This thesis examines ways of establishing cause of death, assessing trends in mortality, and identifying factors that affect mortality and survival among the different population groups in rural and semi-urban Ethiopia. These data are important for health care planning; however, such vital data are unavailable in many developing countries. The study was conducted in Butajira Rural Health Program Demographic Surveillance Site, Ethiopia, where data collection on vital events and related research has been conducted for the last 20 years. This thesis used a cohort and a case referent study preceded by Focus Group Discussion. It also employed a verbal autopsy procedure to identify causes of death. The cohort component used 18 years of surveillance data (1987-2004). The prospective case referent study, carried out in the years 2003-2005, was used to complement the mortality analysis and focused particularly on issues related to household decision making, social capital, and economic status. The main subgroups included were children under-five years old, adults 15-64, and the elderly 65 years and above. Cause of death was ascertained using the Physicians’ Review and InterVA methods. Food shortage and epidemics affected the modest downward trend of mortality. There was a general similarity between the Physicians’ Review and InterVA methods in identifying the major causes of death. About 60% of the deaths were due to pneumonia/sepsis, pulmonary tuberculosis, malaria, and diarrhoea disease/malnutrition. The InterVA method was cheaper and more consistent. Higher rates of HIV/AIDS (11%), tuberculosis (18%), and cardiovascular (9%) mortality were noted in urban areas compared to rural areas. Consistent higher mortality was found in rural areas. Women were disadvantaged by residence and advanced age. Place of residence, illiteracy, widowhood, and not owning a house affected men and women differently, indicating a possible need for gender-specific interventions. Children and women survival is affected by household decision-making; this means efforts to improve women’s involvement in household decision-making (women empowerment) might improve child and women survival in poor settings. Many factors that significantly affect mortality can only be controlled by concerted efforts to improve health and overall development.

Ph.d.-afhandling. University of Helsinki, 2005. / Også elektronisk adgang via Internetttet.

Resume af ph.d afhandling, Uppsala Universitet.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare but complex disease that is fatal if untreated. With a modern combination of antimicrobial therapy and heart valve surgery, mortality is still 10-20 %. The structure of the endocarditis vegetation impedes the penetration of phagocytic cells such as monocytes and granulocytes. This leads to high bacterial counts inside the vegetation and the need for long treatment courses with a combination of intravenously administered bactericidal antibiotics. The aim of this thesis was to study the changes in epidemiology, management, and mortality at our hospital between 1980 and 2001, and to identify prognostic factors associated with mortality. To assess the issue of referral bias, differences between referred episodes and episodes from our local community were studied. Additional aims were to study the occurrence of the pro-chemotactic cytokines IL-8 and TNF-α in heart valves and vegetations during the active phase of IE, and to study the effect of the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin in dense staphylococcal cultures in vitro. As it is a rare and complex disease, management of IE is usually complicated for non-specialists. For this reason a computerised decision support system for IE was developed and evaluated. Between 1980 and 2001, the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus IE and the use of early heart valve surgery increased significantly, regardless of whether the episodes were referred or of local origin. Glycopeptide antibiotics, mainly vancomycin, were used more frequently, especially among referred patients. Referred patients were younger, predominantly male, had more complications, and received surgical treatment more often than patients from our local community. The reason for the lower frequency of female patients in the referral cohort cannot be explained by more comorbidity or fewer complications. The differences between referred and local episodes seen in our study highlight the need for assessment and adjustment for referral bias in IE studies (Paper I). In six patients who needed early heart valve surgery, the largest numbers of IL-8-containing cells, and the greatest amount of inflammation, were seen in patients with short preoperative antimicrobial treatment courses. No such relationships were seen with respect to TNF-α-containing cells. The IL-8-containing cells and the inflammatory cells were predominantly scattered in the heart valve stroma or in the margin of the vegetation (Paper II). The primary effect of IL-8 is to stimulate chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes. This indicates that there is no deficiency of IL-8 in the area close to the vegetation as a cause of the localised agranulocytosis often present inside the vegetation. Our study revealed a need for computerised decision support systems (DSSs) in the field of IE, but to be used in clinical practice these DSSs need be part of knowledge bases covering larger domains (Paper IV). Some of our initial ideas described in Paper III, especially the use of Internet technology and the combination of rule-based advice and explanatory hypertext, will probably be included in these knowledge bases. In vitro, there is a rapid reduction of free vancomycin in broth containing dense staphylococcal cultures. Consequently, there is a simultaneous increase in broth MICs, particularly in high inocula, which is not caused by a development of resistance (Paper V). These findings need further evaluation in vivo, but indicate that the dosing regimen of vancomycin is of particular importance in staphylococcal infections with dense inocula, e.g. infective endocarditis. Diabetes mellitus and moderate to severe heart failure were independent risk factors for 6-month mortality in left-sided, Duke definite IE episodes, regardless of referral or local origin of the episodes. Early heart valve surgery had a positive impact on the 6-month mortality in the referral cohort of episodes, which may be due to referral bias (Paper VI).

