[In process]. / Insomnie, anxiété: faut-il réguler la prescription des benzodiazépines?

Benzodiazepine hypnotics bear a higher risk of high dose dependence than benzodiazepine anxiolytics, according to a recent study in Luxemburg. This article summarizes the main indications of these molecules and the current treatment recommendations. It provides an overview of public health actions of the past and the future to reduce their excessive consumption.

[Benzodiazepines : known risks and recent data]. / Dangers des benzodiazépines risques connus et données récentes.

Benzodiazepines have been considered the treatment of choice for a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. They are currently much more controversial and drugs considered less dangerous are generally preferred. This article summarizes the characteristics of the different benzodiazepines present on the Belgian market. It describes abuse and dependence, as well as the risks of these substances in specific populations or situations. New data suggest that there is a much higher risk of decease in case of a chronic use. Finally, recommendations on rational use and withdrawal are given.

Cost of disorders of the brain in Luxembourg.

Brain disorders (psychiatric, neurological and neurosurgical diseases) are leading causes of disease and disability. According to WHO data they cause 35% of the burden of all diseases in Europe. The present study aims to estimate the cost of defined brain disorders and adds all selected disorders to arrive at the total cost for Luxembourg. A model combining published economic and epidemiological data retrieved from the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and Eurostat databases on brain disorders in Europe (EU member countries, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) was used. We transformed and converted data for a defined period into the same currency (Euro 2004) and adjusted country specific economic data for purchasing power and relative size of economy and imputed data where no local data were available. There are an estimated 123000 people in Luxembourg currently living with a brain disorder. The total annual cost of brain disorders is estimated at Euro 500 million in 2004 or an average of Euro 1100 per inhabitant. Mental disorders constitute 62% of the total cost (excluding dementia), followed by neurological diseases (excluding dementia) 22%, neurosurgical diseases excluding herniated discs 2.2%. Direct medical expenditures (outpatient care, hospitalization, drugs) have a share of 32%, direct non-medical costs (social services, informal care, adaptation, transportation) 18% and indirect costs (sick leave, early retirement and premature death) 51%.

An international database on medical education: the European Medical School Information System (EMSIS).

An electronic database containing the curricula and other information of more than 200 medical schools from 40 different countries has been compiled and made accessible via the World Wide Web (http:@yi.com/emsis), with the aims of providing an overview and to enable a comparison of the curricula of Medical Schools in Europe, of facilitating the cooperation between Medical Schools in Europe and allowing medical students to plan their studying period abroad. The database contains the addresses of medical schools, general information about each medical school (number of students, hospital beds available for teaching, etc.), exchange information (exchange networks the medical school is participating in) and extensive curriculum information, consisting of more than 10,000 course descriptions. All information has largely been entered by the medical schools themselves. Medical schools may update the database directly via the Internet at any time. Users may perform simple queries, for example by country or city, or may perform more complex searches such as 'show all medical schools teaching gynaecology in the fourth year'.