Balneal and Rehabilitation Sanatorium Techirghiol - Analysis of Epidemiological Data on Admitted Patients Techirghiol November 11, 2012
Authors: IONESCU Elena ValentinaMD , Assoc Prof. SURDU OlgaMD
PROFIR Daniela MD, MARIN Viorica MD, DEMIRGIAN Sibel MD, STANCIU Liliana Elena MD 1. Ovidius University Constanta, Romania 2. Balneal and Rehabilitation Sanatorium Techirghiol
"Medical Hydrology in a global integrated treatment program for the elderly. The network of services. Techirghiol -2012
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Introduction Balneal and Rehabilitation Sanatorium (BRST) is situated on the shore of Techirghiol Lake, near the Black Sea and was established over one century ago.
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Introduction
The sanatorium gained its fame over the years, due to the great number of Romanian and foreign patients treated here with natural cure factors salted water of the lake and sapropelic mud extracted from the lake. Most of the patients are admitted in the sanatorium through state medical insurance system, whereas only a small number come by direct payment.
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Aims of the Study
- analysis of epidemiological data (gender, age, somatic features), in order to establish the characteristics of the population that benefits from treatment with natural specific factors; - to participate in a comprehensive comparative international study, in order to compare the groups of patients that attend balneal establishments from other countries with balneal tradition; - to contribute to a common background for research in this field.
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Material and Method
The study was performed between May 2011 and April 2012. Over 6000 patients were examined during this study.
The patients were admitted for a period of 12 days up to 30 days and they received complex rehabilitation treatment: hydro-kinetictherapy in the salted water of the pool, alternated with warm mud baths or hot mud wrapping, massage, electrotherapy, kinetotherapy. All patients underwent an initial clinical examination and then the physician filled up a questionnaire, which includes personal data (gender, age, profession, place of residence, weight, height, being smoker or nonsmoker, associated diseases, values of blood pressure and heart beat at admission, stress level). Data from the questionnaires were statistically processed and plotted. The used questionnaire was conceived by a group of doctors from the sanatorium.
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Material and Method
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Results The demographic distribution showed increased interest in balneal treatment for urban population, probably because of the intense and stressful life from the large cities. 1URBAN 2RURAL
5274 1006
83,98% 16,02%
6000 5274 5000
16.02%
4000
3000
URBAN RURAL
2000 1006 1000
83.98%
0 URBAN RURAL
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Age Distribution of Patients
146 396 2% 6%
under 30 year 30-39 years old
The study reveals low balneal
40-49 years old
50-59 years old 60-69 years old over 70 years old total
961 1951 1791 1036 6281
15% 31% 29% 17% 100% 2% 6%
addressability of patients under 40 years old, increasing progressively with age until 70, with a peak in group of age 50-59. under 30 year 30-39 years old 15%
17%
40-49 years old 50-59 years old 60-69 years old
29%
over 70 years old
31%
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Gender Distribution of Patients
Gender distribution of patients patients number percent F B 3713 2565 59,14% 40,86% 41% 59% F B
total
6278
100%
Statistical analysis revealed that 59% of treated patients are women, whereas only 41% are males. We assume that this is due to the fact that women are more actively involved in socio-economical life in recent decades. .
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Fields of Activity % 42,6 53,1 N persons 2675 3333 Unemployed 0,1% No Activity 4,2% Employees 42,6%
Activity Employees Retired
Retired 53,1%
Unemployed No Activity Total
0,1 4,2
9 263 6280
The majority of patients hospitalized in BRST are retired, followed by
employees. BRST has two sections: a balneal section, where patients are hospitalized with packages of medical services of 18 days full settled in by retirement home and a section where hospitalized patients, both retired and employees, support a co-payment for treatment. In both sections the number of retired patients prevails.
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Smoker/ Non smoker
Because patients addressability peak is between 50-70 years old and most of them are retired with several comorbidities associated, non smoking patients prevail. Between smokers group most of them are females. 6000 5000
5567
Non Smokers Unknown TOTAL smokers 5567 88,65% 660 10,51% 53 0,84% 6280
Mean Max Min Standard deviation Variance Confidence level ( P) Significance threshold (p)
27,38 64,41 14,06 4,61 21,21 0,72
0,28
44%
Total N of patients ( BMI) 6236 Total 6280
In correlation with the excess weight in the entire population of Romania, overweight patients represent the majority of the studied batch (IMC25-30 and 30-40), followed by patients with normal weight (IMC 20-25).
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Correlation between Patients with Diabetes and Obesity
Regarding the correlation between increased body mass index and
presence of diabetes, almost half of patients with diabetes overweight, followed closely by patients with obesity.
are
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Exercise 3483 1327 774 21.13% AT ALL
55.46% DAILY
290 12.32% 2-3 TIMES PER WEEK
4.62% WEEKLY
71 1.13% MONTHLY
335 5.33% UNSPECIFIED
EXERCISE AT ALL 1327 21,13%
TOTAL DAILY 3483 55,46%
6280 2-3 TIMES PER WEEK 774 12,32% WEEKLY 290 4,62% MONTHLY 71 1,13% UNSPECIFIED 335 5,33%
The majority of patients (55%) exercize daily (medical exercises), whereas more than 12% declaired they exercise 2-3 times per week. Aproximately 21% of patients are sedentary and the remaining patients perform exercise sporadically.
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Stress Evaluation Stress level 11% 7% 14% Between 0-2 Between 3-4 38% 30% Between 5-6 Between 7-8 Between 9-10
patients number 459 897 1875 2353 651 6235
Between 0-2 Between 3-4 Between 5-6 Between 7-8 Between 9-10 Total N patients
Evaluation of stress on a scale of 0-10 revealed that within the patients requiring hospitalization, the level of stress is mostly average and above average.
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Patients Level of Fidelity for Balneal Treatment
First time Two times per year Every year More then two times per year 3104 731 1023 1422 49% 23%
12% 16% 23%
49% 16% 12%
Total
6280
100%
Judging by the frequency of their visits, the study revealed that half of the patients return every year or two times per year and the other half is for the first time in our sanatorium, probably attracted by its therapeutically fame.
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The study performed during the last year in BRST on a batch of more then 6000 patients revealed: - dominant females in the population questioned - approximately half of our patients (46%) are elderly, over 60 years old - urban patients dominated in a ratio of about 4 : 1, probably due to easier access to medical information
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- most patients are retired compared with employees - non-smoking patients prevail clearly, contrary to the high rate of smoking within Romanian population
- according to the tendency of overweight in the entire population of our country, overweight patients prevail
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- overweight is associated with diabetes in the questioned population
-more than half of the patients perform daily physical activity - related to the level of stress of the entire population in our country, hospitalized patients for balneal treatment have an average and above average stress level
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Thanks to the fame gained with more than 100 years of activity in the balneal field, as well as the current medical research that is being developed, BRST presents an increased addressability. This classifies BRST in the top of medical units in Romania.
