociodemographic factors. Conclusions The presented treatment variability ranges within given guidelines, but indicates the need for an ongoing implementation of evidence-based guidelines in order to avoid potential negative clinical or economic consequences.
Original article Kohlhammer, Y; Döring, A; Schäfer, T ...
Allergy (Copenhagen),
11/2006, Letnik:
61, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Exposure to chlorination by-products through swimming pool attendance showed adverse health effects on children. The aim of our study was to assess whether pool attendance in childhood would be ...related to higher rates of allergic diseases in adulthood, with special regard to hay fever. 2606 adults aged 35-74 years provided retrospectively collected information on swimming pool attendance and medical history, including data on atopic diseases. Information was assessed by a combination of a personal interview and a self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression models were applied to study associations between hay fever and swimming pool attendance, adjusted for potentially relevant confounders, such as age, gender, region, education and smoking. Higher rates of hay fever could be seen when frequently exposed at school age (aOR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.09-2.77), frequently exposed during the past 12 months (aOR: 1.32, 95% CI: 0.92-1.89) and ever exposed (aOR: 1.65, 95% CI: 0.98-2.78). Strongest associations were found for the youngest subjects and were dose-related to the extent of current and school-age pool attendance. Impaired integrity of the lung epithelial by exposure to chlorination by-products might facilitate a closer contact to allergens and therefore could result in higher rates of hay fever. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the most frequent mortal infectious disease in the western industrial countries. So far no detailed information about incidence, pathogenetic agents, medical ...service and risk factors existed within Germany. This article reviews international studies, which identified risk factors for CAP.
The MEDLINE database search comprised 743 articles from 1966 to December 2003. Ten published studies analysing risk factors for CAP were included in this study.
Age, gender, smoking and chronic lung diseases ranged among the leading risk factors. Other variables, like medication, dangerous substances, alcohol or sociodemographic factors have so far been insufficiently proved.
Comparable data concerning CAP in Germany are currently inadequate. In order to improve the data situation, in 2002, the Community Acquired Pneumonia NETwork (CAPNET) was established. CAPNET assembles and soon intends to publish detailed information about incidence and risk factors of Community Acquired Pneumonia.