Background: MRSA is a critical disease, where isolation might be necessary among the infected. The literature reveals more negative consequences than positive for isolated patients. Given this information, a paradox is highlighted that healthcare works to reduce the spread of infection of MRSA, while it may affect the care of the individual patient. Aim: The aim was to highlight patients' experiences of isolation due to MRSA. Method: A literature study was performed according to Friberg (2012) in order to review the existing knowledge. Ten scientific articles were retrieved, whereof seven are qualitative and three are quantitative. Results: The result supports the assumption that isolation affects the patients' experiences positively as well as negatively. The positive experiences are ”appreciation and calmness” and ”satisfaction”. There are more negative experiences. They are loneliness, boredom, anxiety, anger, frustration, confusion and bad treatment. Furthermore, a series of actions are proposed to improve patients' situations. Discussions: The results are discussed from the point of view of Løgstrup’s ethical demand. That aims to highlight the ethical dimension of nurses meeting with isolated patients. The discussion is divided in several titles with different starting points. One of the titels discuss the paradox and another discuss the results from an environmental point of view. / Bakgrund: MRSA är en allmänfarlig sjukdom där isolering kan bli aktuellt för de smittade. I litteraturen framkommer fler negativa konsekvenser än positiva för isolerade patienter. Med detta i åtanke uppmärksammas en paradox. Den yttrar sig i att samtidigt som vården vill minska risken för smittspridning av MRSA, kan det påverka vården för den enskilda patienten. Syfte: Syftet var att belysa patienters upplevelser av isolering i samband med MRSA. Metod: En litteraturöversikt har genomförts enligt Friberg (2012) för att skapa en överblick över kunskapsläget. Tio vetenskapliga artiklar valdes ut, varav sju var kvalitativa och tre kvantitativa. Resultat: Resultatet styrker antagandet att isolering påverkar patienternas upplevelser positivt och negativt. De positiva upplevelserna var "uppskattning och lugn" samt "tillfredsställelse". De negativa upplevelserna var fler. Dessa var "övergivenhet och tristess", "oro, ilska och frustration", "förvirring" och "dåligt bemötande". Vidare belystes en rad åtgärder för att förbättra patienternas situationer. Diskussion: Resultatet diskuteras med anknytning till Løgstrups teori om det etiska kravet. Målsättningen var att belysa den etiska dimensionen av sjuksköterskans möte med den isolerade patienten. I diskussionen förs också resonemang kring den funna paradoxen och utifrån konsensusbegreppet miljö.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the Western World, although the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) has declined over the last decades. However, obesity, which is one of the most important risk factors for CVD, is increasingly common. Osteoporosis is also on the rise because of an aging population. Based on considerable overlap in the prevalence of CVD and osteoporosis, a shared etiology has been proposed. Furthermore, the possibility of interplay between the skeleton and adipose tissue has received increasing attention the last few years with the discovery that leptin can influence bone metabolism and that osteocalcin can influence adipose tissue. A main aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of fat mass distribution and bone mineral density on the risk of MI. Using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) we measured 592 men and women for regional fat mass in study I. In study II this was expanded to include 3258 men and women. In study III 6872 men and women had their bone mineral density measured in the total hip and femoral neck using DEXA. We found that a fat mass distribution with a higher proportion of abdominal fat mass was associated with both an adverse risk factor profile and an increased risk of MI. In contrast, a higher gynoid fat mass distribution was associated with a more favorable risk factor profile and a decreased risk of MI, highlighting the different properties of abdominal and gynoid fat depots (study I-II). In study III, we investigated the association of bone mineral density and risk factors shared between CVD and osteoporosis, and risk of MI. We found that lower bone mineral density was associated with hypertension, and also tended to be associated to other CVD risk factors. Low bone mineral density was associated with an increased risk of MI in both men and women, apparently independently of the risk factors studied (study III). In study IV, we investigated 50 healthy, young men to determine if a high-impact loading intervention in the form of a series of jumps would lead to changes in glucose and lipid metabolism. We found that the intervention group had significantly lowered serum glucose levels compared to the control group. Changes in all metabolic parameters favored the intervention group with an increase in lipolysis from baseline and a decrease in cholesterol. In summary, the proportion of abdominal and gynoid fat mass displayed contrasting associations to both CVD risk factors and MI risk. Abdominal fat mass was associated with a higher risk while a high proportion of gynoid fat mass was associated with a lower risk. Bone mineral density displayed an inverse association with MI risk, seemingly independently of CVD risk factors, suggesting other explanations to a shared pathogenesis. Finally, high impact loading on the skeleton in young, healthy men decreased serum glucose levels and tended to improve other metabolic parameters, suggesting that the skeleton can affect energy metabolism.

