Occupational diseases arising in the area of the Ministry of Defence in the Czech Republic and their relationship to work categorization.

OBJECTIVE: The article deals with occupational health protection and identification of health risks in the work environment of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Czech Republic (CR). It focuses on the assessment of the incidence of occupational diseases (OD) in high-risk and risk-free occupational categories in the years 2010-2019 and compares them with data from the civilian sector. It identifies the differences between military staff and civilian employees of the MoD. METHODS: From the records of OD at the Department of Occupational Diseases of the Central Military Hospital in Prague, the data on acknowledged OD from the years 2010 to 2019 were obtained and then a retrospective analysis focusing on the classification of work at risk was performed. The obtained data were compared with the data from the Czech National Registry of Occupational Diseases (NROD), which are published annually by the National Institute of Public Health. RESULTS: In the years under review, 191 OD were confirmed at the area of MoD, 26% of all OD occurred in employees classified in the occupational risk category. Compared with the data in the NROD, where 50% of OD were found to have been caused by high-risk work, the incidence of OD caused by high-risk work in professional soldiers is lower. Only 1.6% of all OD occurred in professional soldiers whose work was classified as high-risk one. In civilian employees of MoD 24.6% of all OD were connected with high-risk work. On the contrary, the proportion of OD occurring in professional soldiers working in risk-free categories was 57.6%, in civilian employees of MoD was the ratio much lower - 16.2%. CONCLUSION: Work at the Ministry of Defence was not adequately categorized, therefore, in 2020 a new categorization of work was introduced, which together with preventive measures could contribute to reducing the incidence of OD at the Ministry of Defence.

Recommended fluid intake and evidence-based medicine.

Abundant drinking of fluids at any occasion became popular in wealthy society in last decades. It is referred to asserted beneficial health effects, but rationale of these recommendations is disputed in expert environment as hardly traceable and tenable. Authors of the article analyse theoretical issues as well as empiric literary evidence for the current popular recommendation. They find them unfounded and difficult to be defended and the risks of transitive hypo-hydration overestimated. Moreover, they alert true risks of water poisoning we meet not quite rarely in common practice.

Prevalence of risk factors in cardiovascular diseases in selected population of the Czech Republic.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to describe current prevalence of selected risk factors in the Czech general population in a particular region and to compare the data with recently published results in the selected population of Czech soldiers. The work also deals with the advantages and disadvantages of methods determining overweight and obesity. METHODS: Within medical preventive examinations the data of 1,051 individuals (482 men, 569 women) were obtained. In this group anthropometric parameters such as height, body weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), and waist circumference were monitored. From biochemical parameters the following values were monitored: glycaemia, uric acid, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides. Demographic data such as age, gender and achieved education were processed. RESULTS: Average BMI values in men were in the overweight range. Monitored average BMI values in women were up to standards. Monitored anthropometric parameters significantly increased with the age of examined individuals. The highest values of BMI and waist circumference were found in the over-50 age group. Selected biochemical parameters also increased with the age of examined individuals. Education did not have significant influence on the values of selected parameters. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the values of BMI and waist circumference. The correlation coefficient in men was r = 0.804, p < 0.001, and in women r = 0.858, p < 0.001. CONCLUSION: The work confirmed differences in anthropometric parameters between the civilian and military Czech male population due to a higher muscle mass percentage in the military population. The work also confirmed the significance of further anthropometric methods in diagnostics of overweight and obesity. The number of individuals with anthropometric and biochemical parameters out of the physiological range is increasing in the over-50 age category.

