Finnish Medical Journal

Lääkärilehti is a general medical journal and the leading journal aimed at medical doctors in Finland.

Lääkärilehti disseminates new medical information, and functions as a journal for continuing medical education and professional proceedings for doctors. The journal publishes original research articles, reviews, case reports, opinion pieces and letters to the editor, as well as news and feature articles. It monitors trends in healthcare and healthcare policy and serves as a forum for professional information and discussion. As a membership journal it also functions as a medium for professional discussion and other information for doctors.

The journal is published by the Finnish Medical Association, the professional organisation for doctors with a membership of 95% among all doctors registered in Finland. Apart from doctors, the readership of the journal includes other healthcare professionals, healthcare decision-makers, pharmacy staff, staff of companies in the sector and medical students.

The print run is 30,000. A free copy is sent to all doctors and medical students who are members of the Finnish Medical Association. Subscribers include healthcare administrators, libraries and private individuals.

Contact information

Editor-in-Chief Pekka Nykänen
tel. + 358 40 583 1770
email: pekka.nykanen@laakarilehti.fi

Co-Editor-in-Chief (Science) Pertti Saloheimo, MD, PhD
tel. + 358 40 456 6441
email: pertti.saloheimo@laakarilehti.fi

Address: Mäkelänkatu 2 A, 00500 Helsinki (P.O. BOX 49, 00501 Helsinki), Finland
email: laakarilehti@laakarilehti.fi

Media Sales

Katrin Penttinen
Marketing Director
+358 40 762 6535
katrin.penttinen@laakariliitto.fi

Aku Karasti
Sales Manager
+358 40 069 9929
aku.karasti@laakariliitto.fi

English summary: COMPLICATIONS OF GYNAECOLOGICAL LAPAROSCOPY Laparoscopy has gained global popularity in the last twenty years and replaced many traditional laparotomies. It offers many advantages over laparotomy, including shorter hospital stay and recovery period. Like all surgery, laparoscopy involves a risk of complications. The overall risk of major complications during gynaecological laparoscopy is 0.3% but during advanced laparoscopy 1-2%. Almost half of the complications are associated with laparoscopic entry and the other half with the procedure itself. In 1990-1996, 57% of all laparoscopic complications in Finland occurred during laparoscopic hysterectomies. Urinary tract injuries were the most serious and common complications at the learning phase. However, major complications and urinary tract injuries have decreased with experience and training from 4.9% in 1993 to 0.6% in 2003 and from 1.9% in 1993 to 0.5% in 2003, respectively.

Päivi Härkki
Katsaus­artikkeli 5/2006 Kommentteja

English summary: TREATMENT AND DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC PANCREATITIS Chronic pancreatitis is on the rise in the Western world. Alcohol consumption is the strongest etiologic factor for chronic pancreatitis, accounting for about 60-70% of all cases. Alcohol consumption is markedly increasing also in Finland, which is why both general practitioners and specialists will see more patients with chronic pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease leading to pancreatic destruction an causing varying degrees of maldigestion and, in advanced stages, also endocrine dysfunction. Although ethanol exposure clearly is a risk factor for pancreatic injury, the process is likely to be multifactorial. Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography is the golden standard imaging procedure for diagnosing chronic pancreatitis changes, whereas pancreatic function tests are needed to diagnose exocrine insufficiency. Fecal elastase-1 is a useful and simple test for this purpose that can be used in open care. Treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency by enzyme supplementation has improved. Cumulative amounts of 25000-40000 IU of lipase from pancreatin microspheres are recommended for the digestion of a regular meal. The dose may be increased up to 75000 IU for full response. Compliance checks and differential diagnosis of other malabsorptive diseases are important if the treatment fails. Endocrine insufficiency usually requires insulin in the late stage of the disease.

Markku Peräaho, Isto Nordback
Katsaus­artikkeli 5/2006 Kommentteja

English summary: RESULTS FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY OF ACUTE STROKE CARE IN FINLAND The first national audit of the organization of acute stroke care services in Finland was performed in 2003 to 2004 by the Stroke and Dysphasia Federation in Finland. Hospital services were identified through diagnosis-related groups in the national hospital discharge registry, which was used to collect outcome data. All 36 hospitals reporting at least 20 cases of discharge per year of previously independent patients with acute stroke were selected and visited by a neurologist. Structured questionnaires and telephone interviews were used to assess 237 communal health care centers or hospitals, 250 EMS and 24 dispatch centres.

Susanna Roine, Miika Linna, Reijo Marttila, Keijo Koivisto, LT, Ylilääkäri, Seinäjoen Keskussairaala, Martti Solismaa, Anne Puumalainen, Marika Railila, Tiina Viljanen, Risto O. Roine
Terveyden­huolto 5/2006 Kommentteja

English summary: IDENTIFICATION OF PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING MEASURES USED IN FINLAND AGAINST THE FRAMEWORK OF WHO'S ICF In health care, it is important to make valid assessments of the patients´ functioning, disability and work ability. WHO´s new International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was developed to define diverse areas of functioning, which can be used as a framework for outcome evaluation.

Jaana Paltamaa, Sirkka-Liisa Karppi, Juhani Smolander, Petteri Koho, Mariitta Vaara, Heikki Hurri
Terveyden­huolto 5/2006 Kommentteja

English summary: ENTERTAINING IN TEACHING - NEEDLESS OR SPICING? Entertainment as a part of teaching is a rarely studied and published issue. Only the dimensions of humour and teachers' teaching behaviour have been previously studied. Initially in this study, 29 medical teachers were questioned as to how they conceptualize "entertainment in teaching". On the basis of the qualitative material obtained, a questionnaire was compiled consisting of twenty items and a five-digit Likert scale that 75 teachers and 250 students completed. A versatile questionnaire for measuring entertainment in teaching was created, which brought up four distinct dimensions; humour and entertainment, seriousness in teaching, use of teaching technology, and contradiction between entertainment and learning. Both students and teachers saw entertaining in teaching as positive, but definitely still valued learning more than entertainment. Some minor differences appeared: between men and women, and between students and teachers. Students appreciated humour and entertainment more than teachers and women did. Women, especially female teachers, found that an inspiring study atmosphere helps learning. Our study suggests that it is favourable to insert humour and inspiring methods of presentation into medical education. We encourage teachers to create, with relaxing behaviour, an inspiring atmosphere for study. These findings were generally similar to those of previous international studies, except that these showed no gender differences and that humour was more appreciated by students than by teachers. A new large-scale study is needed to validate these findings.

Markku Kaipainen, Ulla Broms, Helka Hosia-Randell, Maria Söderlund-Venermo, Marit Granér, Pertti Heikman, Harri Öistämö
Liitto toi­mii 4/2006 Kommentteja
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