Psychomotor development in children exposed in utero to benzodiazepines, antidepressants, neuroleptics, and anti-epileptics

We did a follow-up study based upon a regional prescription register in Denmark. We identified all 435 women who in the period 1991-1996 had redeemed a prescription for CNS drugs during pregnancy. Among the rest of the pregnant women we randomly selected 1304 women who also had given birth to a child in the same region and period. We looked up the local health nurses Boel test results which were available for about 80%. Any abnormal test result was seen much more frequently among exposed (16%) than for not exposed (4%). The study has several limitations but raises concern that should be addressed in other and better designed studies.

Use of lipid-lowering drugs during 1991-98 in Northern Jutland, Denmark

AIMS

To examine a) the use of lipid-lowering drugs in North Jutland County in Denmark from 1991 to 1998 and b) the pattern of usage according to sex and age.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We used the Pharmaco-Epidemiological Prescription Database in the county to identify all reimbursed prescriptions for lipid-lowering therapy from 1991 to 1998. One-year incidence rates (IR) and prevalence (P) of the use of lipid-lowering drugs were calculated. Both IR and P of patients in lipid-lowering therapy were stable until 1994, with the IR below 100 per 100 000 for both sexes. The IR then increased from 59.9 to 236.5 per 100 000 person-years in 1998 for women, and from 88.6 to 322.8 per 100 000 person-years for men. The utilization patterns were identical between the sexes. Thus, in both women and men the highest prevalence and incidence rates of lipid-lowering drug therapy were seen in the 60-69-year-olds. Furthermore, the marked increase in both prevalence and incidence of persons on lipid-lowering drug therapy between 1994 and 1998 was the result of an increased number of prescriptions in the 50-59, 60-69 and 70 + years olds, in both women and men. There was a remarkable 4-5 fold increase in the numbers of new patients who received statins during the same period.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall use of lipid-lowering drugs has increased markedly over the last few years in Northern Jutland, Denmark. The increase began following publication of the first major trial documenting the benefit of therapy with statins.

[Sick leave in relation to occupational environment and family conditions. An analysis of data from a study on health and morbidity performed 86]

Data previously collected by the Danish Institute of Clinical Epidemiology (DICE) in 1986/87 by a structured interview of a sample of the adult Danish population was analysed to evaluate sick leave among 1) persons with preschool children, 2) persons with either physically demanding work or with exposure to chemicals, and 3) persons with mentally demanding employment. Average absence from work in the year previous to the interview was increased in unmarried women with preschool children (9.8 days). Average absence from work increased in a stepwise fashion from 4.7 to 18.7 days with increasing physical work loads, and from 5.6 to 10.1 days with increasing exposure to chemicals. In the group with mentally demanding work, the increased was from 6.3 to 20.0 days up to a load level of five. Risk of long lasting (above 10 days) sick leave was increased among the 52.9% of persons in the study base who either had physically demanding work or who were exposed to chemicals, prevalence rate 1.91 (1.56-2.35, 95% CI), as well as among the 20.9% of persons in the study base with mentally demanding work, prevalence rate 1.68 (1.38-2.05, 95% CI). Logistic regression analysis revealed statistically significant odds ratios also when age, tobacco smoking, marital status, chronic disease and overlap between the risk groups were taken into consideration.

Bladder tumor as apparent cause of vaginal bleeding in pregnancy

The purpose of publishing this case story concerning macroscopic hematuria during pregnancy, is to draw attention to causes of bleeding in the pregnant. The cause in this case was found to be a papillomatous tumor originating from the bladder. This is emphasized as a possibility in the differential diagnosis from other causes of hemorrhage during the third trimester.