Cervical cancer screening developed rapidly during the 1970s. Today, approximately 1.5 million smears are taken annually, so 50% of the target population are screened every year, 30% are cytologically underserved (24% never had a smears, 6% only once). This figure correlates with the fact that there are still 30% deaths from cervical cancer compared with 1960. Since 1998 a voluntary quality assurance programme was introduced by the Austrian Society of Cytology, based on comparison of results reported from participating laboratories.

To determine if low-level exposure to lead has an effect on arterial blood pressure, demographic and clinical data of a group of 507 males without any occupational exposure to lead were analyzed in a retrospective study. The following variables were included in the analysis: age, height, weight, nicotine consumption, alcohol intake, blood lead, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and erythrocyte count. The effects of the variables age, weight, height, alcohol intake, nicotine consumption, and blood lead on blood pressure were investigated by stepwise linear regression analysis. The diastolic as well as the systolic blood pressure was significantly influenced by Body Mass Index, age, and alcohol. A significant effect of lead could be found only for diastolic blood pressure. None of the possible interactions were significant enough to merit inclusion in the statistical model. Regarding the strength of the effects on diastolic blood pressure we find that lead ranks after age, weight. In conclusion, this study shows that lead has an effect on diastolic arterial blood pressure in a survey of a group of middle-aged, occupationally nonexposed men.

400 männliche Bronchuskarzinom-Patienten wurden mit der ent-sprechenden Altersgruppe (50 bis 69 Jahre) der Österreichischen Gesamtbevölkerung hinsichtlich ihrer sozialen Schichtgliederung verglichen. Die Analyse der Schichtstruktur erfolgte nach einem Verfahren, bei dem zur Beurteilung der Schichtzugehörigkeit Angaben über Schulbildung und Beruf herangezogen werden. Der Vergleich ergab einen Unterschied, wie er auch in anderen Län-dern festgestellt werden konnte: Bronchuskarzinom-Patienten weisen einen statistisch signifikant höheren Anteil von Angehörigen niederer Sozialschichten auf als die Vergleichsgruppe. Das in niederen Schichten erhöhte Bronchuskarzinom-Risiko ist möglicherweise auf gesellschaftliche Bedingungen zurückzuführen. Ein soziogenetischer Einfluß ist vor allem über die Noxe Tabak, die heute als wichtigste Ursache für das Entstehen von Lungenkrebs gilt, denkbar: Angehörige niederer sozialer Schichten sind nicht nur häufiger Raucher und seltener Exraucher, sondern rauchen auch häufiger schadstoffreiche Zigaretten. Sie sind damit einer höheren Schadstoffbelastung ausgesetzt, die wiederum zu einer höheren Lungenkrebs-Morbidität führt.

No abstract

55 deaths following a Caesarean section occurred in Austria during 1975-1982 (41,7% of all maternal deaths). 45 deaths (82%) were directly related to the Caesarean section, in 9 cases (16%) a severe underlying disease was found which had contributed to the fatal outcome (indirect deaths). In one case the diagnosis could not be clarified. Among the direct deaths the indication for the Caesarean section was in 12 cases (27%) severe bleeding, in 12 cases gestosis, in 12 cases predominantly foetal causes, in 6 cases previous Caesarean section and in 3 cases poor obstetric history. Complications were in 18 cases (40%) severe bleeding, in 7 cases (16%) pulmonary embolism, in 4 cases complications as a consequence of anaesthesia and in 4 cases abdominal infections. In 14 cases (31%) post Caesarean hysterectomy was performed. The mortality of Caesarean section during 1975 to 1982 was 6.3/100.000 live births, whereas case fatality was 0.1%.