AIM: The overall aim of this thesis was to study culture as an oral health determinant for dental caries and gingivitis in children living in Jönköping, Sweden, in relation to children living in Da Nang, Vietnam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 1993 and 2003, cross-sectional studies with clinical examinations and questionnaires were performed in Jönköping, Sweden, with a random sample of 130 children from each of four age groups; 3, 5, 10 and 15 years. The final study sample comprised 739 children, 154 (21%) with two foreign-born parents and 585 (79%) with two Swedish-born parents (Paper I). In 2000, all 15-year-olds (n=143) at one school in Jönköping, Sweden, were asked to participate in a questionnaire study connected to clinical data. The final sample comprised 117 individuals, 51 (44%) with foreign-born parents and 66 (56%) with Swedish-born parents (Paper II). In 2008, a cross-sectional study with clinical examinations and questionnaires was performed in Da Nang, Vietnam with 840 randomly selected children, 210 in each of four age groups; 3, 5, 10 and 15 years. The final sample comprised 745 individuals (Papers III and IV). RESULTS: In 2003, the mean number of decayed (initial and manifest) and filled tooth surfaces was significantly higher in all age groups in children with foreign-born parents compared with children with Swedish-born parents. The gap between children with foreign-born parents and Swedish-born parents increased over the ten-year period from 1993 to 2003. The odds ratio of dental caries development among 10- and 15-year-old children with foreign-born-parents was more than six times higher than for their counterparts with Swedish-born parents (Paper I). Fifteen-year-olds born in Sweden of foreignborn parents and those who had immigrated before one year of age had a caries prevalence similar to 15-year-olds with Swedish-born parents, whereas the caries prevalence in children who had immigrated to Sweden after 7 years of age was 2-3 times higher (Paper II). Among the 3- and 5-year-olds in Vietnam, 98% suffered from dental caries, compared with 91% of 10- and 15-year-olds (Paper IV). The distribution of the most frequent values of decayed and filled primary tooth surfaces (dfs) in 5-year-olds was 16–20, and of decayed and filled permanent tooth surfaces (DFS) in 15-year-olds was 1–5. The maximum dfs was 76–80, and significant numbers of children had dfs between 20 and 50. The percentage of tooth sites with plaque and gingivitis was higher for children in all age groups with foreign-born parents compared with children with Swedish-born parents, except among the 15-year-olds in 2003. In Vietnam, the prevalence of plaque and gingivitis was high in all age groups, especially in 10- and 15-year-olds. Fifteen-yearolds in Sweden with foreign-born parents had a higher intake of snack products between principal meals compared with 15-year-olds with Swedish-born parents (Paper II). In Sweden, most children in all age groups brushed their teeth themselves or with help from their parents twice or more than twice a day (Paper I). Among 3- and 5-year-olds in Vietnam, about half of the parents reported that their children brushed their teeth themselves or with help from parents twice or more than twice a day (Paper III). All 3-year-olds and 99% of 5-year-olds in Sweden brushed their teeth with fluoride toothpaste (Paper I). Among 15-year-olds in Sweden with foreign-born parents, 88% reported that they brushed their teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day compared with 98% of 15-year-olds with Swedish-born parents (Paper II). In Vietnam, 44–78% of the children used fluoride toothpaste for toothbrushing and 51% consumed sweets between principal meals at least once a day (Paper III). Sweetened milk was the most common source of this sugar intake for the 3- and 5-year-olds (Paper III). CONCLUSIONS: Culture is an important oral health determinant for dental caries and gingivitis in children. There is an urgent need to improve oral health care promotion and preventive programmes for children with foreign-born parents in Sweden, but also a