Inequalities in uptake of prenatal screening according to ethnicity and socio-economic status in the four largest cities of the Netherlands (2011-2013).

Objectives: In the Netherlands, all women are claimed to have equal access to prenatal screening (PS). Prior research demonstrated substantial inequalities in PS uptake associated with socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnic background. The suggested pathway was a lack of intention to participate in PS among these subgroups.

Hearing Loss Progresses Faster in Patients With Growing Intracanalicular Vestibular Schwannomas.

Objective: To determine whether certain patient and tumor characteristics influence the progression of hearing loss in vestibular schwannoma (VS) patients.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center, Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Geographical, Ethnic and Socio-Economic Differences in Utilization of Obstetric Care in the Netherlands.

Background: All women in the Netherlands should have equal access to obstetric care. However, utilization of care is shaped by demand and supply factors. Demand is increased in high risk groups (non-Western women, low socio-economic status (SES)), and supply is influenced by availability of hospital facilities (hospital density).

Quality of life and prosthetic aortic valve selection in non-elderly adult patients.

Objectives: This study assesses quality of life in relation to prosthetic aortic valve selection and preferences for shared decision-making among non-elderly adult patients after aortic valve replacement (AVR).

Methods: A single-centre consecutive cohort of 497 AVR patients who underwent AVR between the age of 18 and 60 years was cross-sectionally surveyed 1-10 years after AVR. Health-related quality of life (Short-Form Health Survey, SF-36), valve-specific quality of life, patient experience with and preferences for involvement and final decision in prosthetic valve selection were investigated.

Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in self-assessed health in 17 European countries between 1990 and 2010.

Background: Between the 1990s and 2000s, relative inequalities in all-cause mortality increased, whereas absolute inequalities decreased in many European countries. Whether similar trends can be observed for inequalities in other health outcomes is unknown. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of trends in socioeconomic inequalities in self-assessed health (SAH) in Europe between 1990 and 2010.

Differences in perinatal morbidity and mortality on the neighbourhood level in Dutch municipalities: a population based cohort study.

Background: In a national perinatal health programme, we observed striking heterogeneity in the explanation of the most prominent risks across municipalities. Therefore we explored the separate contribution of several socio-demographic risks on perinatal health inequalities between municipalities and neighbourhoods. The study aims to identify perinatal health inequalities on the neighbourhood level across the selected municipalities, and to objectify the contribution of socio-demographic risk factors on pregnancy outcomes in each municipality by the application of the population attributable risk concept.

Competence development in ERCP: the learning curve of novice trainees.

Background And Study Aim: Measures for competence in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) during training are poorly defined. Currently, various training and accreditation programs base verification of competence on performance of a minimum number of procedures. There is a general awareness that procedural competence certification should be based on objective performance criteria.

Population attributable risks of patient, child and organizational risk factors for perinatal mortality in hospital births.

The main objective of this study was to estimate the contributing role of maternal, child, and organizational risk factors in perinatal mortality by calculating their population attributable risks (PAR). The primary dataset comprised 1,020,749 singleton hospital births from ≥22 weeks' gestation (The Netherlands Perinatal Registry 2000-2008). PARs for single and grouped risk factors were estimated in four stages: (1) creating a duplicate dataset for each PAR analysis in which risk factors of interest were set to the most favorable value (e.

Capturing echocardiographic allograft valve function over time after allograft aortic valve or root replacement.

Objective: This study describes echocardiographic allograft valve function over time in a cohort of patients who were prospectively followed after allograft aortic valve or root replacement, illustrating the use of longitudinal data analysis for assessing valve function over time.

Methods: Serial, standardized echocardiographic measurements of aortic regurgitation, aortic gradient, annulus diameter, left ventricular outflow tract diameter, and aortic diameter in 301 hospital survivors (mean age, 46 years; range, 16-83 years) after allograft aortic valve (N=77) or root (N=224) replacement were analyzed using nonlinear longitudinal models.

Results: Aortic regurgitation increased over time.

Evaluation of an algorithm for electronic surveillance of hospital-acquired infections yielding serial weekly point prevalence scores.

Surveillance of hospital-acquired infections can be approximated by repeated surveys that are performed in a standardized, cost-effective manner. We developed an integrated software system for serial electronic hospital-wide point prevalence surveys using algorithms that proved highly sensitive and specific over a 5-year period in a large university medical center.

Does centralisation of acute obstetric care reduce intrapartum and first-week mortality? An empirical study of over 1 million births in the Netherlands.

In this hypothetical analysis with retrospective cohort data (1,160,708 hospital births) we estimated outcome of centralisation of acute obstetric care, i.e., closure of 10 hospitals (out of 99) in The Netherlands.

Prognosis of hospitalised older people with different levels of functioning: a prospective cohort study.

Background: hospitalised older people are at risk for poor functioning after hospital discharge. We aimed to validate the predictive ability of the Identification Seniors At Risk-Hospitalized Patients (ISAR-HP) screening questionnaire to identify older patients at risk for functional dependence by comparing groups with different ISAR-HP scores on cognitive and physical functioning, mortality, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and loneliness.

Design: a longitudinal prospective cohort study.

Population-based childhood overweight prevention: outcomes of the 'Be active, eat right' study.

Objective: An overweight prevention protocol was used in the 'Be active, eat right' study; parents of overweight children (5 years) were offered healthy lifestyle counseling by youth health care professionals. Effects of the protocol on child BMI and waist circumference at age 7 years were evaluated.

