6 research outputs found
Clinical differences between influenza A (H1N1) virus and respiratory infection between the two waves in 2009 and 2010
No full textPaul Zarogoulidis,1,2 Dimitrios Glaros,1 Ioannis Kioumis,2 Eirini Terzi,1 Konstantinos Porpodis,2 Anastasios Tsiotsios,2 Anastasios Kallianos,3 Georgia Trakada,4 Nikolaos Machairiotis,1 Aikaterini Stylianakil,1 Antonis Sakas,1 Ageliki Rapti,3 Nikolaos Courcoutsakis,5 Theodoros C Constantinidis,6 Efstartios Maltezos,1 Konstantinos Zarogoulidis21Unit of Infectious Diseases, General University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, 2Pulmonary Department, "G Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 3Second Pulmonology Clinic, Hospital of Chest Diseases "Sotiria", Athens, 4Pulmonary Department, "Alexandra" General Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, 5Radiology Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, 6Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Occupational Medicine Section, Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, GreeceBackground: The purpose of the present retrospective study was to examine the clinical differences between patients hospitalized with H1N1 virus and those hospitalized with nonvirus respiratory tract infection in 2009 and 2010.Methods: Adult patient data were collected from three tertiary hospital centers. Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing was used to confirm the diagnosis. We included 106 H1N1-positive patients (52 from 2009 and 54 from 2010). These data were compared with those from 108 patients with H1N1-negative respiratory tract infection (51 patients from 2009 and 57 from 2010).Results: In 2009, the mean age was 36.4 years for H1N1-positive patients versus 46.4 years for H1N1-negative patients, and mean body mass index (BMI) was 26.4 kg/m2 patients and 28.1 kg/m2, respectively. In 2009, seven patients required intubation, six of whom were H1N1-positive. In 2010, the mean age was 43.8 years for H1N1-positive patients versus 60.2 years for H1N1-negative patients, and mean BMI was 32.3 kg/m2 and 26.9 kg/m2, respectively. In 2010, six patients required intubation, three of whom were H1N1-positive. Abnormal chest x-ray findings were found significantly more frequently in H1N1-negative patients than in H1N1-positive patients.Conclusion: In comparison with 2009, H1N1-positive patients in 2010 were older, were more likely to be obese, and had more severe clinical and laboratory perturbations. However, this did not affect their outcomes. H1N1-negative patients were older in comparison with those who were H1N1-positive, and had more severe clinical and laboratory perturbations.Keywords: clinical characteristics, influenza A, H1N1, respiratory infectio
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Initiation of Smoking in Greek High-School Students
No full textThe smoking habits of 9,276 high-school students (15-18 years old) in six cities of Northern Greece were studied using a questionnaire in order to determine the prevalence and possible risk factors for initiation of smoking. We observed that 29.6% of high-school students (32.6% of boys and 26.7% of girls) were current smokers. A percentage of 43.3% had started smoking before the age of 14. Reactive behaviour towards parents’ and teachers’ advice (40.2%) and the existence of smoking friends (40.1%) were the main reasons of initiation. A well-planned integrated anti-smoking campaign is urgently required, especially among students and teachers
A combination of the IPAG questionnaire and PiKo-6® flow meter is a valuable screening tool for COPD in the primary care setting
No full textHealth costs from hospitalization with H1N1 infection during the 2009–2010 influenza pandemic compared with non-H1N1 respiratory infections
No full textPaul Zarogoulidis1, Dimitrios Glaros2,3, Theodoros Kontakiotis1, Marios Froudarakis4, loannis Kioumis1, loannis Kouroumichakis3, Anastasios Tsiotsios1, Anastasios Kallianos5, Paschalis Steiropoulos4, Konstantinos Porpodis1, Evagelia Nena6, Despoina Papakosta1, Aggeliki Rapti5, Theodoros C Constantinidis6, Theodora Kerenidi7, Maria Panopoulou8, Georgia Trakada9, Nikolaos Courcoutsakis10, Evangelia Fouka11, Konstantinos Zarogoulidis1, Efstratios Maltezos2,31Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Pulmonary Department, "G Papanikolaou" Hospital, Exochi, Thessaloniki, 2Unit of Infectious Diseases, General University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, 3Second Department of Internal Medicine, 4Pulmonary