great need for such programmes for children in Vietnam. / SYFTE: Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling var att studera kultur som en oral bestämningsfaktor för karies och gingivit hos barn boende i Jönköping, Sverige, i relation till barn boende i Da Nang, Vietnam. MATERIAL OCH METOD: Under 1993 och 2003 utfördes två epidemiologiska tvärsnittsstudier i Jönköping med ett slumpmässigt urval av individer i åldersgrupperna 3, 5, 10 och 15 år. Samtliga individers orala hälsa undersöktes kliniskt och röntgenologiskt. Barnen, eller deras föräldrar, svarade även på ett frågeformulär avseende sociodemografi, attityder till och kunskaper om tänder samt munhälsovanor. Totalt omfattade studien 739 barn och ungdomar, 154 med två utrikes födda föräldrar och 585 med två svenskfödda föräldrar (Paper I). I en annan studie inbjöds 143 15-åringar på en kommunal skola i Jönköping att delta (Paper II). Av dessa deltog 117 personer; 51 med två utrikes födda föräldrar och 66 med två svenskfödda föräldrar. Alla ungdomar intervjuades med hjälp av ett strukturerat frågeformulär där kostfrågor förtydligades med visualisering, dvs exempel på förpackningar och varor. Information om karies (DFS) samlades in från journaler från Folktandvården, Landstinget i Jönköpings län. Under 2008 genomfördes en epidemiologisk tvärsnittsstudie i Da Nang, Vietnam med 840 slumpmässigt utvalda barn, 210 individer i åldersgrupperna 3, 5, 10 och 15 år, där det slutliga urvalet omfattade 745 individer. Samtliga individers orala hälsa undersöktes kliniskt. Barnen, eller deras föräldrar, svarade även på ett frågeformulär avseende sociodemografi, attityder till och kunskaper om tänder samt munhälsovanor (Papers III och IV) RESULTAT: År 2003 var antalet karierade och fyllda tandytor (dfs/DFS) statistiskt signifikant högre i alla åldersgrupper hos svenska barn med två utrikes födda föräldrar jämfört med barn med två svenskfödda föräldrar och klyftan mellan barn med utländsk bakgrund och barn med svensk bakgrund ökade under tioårsperioden 1993-2003. Risken för att utsättas för karies bland 10- och 15-åringar med utländsk bakgrund var mer än sex gånger högre jämfört med 15-åringar med svensk bakgrund (Paper I). Femtonåringar födda i Sverige med två utrikes födda föräldrar som hade kommit till Sverige före ett års ålder, hade en kariesprevalens som liknade den hos 15-åringar med svenskfödda föräldrar, medan barn som hade invandrat till Sverige efter sju år ålder hade en 2-3 gånger högre kariesprevalens (Paper II). Bland 3- och 5-åringar i Vietnam hade 98 % karies, hos 10- och 15-åringar var motsvarande siffra 91 % (Paper IV). De mest frekventa värdena av antalet kariesskadade och fyllda tandytor på primära tänder hos barn i 5-års-ålder var 16-20, och de mest frekventa värdena av kariesskadade och fyllda tandytor på permanenta tänder hos barn i åldern 15 år var 1-5. De maximala värdena av kariesskadade och fyllda primära tandytor var 76-80, och det fanns ett stort antal barn med mellan 20 och 50 skadade och fyllda primära tandytor. Procentandelen tandytor med plack och gingivit var numeriskt högre i alla åldersgrupper i Sverige hos barn med utländsk bakgrund jämfört med barn med svensk bakgrund, utom mellan 15-åringar år 2003. I Vietnam var förekomsten av plack och gingivit mycket hög i alla åldersgrupper och i synnerhet hos 10- och 15-åringar. I Sverige borstade de flesta av barnen i alla åldersgrupper sina tänder själva eller med hjälp av sina föräldrar två eller mer än två gånger per dag (Paper I). Bland 3- och 5-åringar i Vietnam rapporterade ungefär hälften av föräldrarna att barnen borstade tänderna själva eller med hjälp av föräldrar två eller mer än två gånger per dag (Paper III). Alla 3-åringar och 99 % av 5-åringar i Sverige borstade tänderna med fluortandkräm (Paper I). Bland 15-åringar med utländsk bakgrund uppgav 88 % att de borstade tänderna med fluortandkräm minst två gånger om dagen jämfört med 98 % av 15-åringarna med svensk bakgrund (Paper II). I Vietnam borstade 44 %-78 % av barnen tänderna med fluortandkräm (Paper III). Femtonåringar i Sverige med utländsk bakgrund hade ett högre intag av sötsaker mellan huvudmåltider jämfört med ungdomar med svensk bakgrund (Paper II). I Vietnam konsumerade 51 % av barnen sötsaker mellan huvudmåltiderna minst en gång om dagen. Sötad mjölk var den vanligaste källan till detta sockerintag för 3- och 5-åringar (Paper III). SLUTSATSER: Kultur är en viktig bestämningsfaktor för karies och gingivit hos barn. Det finns ett överhängande behov av att förbättra promotion och preventionsprogram avseende oral hälsa bland barn i Sverige med utrikes födda föräldrar men också ett stort behov för barnen i Vietnam.

