Prevalence surveillance system of nosocomial infections in Norway.

In 1996, the Norwegian Ministry of Health issued regulations on the prevention of nosocomial infections (NIs). The regulations were revised in 2005. As part of the infection control programme, hospitals and long-term care facilities are obliged to have a surveillance system for NIs in place and to report the results to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

[Is there a change in the trend of the risk factor profile in the adult population?]. / Tendenzwandel im Risikofaktorenprofil unter der erwachsenen Bevölkerung?

In a comparative study of a total of 7169 unselected patients of both sexes, that has been admitted as inpatients for rehabilitation reasons concerning rheumatic diseases, has been examined which differences result between 1988 und 1990 with respect to the prevalence of overweight of more than 20% in relation to the individual ideal weight and to impairment of the carbohydrate metabolism. Age structure, professions and social levels were comparable in both populations. In comparison with the large upward trend of the risk factor profile between 1976 and 1988 there was a slight but significant increase of the prevalence of overweight between 1988 und 1990 only for males (53.9% vs. 57.7%), whereas among females the prevalence showed an insignificant downward trend (67.9% vs. 66.6%). At the same time the prevalence of an impaired carbohydrate metabolism did not differ significantly (10.5% vs. 9.5%). There is evidence for a small success of public and medical efforts to improve public health.

[First indications of decrease in the incidence of hyperuricemia in North Germany]. / Erste Anzeichen für einen Rückgang der Hyperurikämiehäufigkeit in Norddeutschland.

For the first time after onset of the economic miracle since 1948/49 the continuous considerable upward trend of the prevalence of hyperuricemia among the adult population in northern Germany seems to be stopped. In a comparative study of a total of 7169 unselected patients of both sexes, that has been admitted as inpatients for rehabilitation reasons predominantly concerning rheumatic diseases, has been examined which differences result between 1988 and 1990 with respect to the prevalence of hyperuricemia in relation to overweight. Age structure, professions and social levels were comparable in both populations. In comparison with the large upward trend of the risk factor profile between 1976 and 1988 the prevalence of hyperuricemia in males decreased significantly from an average of 17.9 per cent to 15.2 per cent. For females only an insignificant trend to a decrease of the prevalence of hyperuricemia (4.5 per cent vs. 4.2 per cent) was noted. In hyperuricemic males the prevalence of overweight of more than 20 per cent in relation to the individual ideal weight was significantly more frequent than in the whole male population (70.1 per cent vs. 57.7 per cent). Just as for obesity and diabetes mellitus the prevalence of hyperuricemia among the adult population in northern Germany appears to have culminated or crossed its summit. There is further evidence for a small success of public and medical efforts to improve public health. Of a total of 3584 patients who were investigated in 1990 1977 males showed a mean serum uric acid level of 5.71 +/- 1.62 mg/dl whereas in females the corresponding mean value was highly significantly less (4.22 +/- 1.06 mg/dl).

[Trends in the risk factor profile between 1976 and 1988]. / Trends des Risikofaktorenprofils zwischen 1976 und 1988.

In a comparative study of a total of 5740 unselected patients of both sexes, that had been admitted as inpatients for rehabilitation reasons concerning rheumatic diseases, it has been examined which differences result between 1976 and 1988 with respect to the prevalence of one or more of the following 5 diseases: diseases of the liver, arterial hypertension, disturbances of the lipid, uric acid or carbohydrate metabolism. Underlying were the same conditions and valuation standards. 2155 consecutively hospitalized patients in 1976 of a medium age of 53.75 +/- 10.89 years (standard deviation) were compared to 3585 patients with a medium age of 55.25 +/- 10.74 years in 1988. Age structure, professions and social levels were comparable in both populations. Whereas 1976 41.1% of the males and 27.9% of the females had one or more of the 5 diseases, this applied for 71.0% of the males and 59.5% of the females in 1988. Between 1976 and 1988 diseases of the liver, arterial hypertension, hyperlipoproteinemia and impairment of carbohydrate metabolism increased highly significant by 66%, 73%, 128% and 41%, respectively. Also hyperuricemia was found more frequently in 1988 among males than 1976 (17.9% vs. 14.2%), whereas among females the prevalence lowered significantly from 8.5% to 4.5% during this period. At the same time the prevalence of overweight of more than 20% of the ideal weight increased from 56.6% of the patients suffering from one or more of the 5 diseases in 1976 to 63.9% in 1988 significantly. Of a total of 3585 patients that was investigated in 1988 2395 patients (66.8%) had one or more of the additional diseases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[The range and lipid-lowering effect of etofibrate as a retard-preparation in patients with hyperlipoproteinemia type IIa (author's transl)]. / Zur Wirkung von Etofibrat-retard bei Hyperlipoproteinämie Typ IIa.

Patients with hyperlipoproteinemia, type IIa, were treated with an adequate diet; additionally they were given 500 mg etofibrate daily. Within 14 days the total cholesterol-level in serum, LDL and LDL-cholesterol were reduced significantly, whereas the level of HDL was not affected. The potency of etofibrate is equal to approximately 50 to 80% of the lipid-lowering effect of clofibrate in an optimal dosis of 2 g/day.

[Uric-acid reduction with high allopurinol dosages (author's transl)]. / Wirkungsprofil der Harnsäuresenkung bei Höherdosierung von Allopurinol.

At the high dosage of 600 mg daily, the uric-acid reducing effect of allopurinol depends on the initial level of uric-acid concentration in the same manner as at the usual dosage of 300 mg daily, but is more marked at the entire hyperuricaemic concentration range of 65--71 mumol/l (11--12 mg/l). After eight days at the same dosage of 600 mg daily allopurinol there is a highly significant correlation between the two variables, corresponding to the equation of uric acid effect of allopurinol = 0.893 x serum uric-acid concentration--29.27. At an uric-acid concentration of 476 mumol/l (80 mg/l); at a uric-acid level of about 595 mumol/l (100 mg/l) the average concentration reduction will be around 357 mumol/l (60 mg/l).