Department, General University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, 52nd Pulmonology Clinic, Hospital of Chest Diseases "SOTIRIA," Athens, 6Laboratory of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Occupational Medicine Section, Teaching Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, Alexandroupolis, 7Pulmonary Department, University of Larissa, Larissa, 8Microbiology Department, General University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, 9Pulmonary Department, University of Athens, Athens, 10Radiology Department, General University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, 111st Pulmonary Department, "G Papanikolaou" Hospital, Exochi, Thessaloniki, GreeceBackground: The first positive patient with influenza A (H1N1) was recorded in March 2009 and the pandemic continued with new outbreaks throughout 2010. This study's objective was to quantify the total cost of inpatient care and identify factors associated with the increased cost of the 2009–2010 influenza A pandemic in comparison with nonviral respiratory infection.Methods: In total, 133 positive and 103 negative H1N1 patients were included from three tertiary care hospitals during the two waves of H1N1 in 2009 and 2010. The health costs for protective equipment and pharmaceuticals and hospitalization (medications, laboratory, and diagnostic tests) were compared between H1N1 positive and negative patients.Results: The objective of the study was to quantify the means of daily and total costs of inpatient care. Overall, cost was higher for H1N1 positive (€61,0117.72) than for H1N1-negative patients (€464,923.59). This was mainly due to the protection measures used and the prolonged hospitalization in intensive care units. In H1N1-negative patients, main contributors to cost included additional diagnostic tests due to concern regarding respiratory capacity and laboratory values, as well as additional radiologic and microbial culture tests. The mean duration of hospitalization was 841 days for H1N1 positive and 829 days for negative patients.Conclusion: Cost was higher in H1N1 patients, mainly due to the protection measures used and the increased duration of hospitalization in intensive care units. An automated system to monitor patients would be desirable to reduce cost in H1N1 influenza.Keywords: cost effect, H1N1, health care resource utilization, respiratory infectio
Small Reductions In FEV1/FVC And FEF25-75% Constitute Predictive Factors For COPD Development
No full textWeekly Personal Ozone Exposure and Respiratory Health in a Panel of Greek Schoolchildren
No full textBACKGROUND: The association of ozone exposure with respiratory outcomes has been investigated in epidemiologic studies mainly including asthmatic children. The findings reported had methodological gaps and inconsistencies.OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate effects of personal ozone exposure on various respiratory outcomes in school-age children generally representative of the population during their normal activities.METHODS: We conducted a panel study in a representative sample of school-age children in the two major cities of Greece, Athens and Thessaloniki. We followed 188, 10- to 11-y-old, elementary school students for 5 wk spread throughout the 2013–2014 academic year, during which ozone was measured using personal samplers. At the end of each study week, spirometry was performed by trained physicians, and the fractional concentration of nitric oxide in exhaled air (FeNO) was measured. Students kept a daily time–activity–symptom diary and measured PEF (peak expiratory flow) using peak flow meters. Mixed models accounting for repeated measurements were applied.RESULTS: An increase of 10 μg/m3 in weekly ozone concentration was associated with a decrease in FVC (forced vital capacity) and FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) of 0.03 L [95% confidence interval (CI): −0.05, −0.01] and 0.01 L (95% CI: −0.03, 0.003) respectively. The same increase in exposure was associated with a 11.10% (95% CI: 4.23, 18.43) increase in FeNO and 19% (95% CI: −0.53, 42.75) increase in days with any symptom. The effect estimates were robust to PM10 adjustment. No inverse association was found between ozone exposure and PEF.CONCLUSIONS: The study provides evidence that airway inflammation and the frequency of respiratory symptoms increase, whereas lung function decreases with increased ozone exposure in schoolchildren. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP635.</p
