Relevant organizations emphasize the importance of first aid (FA) for older adults due to the increased risk of injuries and sudden illnesses in old age. Even though FA training guidelines have been ...developed, no program for an FA course adapted for the older adults has been formally adopted in Europe. This study’s objective is to identify older adults’ needs, beliefs, desires, advantages, and possible limitations in connection with FA. This qualitative study used semistructured interviews with 22 laypersons and retired health professionals older than 60 years old. The qualitative content analysis indicated that the major themes elicited by the older adults are motivation to participate in the FA training, older adults’ specific features as a resource or obstacle for participating in FA training, general suggestions, and content suggestions for FA training. Older adults are very differently motivated to participate in FA training due to the heterogeneity of their psychophysical abilities. They need and want to obtain additional knowledge from the field of FA and health protection for which any psychophysical limitations are not as relevant as when learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation. They want to learn how to recognize emergency situations and more about calling emergency services with the use of modern technology. In addition to cardiopulmonary resuscitation without rescue breaths, they also want to learn about topics related to the treatment of injuries. Those who had practiced FA in their work–life think that they can be a good source to transfer their knowledge to persons from their generation. While planning an FA training course, it has to be taken into consideration that older adults want a short course, adjusted to their varied psychophysical abilities. Due to the wide array of contents they want to learn, it would be reasonable to prepare a selection of different programs for short training courses.
Background. Hazardous and harmful alcohol drinking is an important health, social and economic issue in Slovenia amongst all age groups. While drinking in Slovenia has been well researched amongst ...elementary and high school students, there is a lack of research on drinking amongst university students.
Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study among first- and fourth-year students of the University of Maribor, Slovenia, attending the mandatory preventive health check between October 2009 and May 2010. During this health check, they filled in a non-anonymous lifestyle questionnaire. AUDIT-C questionnaire on alcohol use and questions on smoking and illicit drug use were also included.
Results. 3.130 students were included in the analysis, 1219 (38.9%) were males. There were 871 (27.8%) students that were screened as risky drinkers. The highest percentage of risky drinkers attended the Faculty for Wood Technology and the lowest the Faculty for Health Sciences. Students, recognized as healthier by the physicians, reported risky drinking significantly less often (p=0.015). Students with higher BMI reported risky drinking significantly more often (p=0.012). Variables, proved to be independently associated with the risky drinking in the multivariate analysis, were: bad health status (p=0.044), male sex (p<0.001), daily consumption of fried food (p=0.017), smoking (p<0.001), illicit drugs (p<0.001), attending the Faculty for Civil Engineering (p=0.006), not attending the Faculty for Health Sciences (p=0.002)
Conclusions. While the prevalence of risky drinking among students in this study is high, a structured preventive programme should be implemented for students,which will include also illicit drug use and smoking.
Uvod. Tvegano in škodljivo pitje alkohola je pomembna zdravstvena, socialna in ekonomska tema v Sloveniji, ki se dotika vseh starostnih skupin prebivalstva. Pitje alkohola je dobro raziskano med osnovnošolci in srednješolsko mladino, malo pa je podatkov o pitju alkohola med študenti.
Metode. Izvedena je bila presečna raziskava med študenti prvih in četrtih letnikov Univerze v Mariboru, ki so obiskali obvezni preventivni zdravniški pregled med oktobrom 2009 in majem 2010. V okviru tega pregleda so izpolnili tudi neanonimni vprašalnik o življenjskem slogu, ki je med drugim vključeval vprašalnik AUDIT-C za oceno pitja alkohola ter vprašanja glede kajenja in rabe prepovedanih drog.
Rezultati. V analizo je bilo vključenih 3130 študentov, od tega je bilo 1219 (38,9 %) moških. S presejalnim testom je bilo prepoznanih 871 (27,8 %) tveganih pivcev. Največji odstotek tveganih pivcev je bil med študenti višje lesarske šole, najnižji pa med študenti visoke zdravstvene šole. Med študenti, ki so jih zdravniki opredelili za bolj zdrave, je bilo statistično značilno manj tveganih pivcev (p=0,015). Med študenti s povišanim indeksom telesne mase je bilo statistično značilno več tveganih pivcev (p=0,012). Spremenljivke, ki so bile pri multivariantni analizi neodvisno povezane s tveganim pitjem, so bile slabo zdravstveno stanje (p=0,044), moški spol (p<0,001), vsakodnevno uživanje ocvrte hrane (p=0,017), kajenje (p<0,001), raba prepovedanih drog (p<0,001), študij na Fakulteti za gradbeništvo (p=0,006) in ne biti študent Visoke zdravstvene šole (p=0,002).