Mumps in the Eastern Bohemia Region of the Czech Republic - a Serological Survey 2008-2012.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of mumps has decreased in many countries since the introduction of vaccination programmes, however, in the past decade a rapid increase in the disease occurrence has been reported worldwide. The reason for this situation is still not clear. We present the results of a serological survey carried out in the Eastern Bohemia Region of the Czech Republic during the years 2008-2012. METHODS: In total, 2,536 samples of 2,034 patients were examined during the study period. The study cohort was divided into two groups, one consisted of individuals born before the introduction of mandatory vaccination and the other one comprised individuals born after mandatory vaccination started. For the serology analyses the ELISA kits RIDASCREEN Mumpsvirus IgM and IgG (R-Biopharm®, Germany) were used. RESULTS: Out of 2,536 samples (including paired sera), 23.9% (n=606) were positive and 12% (n=304) had equivocal results. Most of the positive samples were obtained from patients aged 17-20 years. Significantly more (p<0.05) positive patients were born after the start of the national vaccination programme (patient group 2) (22.8%) compared to those born before its start (patient group 1) (13.7%). Interestingly, the analysis of data showed that 75.3% of patients falling into group 1 had anti-mumps IgG antibodies, which means that they had contracted mumps, whilst 23.5% of patients of group 2 had undetectable IgG antibodies, even though they should have been vaccinated. CONCLUSION: The data from our study, with a low number of positive samples in the first years of the study and an increase in the last two years, could suggest the occurrence of outbreaks every 4-6 years.

Eleventh International Congress on Obesity: news and prospects.

This article describes the 11th International Congress on Obesity which took place in Stockholm in July 2010. The delegates discussed recommended diagnostics and treatments in obesitology. A large number of presentations focused on nutrition and dietary management. The 11th International Congress on Obesity had a high professional standard. Active participants as well as almost 50 producers who exhibited drugs and medical equipment from the areas of nutrition, obesity, metabolism, and metabolic surgery contributed to this.

Vitamin levels in a selected population in the Czech Republic.

OBJECTIVES: The work objective was to monitor nutritional habits in the observed group of professional soldiers with the focus on eating food with the content of antioxidant carriers. Then to show present state of health and nutrition in the group on the basis of anthropometric measurements and biochemical examinations and finally to observe the level of antioxidant vitamins in the observed group of professional soldiers. METHODS: The group included 171 healthy individuals, 152 men and 19 women. Their average age was 34.2±7.9 years. The venous blood was taken for biochemical examinations in all individuals on a fast. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, caliperation, waist circumferences), blood pressure and pulse were taken continually in all individuals. Simple questionnaires were administered to all participants for the complete evaluation of present health and for the registration of eating habits of the observed persons. RESULTS: The study results show that retinol and a-tocoferol levels in the observed group were within a normal range. The average concentration of vitamin C in this group was 54 mmol/l and reached nearly the values given in other European countries. But concentrations of ß-caroten and lycopen in serum were up to 50% lower in comparison with concentrations in population in the countries of West Europe. Higher vitamin C and ß caroten serum levels were found in individuals who respond in a questionnaire they eat fruit and vegetables or supplements of vitamin preparations every day. Statistically lower levels of vitamin C, ß karoten and lycopen in the group of obese people (compared with the group of normal weight people) show decreased level of antioxidant protection of the organism and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that it is necessary to ensure optimal food not only with an energetic diet value but also with a proper input of antioxidant carriers in the form of fresh vegetables and fruit every day.