Methods: A cluster RCT was conducted among nine youth health care centers in the Netherlands.

Recently introduced biomarkers for screening of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is essential for improved prognosis and long-term survival. To date, screening for HCC depends on serological testing (alpha-fetoprotein, AFP) and imaging (ultrasonography), both of which are not highly sensitive. A meta-analysis was performed to discuss recent developments in biomarkers that may be effective in screening for HCC.

Small airway involvement in cystic fibrosis lung disease: routine spirometry as an early and sensitive marker.

Background: In young children with cystic fibrosis (CF) the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 ) is often normal and a more sensitive measure to detect early obstructive lung disease is needed.

Aim: To evaluate the progression of selected spirometry parameters with age in a cohort of CF patients and healthy children aged 6 to 20 years.

Methods: Retrospective comparison of longitudinal spirometry data from CF patients with data from two cohort studies in healthy subjects.

An educational cartoon accelerates amblyopia therapy and improves compliance, especially among children of immigrants.

Purpose: We showed previously that an educational cartoon that explains without words why amblyopic children should wear their eye patch improves compliance, especially in children of immigrant parents who speak Dutch poorly. We now implemented this cartoon in clinics in low socioeconomic status (SES) areas with a large proportion of immigrants and clinics elsewhere in the Netherlands.

Design: Clinical, prospective, nonrandomized, preimplementation, and postimplementation study.

Age- and region-specific hepatitis B prevalence in Turkey estimated using generalized linear mixed models: a systematic review.

Background: To provide a clear picture of the current hepatitis B situation, the authors performed a systematic review to estimate the age- and region-specific prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Turkey.

Methods: A total of 339 studies with original data on the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Turkey and published between 1999 and 2009 were identified through a search of electronic databases, by reviewing citations, and by writing to authors. After a critical assessment, the authors included 129 studies, divided into categories: 'age-specific'; 'region-specific'; and 'specific population group'.

The SARS outbreak in a general hospital in Tianjin, China: clinical aspects and risk factors for disease outcome.

Objectives: To describe clinical characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients in a hospital in Tianjin, China, thereby comparing probable and suspected cases; to study risk factors associated with the death of cases; to describe the implementation of preventive interventions during the hospital outbreak.

Methods: Physical and haematological information was obtained from clinical records. White blood cell counts, and percentages of neutrophilic granulocytes and neutrophilic lymphocytes were measured.

No evidence of over-reporting of SARS in mainland China.

Objective: To find out whether there was over-reporting of SARS patients in mainland China in view of the relatively low case fatality ratio in mainland China, in comparison with other affected countries and areas.

Methods: We searched PubMed for all SARS antibody detection papers (in English or Chinese language) using the keywords 'SARS' and 'antibody'. Then the resulting articles were further read through to select the SARS detection results using ELISA methods of serum samples collected at least 1 month after disease onset.

Prostate cancer-specific anxiety in Dutch patients on active surveillance: validation of the memorial anxiety scale for prostate cancer.

Purpose: Men with prostate cancer (PC) may show specific disease-related anxiety. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Dutch adaptation of the Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer (MAX-PC).

Methods: The MAX-PC was translated using standardized forward-backward procedures.

LYMFASIM, a simulation model for predicting the impact of lymphatic filariasis control: quantification for African villages.

LYMFASIM is a simulation model for lymphatic filariasis transmission and control. We quantified its parameters to simulate Wuchereria bancrofti transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes in African villages, using a wide variety of reported data. The developed model captures the general epidemiological patterns, but also the differences between communities.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal spirometry in children and adolescents: interpretative strategies.

Rationale: Single and serial spirometric data are commonly compared with predicted values to assess pulmonary function and normal lung growth.

Objectives: Do reference equations adequately describe pulmonary function in a population and in growing individuals?

Methods: We applied five sets of reference equations with appropriate age ranges to cross-sectional data of FEV(1), FVC, and FEV(1)/FVC from the United States, Estonia, and The Netherlands (1,487 boys and 1,340 girls, 6 to 18 years of age), and to serial measurements in Dutch (430 girls and 769 boys, 6 to 19 years of age) and in German and Austrian children (1,305 girls and 1,303 boys, 6 to 13 years of age).

Measurements And Main Results: Compared with reference equations from Polgar and Zapletal, cross-sectional FEV(1) and FVC declined between the ages of 6 and 12 and then increased, leading to a spurious change of up to 25% predicted; this pattern was most pronounced in boys.

Effects of insulin pump vs. injection treatment on quality of life and impact of disease in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus in a randomized, prospective comparison.

Objective: Effects of pump treatment vs. four times daily injections were explored in children with diabetes with regard to quality of life and impact of disease as well as adverse effects and parameters of metabolic control.

Methods: An open, parallel, randomized controlled prospective comparative study lasting 14 months was completed by 38 type 1 children with diabetes (age 4-16 yr) following a 3.

A pertussis outbreak associated with social isolation among elderly nuns in a convent.

The pertussis incidence during an outbreak in a convent in The Netherlands in 1992 was higher among 75 retired (unvaccinated) nuns (60%) than among 24 staff members (8%) and was higher among 9 nuns with only a convent career (100%) than among 66 nuns who had a career outside of the convent (55%). The pertussis incidence increased with duration of social isolation but not with age.