Zaključek. Glede na ugotovljen velik odstotek tveganih pivcev bi bilo treba za študente uvesti strukturiran preventivni program za zmanjšanje pitja alkohola, ki bi vključeval tudi aktivnosti v zvezi s kajenjem in prepovedanimi drogami.
Summary
Background
Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of herpes zoster (HZ) and is difficult to treat. The role of antiviral agents and nonpharmacologic procedures in ...preventing PHN is not entirely clear. Recent retrospective study showed that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may completely prevent PHN. The aim of our study was to identify predictors for PHN and evaluate the treatment with antiviral agents and TENS.
Methods
We conducted a multicenter prospective, randomized intervention study in patients with a new onset of HZ. Immunocompromised patients were excluded. Patients were randomly assigned to four groups (TENS, Antiviral agents, TENS and Antiviral agents, and Control Group). At the inclusion, the following criteria were recorded: age, gender, duration of pain before the onset of the rash, the number of efflorescence, the intensity of pain, and the analgesic prescribed. During the follow-up, we recorded a spontaneous pain sensation, pain intensity, and presence of allodynia, hyperalgesia, or paraesthesia.
Results
With each additional year of age, the odds for the presence of PHN with unchanged values of other predictors increase (odds ratio (OR) = 1.03 1.01; 1.05,
p
= 0.001). The same is true for the initial intensity of the pain (OR = 1.25 1.09; 1.43,
p
= 0.002). The odds for acute and subacute herpetic neuralgia are greater than for PHN. The odds for subacute herpetic neuralgia are the lowest in the group treated with TENS (OR = 0.15 0.05; 0.47,
p
= 0.001).
Conclusions
PHN cannot be completely prevented. TENS as a single therapy was found the most successful among the tested treatments in reducing the incidence of subacute herpetic neuralgia.
Background: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire as a screening instrument for identification of hazardous and harmful drinkers give some false-positive and ...negative results. Changes of answers decrease the number of false results. Methods: Changes in second and third questions with theoretical simulation of possible answers' combinations was made; cutoff scores have to be changed. Study with original and adapted AUDIT-C was conducted among 298 students to analyze the differences. Results: Adapted Slovenian version of AUDIT-C gives less false-positive and less false-negative results. Conclusions: Changes of AUDIT-C questionnaire that give less false results means less potential disharmony in doctor-patient relationship, less unnecessary questioning, less time spent inadequately, and also less missed hazardous drinkers.
Alcohol consumption in Slovenia is one of the highest in Europe. In Slovenia there were a few epidemiological studies on drinking habits among adult population, but none of them has used the AUDIT ...questionnaire or the Internet for research.
The aim of this study was to analyse the drinking habits of the visitors of our website www.nalijem.si, which included an anonymous questionnaire for self-assessment of alcohol drinking.
A cross sectional survey was conducted between January 2010 and December 2013. The front page of our website included an invitation to fill in the anonymous web-based questionnaire; a part of it was the AUDIT 10 questionnaire. Everyone who filled in the questionnaire completely received an individualized feedback on his drinking.
54.020 persons visited our website, 15.817 (29.3%) of them started to fill in the questionnaire, 12.800 (80.9%) filled it in completely. In the analysis, 9.087 (71.0%) persons were included who completed the questionnaire for themselves. There were 37.1% (N=3.373) women and 62.9% (N=5.714) men. The average age was 33 years, the majority was employed (59.7%, N=5.222). The minority drank alcohol 2-4 times per month (32.8%, N=2.977) and most of them (64.5%, N=5.869) drank more than 3 units of alcohol per one occasion on a typical day. The average AUDIT 10 score was 11.7 for men, 8.1 for women.
A large percentage of participants were identified as hazardous and harmful drinkers, which should be a matter of serious concern.
The author describes problems related to the implementation of electronic medical record in family medicine in Slovenia since 1992 when first personal computers have been delivered to family ...physicians' practices. The situation of health care informatization and implementation of electronic medical record in primary health care in new countries, other former Yugoslav republics, is described. There are rather big differences among countries and even among some regions of one country, but in the last year the situation improved, especially in Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. The main problem that is still unsolved is software offered by several companies which do not offer many functions, are non-standardized or user friendly enough and is not adapted to doctors' needs. Some important questions on medical records are discussed, e.g. what is in fact a medical record, what is its purpose, who uses it, which record is a good one, what should contain and confidentiality issue. The author describes what makes electronic medical record better than paper-based one (above all it is of better quality, efficiency and care-safe, easier in data retreival and does it offer the possibility of data exchange with other health care professionals) and what are the barriers to its wider implementation.