[Options for the detection and identifications of agents causing viral hemorrhagic fevers]. / Moznosti detekce a identifikace puvodcu virových hemoragických.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) belong to the most deadly diseases. Therefore rapid detection and identification of causal agent is very important for epidemiological investigation and countermeasures. The review present all published information about VHF detection and identification, with focus on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. In the first part, basic information about microbiological diagnostic technique is provided. The second part is concerned with detection and identification methods for individual agents causingt VHFs.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in professional soldiers of the Czech Army over an 11-year period.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Obesity is currently considered to be the most frequent metabolic disease worldwide, not only in developed but also in developing countries. The aim of this work was to describe the development of health status in soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic (ACR) and to emphasizethe markers of non-communicable diseases. Our study describes the anthropometric and biochemical parameters of a large group of Czech Army professional soldiers. Data were obtained over a period of 11 years. METHODS: During the monitored period, from 1999 to 2009, military physicians carried out on the average 6,360 examinations on professional soldiers per year and monitored their health and nutritional status with the aim of preventing the risk factors of non-communicable diseases. These examinations are compulsory for all professional soldiers at the age of 25, 30, 33, and 36 years. From the age of 39, these examinations are carried out every year till the end of their career. Besides taking personal histories and carrying out standard physical examinations, blood was taken for biochemical examination. The following anthropometric parameters were monitored: body constitution using body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Our study describes only part of the data concerning anthropometric and biochemical parameters of professional soldiers which were obtained over a period of 11 years. RESULTS: Average BMI values in men were in the overweight range (26.5-27 kg/m2). Average values of waist circumference, however, ranged from 91.9 cm to 93.4 cm. Between the first and the last year of monitoring a statistically significant decrease in these values ranging from 93.4 ± 9.8 cm to 92.7 ± 9.5 cm (p < 0.001) was observed. All monitored anthropometric parameters in female professional soldiers were within normal limits. During the monitored period the proportion of overweight men gradually increased from 52% to 57.1% (p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant changes in the prevalence of obesity in men (12-15%). Average glycaemia levels were within normal range in both men and women. A statistically significant decrease in these levels, however, was observed in men (from 5.1 ± 0.9 mmol/L to 4.8 ± 0.7 mmol/L (p < 0.001) and in women (from 4.9 ± 0.6 mmol/L to 4.6 ± 0.6 mmol/L (p < 0.001). Concerning the lipid profile in men, a significant decrease in average values of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol was observed; from 5.5 ± 1.1 mmol/L to 5.1 ± 1.0 mmol/L (p < 0.001), from 2.0 ± 1.6 mmol/L to 1.6 ± 1.2 mmol/L (p < 0.001) and from 3.4 ± 1.1 mmol/L to 3.2 ± 0.9 mmol/L (p < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION: During the monitored period only one-third of military professionals had normal body weight. More favorable situation was in female professional soldiers, two-thirds of them had normal body weight during the monitored period. Additionally, the increase in the number of individuals with BMI values in the overweight range was observed. Although the number of overweight soldiers was overestimated as a result of the inclusion of individuals with increased body weight due to well-developed musculature, the number of overweight and obese soldiers is still high.

[Experience with the PCR method in chlamydia detection.].

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The study was intended to summarize and evaluate the results in patients with a suspected infection by the genus Chlamydia, investigated with an in-house method of nested PCR (polymerase chain reaction). The study worked with data from patients living in eastern Bohemia, who were examined in the years 2001-2003 at the Dept. of Molecular Biology, a research laboratory shared by the Institute of Clinical Microbiology and the Institute of Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 291 explorations were done in 2001, in 2002 already 562 and in 2003 their figure reached 760. The total number of samples received for investigation during that period was 1 613. 1 587 were actually investigated, 26 were unsuitable and could not be used. More than 70 % of all investigations were done with three types of material: urine (41.8 % of all the investigated samples), BAL (15.3 % of all the investigated samples) and whole blood (14.9 % of all the investigated samples). The investigations were carried out with the in-house nested PCR method, which uses primers from the MOMP(ompA) area of the genus Chlamydia spp. RESULTS: Total positivity was 5.67 %, in 1.26 % of the samples the resulted was considered uncertain and 93.07 % of the investigated samples were negative. In men PCR positivity was 6.11 %, in women 5.35 %. The major proportion of positive samples was from the age groups 70-79 years (11.67 %), 10-19 years (6.51 %) and 40-49 years (6.45 %). Overall positivity in smears from the urogenital system was 6.48 %, from urine 3.92 %, from BAL 10.70 % and from whole blood 5.51 %. KEYWORDS: nested PCR, Chlamydia spp., detection.