Osteoporosis is the "silent epidemic" of our time
Horváth O., Horváth A.

Brittle bone disease affects approximately 200 million men and women worldwide, including, it is estimated, around a third of those in the 60-70 age group, and two thirds of the over-80s. In Hungary, the number of sufferers is put at between 800,000 and 1 million persons. Not only is osteoporosis the most prevalent diseases affecting bone metabolism, and as a result of the fractures sustained as a result, it is also responsible for numerous premature mortalities. Osteoporosis causes a loss in bone material, which leads to changes in the bones' flexibility and tensile strength. A reduction in bone density is unavoidable in old age, but this can also be influenced by changes in hormonal makeup, which is why one form of the disease mainly threatens women during the menopause. Besides the regular physiological changes, numerous other risk factors are instrumental in the development of osteoporosis. In the knowledge of these we can reduce the risk of contracting osteoporosis, or the severity of the disease. It is an error to believe that prevention merely involved ingestion of the appropriate minerals, although proper nutrition undoubtedly form the basis for any preventive program. We can do a great deal for ourselves by ensuring a balanced lifestyle, and taking regular exercise. Screening could be introduced as a standard procedure throughout Hungary. In this way an increasing number of patients will be diagnosed and treated, thereby preventing the serious complications associated with bone factures, which diminish the patients' quality of life and are extremely costly to society.

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Everything the healthcare worker should know about the latest European adult CPR guidelines
Betlehem J., Puskás T. MD, Nagy G.MD, Marton J., Galbavi M.

The article aims to draw the attention of all health workers to the new guidelines approved by the European Resuscitation Council in 2005 in respect of basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS).
The authors highlight the changes introduced in relation to the resuscitation guidelines issued in 2000, which are also used in Hungary, and stress that the procedures may only be performed effectively after repeated and continuous practise.
The articles also explores the international literature and research that underpins the changes, and makes reference to the ways in which the wider community of healthcare professionals can make use of the new skills in their own work.

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Physiotherapeutic treatment of incontinence related to obstetrical and gynaecological problems
Bajnay M.

The author summaries the role of the perineal musculature in female life. She reviews the physiology and anatomy of these muscles based on her physiotherapeutic background. The author presents the different types of urinary incontinence, with special emphasis of the aetiology of stress incontinence. She discusses more details the conservative management (physiotherapy) of stress incontinence. At the end she focuses to the education and training possibilities of perineal musculature exercises.

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The prestige of the nursing profession in the Czech Republic
PhDr. Sylva Bártlová, CSc., Doc.PhDr. Valérie Tóthová, Ph.D.

The authors conducted a survey in the Czech Republic, the aims of which included a study of how nurses rate the prestige of their profession. Some 1,040 nurses were questioned, from all over the Czech Republic. The researchers also wanted to establish the how nurses describe the social importance of their vocation. A total of 48.4% of those asked considered it to be average, while 34.7% rated it as low. Only those with less than three years of professional experience spoke of a positive social reception. The authors concluded that the rise in the prestige of nurses, as a social group, is closely linked to college training. The new type of training undergone by nurses is regulated by Act 96, passed in 2004, the chief aim of which is to establish nursing as a profession. This is one of the prerequisites for raising its prestige.
The research was sponsored by the Health Ministry of the Czech Republic.

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Social work in hospitals
Kóczán K.

Internationally, social worker training looks back on a history of more than 100 years, while hospital social workers have existed in the United States of America for around century. From 1994 onwards qualified social workers also began to appear at the bedsides of patients in Hungarian hospitals, but the profession of 'social worker' has not yet fully developed here.
An important prerequisite for patient care of the desired standard is teamwork, and the social worker should also be a member of the team. The author lists the specific duties of a social worker within the context of complex patient care.

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