Perinatal audit has been tested and proved an important tool for reduction of perinatal mortality and assessment of quality of perinatal care. At Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), a tertiary hospital in Dar es salaam, Tanzania we performed a retrospective cross-sectional study using data from an obstetrics database to classify all perinatal deaths during 1999-2003. We also determined the prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy and its impact on perinatal outcome. Furthermore, we conducted a perinatal audit to study potential determinants and causes of perinatal and neonatal deaths and their avoidability. We also assessed the quality of care of patients admitted with eclampsia using a criteria based audit. Stillbirth, early neonatal and perinatal mortality rates (PMR) were 96, 27 and 124 respectively. A large proportion of foetuses (38%) had no audible foetal heart beat on admission at MNH labour ward and the majority of the neonatal deaths were asphyxiated at delivery. The PMR for multiples and singletons were 269 and 118 respectively resulting in a rate ratio of 2.4 (95%CI: 2.1-2.4). The prevalence of anaemia and severe anaemia was 68% and 5.8%, respectively. Severity of anaemia increased the risk of preterm delivery with ORs of 1.4, 1.4 and 4.1 for women with mild, moderate and severe anaemia as compared to women with normal haemoglobin levels. The corresponding risks for LBW and VLBW were 1.2, 1.7 and 3.8, and 1.5, 1.9 and 4.2 respectively. The prevalence of preterm delivery and LBW was 17% and 14% respectively. The hospital-based incidence of eclampsia was 504 per 10,000 women or 5.1 % of all mothers admitted. Suboptimal care were identified on criteria regarding management plan by senior staff, review of the plans by specialist obstetrician, delay on caesarean section, monitoring patients on magnesium sulphate and inadequate use of the laboratory. Two out of three patients requiring operation were not operated within set standards. Birth asphyxia was the main cause of intrapartum fresh stillbirth (47%) and early neonatal deaths (51%), whereas eclampsia (25%) and preeclampsia (8.3%) were main maternal medical conditions. The majority of stillbirths were fresh, indicating foetal demise during labour or just before delivery. The audit study identified suboptimal care in about 80% of audited cases out of which about 50% were found to be the likely cause of the adverse perinatal outcome. Inadequate maternal and foetal monitoring during labour were the main suboptimal factors, though delay in referral and operative interventions were also prominent. Based on these studies, we conclude that: The perinatal mortality (PMR) in this study was higher than the national average. About one in four perinatal deaths at MNH can be attributed to avoidable factors linked to obstetric care Main causes of perinatal and neonatal deaths were intrapartum birth asphyxia, immaturity related and infections            Management of patients in labour needs to be improved Suboptimal care that is essentially avoidable included: inadequate monitoring of patients during labour, delay of care,    e.g. long decision to surgery interval, and delayed referral of patients fromprimary hospitals The prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy was very high; and low birth weight and preterm delivery was independently associated with severity of anaemia The prevalence of eclampsia at MNH was high and the case management needs to be improved

