1403
MAMMOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT, NEEDS AND PROVISION (ITALY,
1991)
children with diarrhoea 2 C
upsaliensis strains, which were agglutinated by two serum samples obtained with dog isolates, and 2 C jejuni subsp doylei organisms. These observations indicate that dogs can be regarded as a potential source of infection not only for C jejuni subsp jejuni and C upsaliensis but also for campylobacters of other unusual species. Institute of Infectious Diseases, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
*See text. tAs
(public/private)
total
1. Lior
H, Woodward DL, Edgar JA, et al. Serotyping of Campylobacter heat-labile antigenic factors. J Clin Microbiol 1982; 15: 761-68
(% of machines needed)
firms selling diagnostic equipment and asked about machines, installed in both public and private hospitals and clinics. The data were validated by independent surveys done by the Italian Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Society and in the Tuscany
region. The number ofmammograms needed was estimated on the basis of one examination at age 40 followed by mammography every two years from age 50 to 69. This yielded 3900 000 tests per year. We assumed that one machine could do 7500 tests a year. The provision of equipment seems adequate (table): in northern and central Italy mammographic equipment available in the public sector would be almost sufficient, though in the south private resources would be needed too (these usually benefit from state-supported reimbursement schemes). The explanation therefore lies elsewhere, in the scarcity of skilled staff, mainly nurses and technicians, in the underuse of equipment, and in the inflexibility of X-ray department opening hours and protocols (ie, several projections being required for diagnostic mammography) in the face of the different task of
screening. Epidemiology Unit, Aviano Cancer Centre,
33081 Aviano, Italy; and European Cancer Prevention Organisation,
Epidemiology and Cancer Working Group, Brussels, Belgium
SILVIA FRANCESCHI
Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Genoa
MARCO GEDDES
S, Branca M, Ferraroni M, et al. Stato di attuazione di programmi di screening in Italia. Fed Med 1990; 18: 299-303. 2. Segnan N, Ronco G, Ponti A. Practice of early diagnosis of breast and uterine cervix cancer in the northern Italy town. Tumori 1990; 76: 227-33. 1 Franceschi
3. Rosselli del Turco M.
L’esperienza in Italia e raccomandazioni comunitarie. Congress: Oualità in Senologia (Albano Laziale, Oct 17-19, 1991). 4. Anon. Aspettare in code è un po’ monre. Tempo Med 1990; 15: 10-14.
NATALE FIGURA
SIRM
5. Franceschi S, Geddes M. La prevenzione dei tumori femminili. In Geddes M, ed. La salute degli Italiani: rapporto 1991. Roma: Nuova Italia Scientifica, 1991: 245-72.
Campylobacter spp isolated from dog faeces SIR,-Dr Goossens and colleagues (June 15, p 1486) report a case of Campylobacter upsaliensis enteritis associated with canine infection by the same organism, and claim that dogs can be a source of infection for organisms of this species. With colleagues I have investigated the presence of campylobacter in 30 healthy and
Intestinal
jejuni based on
permeability, diet, and growth
SiR,—The relation between intestinal permeability and catch-up that Dr Lunn and colleagues record (Oct 12, p 907) in Gambian children may be true of children in England. As these workers note, diet, growth, and intestinal disease are inextricably
growth
linked. Measurements made on English children suggest that available sulphur is a central component in this respect. We have assessed nutritional status and intestinal permeability of 20 children aged 1-5 years who were admitted for investigation of failure to thrive. 10 age-matched thriving children were controls. As part of the nutritional assessment, free urinary inorganic sulphate (expressed as a ratio to urinary creatinine) was assayed in an early morning urine sample. Urinary inorganic sulphate is a measure of the sulphur aminoacid intake more than that needed for growth and for hepatic metabolism-ie, an excess of surplus sulphur. Intestinal permeability was measured with the lactose/mannitol technique. We found a correlation (Spearman’s rs -0-51, p
MAMMOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT, NEEDS AND PROVISION (ITALY,
1991)
children with diarrhoea 2 C
upsaliensis strains, which were agglutinated by two serum samples obtained with dog isolates, and 2 C jejuni subsp doylei organisms. These observations indicate that dogs can be regarded as a potential source of infection not only for C jejuni subsp jejuni and C upsaliensis but also for campylobacters of other unusual species. Institute of Infectious Diseases, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
*See text. tAs
(public/private)
total
1. Lior
H, Woodward DL, Edgar JA, et al. Serotyping of Campylobacter heat-labile antigenic factors. J Clin Microbiol 1982; 15: 761-68
(% of machines needed)
firms selling diagnostic equipment and asked about machines, installed in both public and private hospitals and clinics. The data were validated by independent surveys done by the Italian Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Society and in the Tuscany
region. The number ofmammograms needed was estimated on the basis of one examination at age 40 followed by mammography every two years from age 50 to 69. This yielded 3900 000 tests per year. We assumed that one machine could do 7500 tests a year. The provision of equipment seems adequate (table): in northern and central Italy mammographic equipment available in the public sector would be almost sufficient, though in the south private resources would be needed too (these usually benefit from state-supported reimbursement schemes). The explanation therefore lies elsewhere, in the scarcity of skilled staff, mainly nurses and technicians, in the underuse of equipment, and in the inflexibility of X-ray department opening hours and protocols (ie, several projections being required for diagnostic mammography) in the face of the different task of
screening. Epidemiology Unit, Aviano Cancer Centre,
33081 Aviano, Italy; and European Cancer Prevention Organisation,
Epidemiology and Cancer Working Group, Brussels, Belgium
SILVIA FRANCESCHI
Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Genoa
MARCO GEDDES
S, Branca M, Ferraroni M, et al. Stato di attuazione di programmi di screening in Italia. Fed Med 1990; 18: 299-303. 2. Segnan N, Ronco G, Ponti A. Practice of early diagnosis of breast and uterine cervix cancer in the northern Italy town. Tumori 1990; 76: 227-33. 1 Franceschi
3. Rosselli del Turco M.
L’esperienza in Italia e raccomandazioni comunitarie. Congress: Oualità in Senologia (Albano Laziale, Oct 17-19, 1991). 4. Anon. Aspettare in code è un po’ monre. Tempo Med 1990; 15: 10-14.
NATALE FIGURA
SIRM
5. Franceschi S, Geddes M. La prevenzione dei tumori femminili. In Geddes M, ed. La salute degli Italiani: rapporto 1991. Roma: Nuova Italia Scientifica, 1991: 245-72.
Campylobacter spp isolated from dog faeces SIR,-Dr Goossens and colleagues (June 15, p 1486) report a case of Campylobacter upsaliensis enteritis associated with canine infection by the same organism, and claim that dogs can be a source of infection for organisms of this species. With colleagues I have investigated the presence of campylobacter in 30 healthy and
Intestinal
jejuni based on
permeability, diet, and growth
SiR,—The relation between intestinal permeability and catch-up that Dr Lunn and colleagues record (Oct 12, p 907) in Gambian children may be true of children in England. As these workers note, diet, growth, and intestinal disease are inextricably
growth
linked. Measurements made on English children suggest that available sulphur is a central component in this respect. We have assessed nutritional status and intestinal permeability of 20 children aged 1-5 years who were admitted for investigation of failure to thrive. 10 age-matched thriving children were controls. As part of the nutritional assessment, free urinary inorganic sulphate (expressed as a ratio to urinary creatinine) was assayed in an early morning urine sample. Urinary inorganic sulphate is a measure of the sulphur aminoacid intake more than that needed for growth and for hepatic metabolism-ie, an excess of surplus sulphur. Intestinal permeability was measured with the lactose/mannitol technique. We found a correlation (Spearman’s rs -0-51, p