The alcohol drinking problems in Slovenia are briefly described and the process of the first part of a long-term national alcohol drinking preventive population-based project called 'Message from the ...bottle', which has been run by the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, is explained. Its long-term aims are to reframe understanding of alcohol issues, to change the social climate on alcohol and to reduce alcohol-related harm. Different products have been prepared: postcards, brochures, posters for different kinds of exhibitions, an animated health-promotion film, a manual for primary healthcare physicians and workshops for physicians and nurses to learn about counselling for health behaviour change. In conclusion, future planned activities are described.
Objectives
To determine the views of Slovenian family physicians on medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) and learn more about potential types of treatment for such patients.
Methods
Five focus ...groups, comprising 24 family medicine physicians (FMPs) from two Slovenian University centres, were convened. Conversations were led towards the research objectives by professionally trained researchers and followed a preliminarily established protocol. Qualitative content analysis of audio and transcripts of the discussions was performed using ATLAS.ti software to establish categories (‘codes’) relevant to issues regarding MUS.
Results
Slovenian FMPs emphasized the importance of good communication and trust between physicians and patients with MUS. Systemic barriers to effective management of MUS arising from the Slovenian health system were highlighted. FMPs stressed the need for more education in the recognition and treatment of MUS in primary care. From the discussions, 64 codes comprising broader research fields of MUS were developed, then grouped into a further eight categories: communication; doctor–patient relationship; causes of MUS; patient characteristics; physician characteristics; courses of action so far; positive relationship with patients; proposals for treatment.
Conclusions
The results are valuable in terms of investigating the treatment of patients with MUS in Slovenia, thereby opening new avenues of research on the subject of MUS.
Background. Hazardous and harmful alcohol drinking is an important health, social and economic issue in Slovenia, also amongst adolescents and young adults. While drinking in Slovenia has been well ...researched amongst elementary and high school students, there exists a lack of research on drinking amongst young adults attending university. Methods. Cross sectional study. First year students of the University of Ljubljana attending the mandatory preventive health check between October 2009 and May 2010 filled out a non-anonymous lifestyle questionnaire. AUDIT-C screening questionnaire on alcohol use and questions on smoking and illicit drug use were also included. Multivariate and multilevel methods were used to analyse the data. Results. 7221 students filled out the questionnaire, of those 38.5 % male and 61.5 % female. 87.3 % of students have drunk alcohol at some point in the last year. Amongst the students, 23.1 % were hazardous or harmful drinkers. 61.4 % of students have been drunk at least once in the last year. 11.8 % of the students were abstainers. Male students, smokers and students with drug experience have higher odds of being harmful or hazardous drinkers. Student level variables account for most of the variability in harmful and hazardous drinking; only 2 % of the variability was due to differences across universities. Conclusions. Students of the University of Ljubljana drank alcohol in large quantities. There was a marked link between hazardous drinking, smoking and drug use. Results of this study show the need for the formation of suitable preventive measures that would change drinking behaviour amongst the student population.
Izhodišča. Tvegano in škodljivo pitje alkohola v Sloveniji predstavlja velik zdravstveni, socialni in ekonomski problem, tudi med mladimi. V Sloveniji obstajajo temeljite raziskave o pitju alkohola med osnovnošolci in srednješolci, medtem ko so podatki o pitju alkohola med študenti pomanjkljivi. Metode. Presečna študija. Študentje prvih letnikov rednega študija Univerze v Ljubljani, ki so prišli na obvezni redni preventivni zdravstveni pregled med oktobrom 2009 in majem 2010, so izpolnili neanonimni vprašalnik o življenjskem slogu. Ta je vseboval tudi standardizirani vprašalnik o pitju alkohola AUDIT-C ter vprašanji o kajenju in izkušnjah z drogo. Podatki so bili analizirani z multivariatnimi in večnivojskimi metodami. Rezultati. Vprašalnik je izpolnilo 7.221 študentov, 38,5 % moških in 61,5 % žensk. V zadnjem letu je alkohol pilo 87,3 % študentov. Tvegano ali škodljivo pije 23,1 % študentov. V zadnjem letu se je vsaj enkrat opilo 61,4 % študentov. Abstinentov je 11,8 %. Večji obet za tvegano in škodljivo pitje imajo študenti moškega spola, kadilci in študenti z izkušnjami z drogo. Večino variance v tveganem in škodljivem pitju alkohola pojasnimo z dejavniki na ravni študentov, razlike med fakultetami pa pojasnijo samo 2 % skupne variance. Sklepi. Študentje Univerze v Ljubljani alkohol pijejo prekomerno. Med kajenjem, izkušnjami z drogo in tveganim ali škodljivim pitjem je jasna povezava. Rezultati raziskave kažejo na potrebo po pripravi ustreznega preventivnega programa, s katerim bi zmanjšali porabo alkohola med študenti
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