Bakgrunn: Verdens helseorganisasjon (WHO)beskriver antibiotikaresistensblant ulike mikroorganismer, inkludert Meticillinresistente gule stafylokokker (MRSA), som en alvorlig og økende trussel mot folkehelsen. MRSA er forbundet med økt risiko for komplikasjoner og død. Den nasjonale MRSA-veilederen publisert i 2009 har som målsetting at ”MRSA skal ikke etablere seg og bli en fast del av bakteriefloraen ved norske sykehus og sykehjem”. Fra 2008 blir alle MRSA-prøver i Norge genotypisk karakterisert med spa-typing(analyse av Staphylococcusprotein Agenet), og opplysningeneinkluderti meldingssystem for smittsomme sykdommer (MSIS-registeret). Mål: Å gjøre en mer detaljert epidemiologisk kartlegging av MRSA-spredningen i Norge ved å analysere de ulike spa-typene og identifisere klynger. Vurdere om funn fra denne kartleggingen gir grunnlag for å gi råd, om endring eller spissing av tiltak beskrevet i den norske MRSA-veilederen. Metode: Studien er en registerbasert retrospektiv kohortstudie med data fra alle meldte tilfeller av MRSA, totalt 2384 tilfeller, i MSIS-registeret fra 2008 til og med 2010. Resultat: Det er en statistisk signifikant økning av MRSA-tilfeller fra 2008 (IR 13,9/100000) til 2010 (IR 18,7/100000). Av de 44 registrerteMRSA-utbruddene (227 MRSA-tilfeller), er 98 % i helseinstitusjoner. Reduksjonen i insidensen for utbrudd er statistisk signifikant. Av MRSA-tilfellene som ikke er utbrudd er det mulig å knytte sammen 660 MRSA-tilfeller i klynger med familie/husstand,utgjør 27 % av alle tilfellene, og 1497 tilfeller(62,8 %)som ikke kan knyttes sammen. Økningen er statistisk signifikant. Mye av økningen av MRSA-tilfeller er relatert til kontakt med land med høyere MRSA-insidens enn Norge (feriereiser, helsereiser, adopsjon av barn, flykninger, innvandring m.m). Konklusjon: Norge har lav MRSA insidens. Studien viser en reduksjon av MRSA-tilfellerog utbrudd i sykehus og sykehjem, som samsvarer med målet i MRSA-veilederen. En økende andel MRSA-tilfeller oppstår utenfor helsestjenesten, og en kan reise spørsmål om ikkeMRSA-veilederenburde anbefale mer omfattende smitteverntiltak for å forebygge smittespredning i samfunnet. / Background: The World Health Organization describes antimicrobial resistance within a wide range of infectious agents, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as a growing threatto public health. MRSA associates with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. In Norway, nationalguidelines (2009) aimed to minimize the incidence of MRSA, especially in hospitals and nursing homes. Beginning in 2008, all MRSA-samples have been typed according to Staphylococcusprotein A (spa). This information is included in the Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases. Aim: This study aimed to show the spread pattern of MRSA in Norway during 2008–2010, and to examinethe potential for recommending changes to the national MRSA guidelines. Method: To identify disease clusters, this registry-based retrospective cohort study reviewed the Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases for all reported MRSA-cases (n=2,384), including spa-type MRSA, during 2008–2010. Results: There is a statistically significant increase in total MRSA cases from 2008 (IR 13.9/100,000) to 2010 (IR 18.7/100,000). Registered outbreaks of MRSA (44 outbreaks, 227cases, 98 % reported from healthcare services), have a statistical significant decrease during the study (from IR 1.9/100,000 to IR 1.3/100,000). We connected660 MRSA cases (27 % of all cases) to clusters;1,497 cases (62.8 %) were “single cases”.The statistically significant increase in MRSA cases resulted mainly from contact with high incidence countries (e.g.,traveling abroad, adoptions, refugees, immigration). Conclusions: Norway has a low incidence of MRSA. Concurring with the goal of national MRSA guidelines, this study shows that healthcare services reported a decline in MRSAcases and outbreaks. The increasing incidence of community-acquired MRSA raises a question about recommending stronger infection control measures in the national MRSA guidelines to prevent the spread of MRSA in the community. / <p>ISBN 978-91-86739-99-7</p>

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.