ABSTRACT
Changes of the (137)Cs activity concentrations in the southern Baltic Sea waters were investigated over the period 2000-2004 and distribution of the (90)Sr concentrations was determined in 2004. In the discriminated period further decrease of (137)Cs concentrations was observed. The average activity concentration of (137)Cs declined from 59.4Bq/m(3) in 2000 to 45.1Bq/m(3) in 2004. The greatest changes of (137)Cs activities occurred in 2003 as a consequence of the medium-size inflow of a saline waters from the North Sea. This inflow affected (137)Cs activities as well as its distribution in the Baltic Sea. Changes in (90)Sr activity concentrations proceeded at much slower rate. The average activity concentration of (90)Sr was equal to 8.7Bq/m(3) in 2004. The annual fluvial (137)Cs fluxes from the Vistula river were also estimated. In 2000, the (137)Cs load from Vistula was of an order of 0.15TBq/year, and in 2004 0.05TBq/year.
Subject(s)
Cesium Radioisotopes/analysis , Environmental Monitoring/statistics & numerical data , Rivers/chemistry , Seawater/chemistry , Strontium Radioisotopes/analysis , Water Pollutants, Radioactive/analysis , Baltic States , Oceans and SeasABSTRACT
The survey included 3807 records (vouchers for therapeutic and orthopedic requisites) from five pharmacies of the basic type within six months. Health requisites were prescribed and issued to 1337 patients in a total number of 14,431 items, which represents 290 different kinds (codes) of health requisites. The most frequently prescribed items included: dressing materials, aids for incontinence, and requisites for diabetic patients. Health requisites prescribed in vouchers are dispensed to patients of all age categories, most of them being older than 50 years of age. The diagnoses, for which the health requisites are prescribed, are typical of the individual age categories: to 30 years of age they are primarily respiratory and allergic problems and accidents, after 30 years of age it is venous insufficiency, and after 50 years of age various types of incontinence prevail. The diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is found in all age categories. It follows from the trend of ageing of the population that dispensation of health requirements in pharmacies will be increased.
Subject(s)
Pharmacies/statistics & numerical data , Prescriptions/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , Czech Republic , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Medical appliances dispensed in basic type pharmacies for cash or vouchers for medical or orthopedic appliances require expertise of pharmacists and laboratory assistants concerning the assortment, payment, construction of prices, conditions for prescription, ordering, properties, and functions of individual appliances. Using the method of frequency analysis, the analysis of data from five pharmacies within a period of three months (more than 17,000 records) revealed how individual subgroups of medical appliances and their concrete items are represented in both types of dispensation. The method of the semistructured questionnaire (10 respondents) was used to find what problems are encountered in dispensation, and which medical appliances and their subgroups are the sources of the problems. The respondents regard the contemporary level of knowledge concerning medical appliances gained in pregradual studies as insufficient.
