Use of spirometry and recording of smoking habits of COPD patients increased in primary health care during national COPD programme.

Background: In Finland, a national programme for COPD prevention and treatment was developed in 1998. The main goals of the programme were to diagnose COPD as early as possible and to encourage people to quit smoking. The role of primary health care was emphasized in the programme.

MDR-TB in Finland--still rare despite the situation in our neighbouring countries.

Introduction: The multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) epidemic in Eastern Europe bordering Finland has raised worries concerning the risk of disease in near-frontier contacts.

Objectives: Our aim was to find out the amount of multidrug resistance, characterise the resistance profiles and evaluate the outcome of treatment. In addition, we analysed the isolates by molecular genotyping methods in order to evaluate the origins of the resistant isolates.

[Hemoptysis].

Most cases of hemoptysis are due to lung infections, bronchiectasis, lung cancer and pulmonary vascular disorders. Apart from the respiratory passages, the blood coming up with a cough may also originate from elsewhere, and its amount may vary from minor streaks of blood to a massive pulmonary hemorrhage. The extent of hemorrhage is decisive for the choice of investigational and therapeutic measures.

Diagnosis and initiation of nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy for OSAS without a preceding sleep study?

Purpose: The capacity for performing sleep study is limited. We made a simulation to study whether a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and prescription of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy would be possible and cost-effective without performing a sleep study.

Methods And Objectives: One hundred ninety-seven consecutive patients referred to a pulmonary clinic due to suspected OSAS were included.

No increase in the prevalence of COPD in two decades.

Relevant information on the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its trends is scarce. In the present study, we compare the prevalence rates and potential determinants of COPD in two national population samples that were surveyed 20 yrs apart. In 1978-1980, a sample of 8,000 people was surveyed; subjects were representative of the Finnish population and were aged ≥30 yrs.