From transition to state consolidation: obstacles faced in this process (Albania case)

In the beginning of the 90’ Albania has faced its post-communist transition in unpredictable way. Two decades after the transition from communism, democracy and state building in Albania remains fragile. According to Freedom House reports yearly labels Albania ‘partly free’, the Economist Intelligence Unit considers it a ‘hybrid’ regime and international organizations have expressed concern about the progress of Albania’s reform process in recent times especially the juridical reform. The European Commission’s 2014 ‘Albania Progress Report’, presented a mixed record in the areas of democracy and the rule of law, particularly in reference to the nature of political dialogue; the judicial system; the fight against corruption; and the independence of state institutions1

From transition to state consolidation: obstacles faced in this process (Albania case)

In the beginning of the 90’ Albania has faced its post-communist transition in unpredictable way. Two decades after the transition from communism, democracy and state building in Albania remains fragile. According to Freedom House reports yearly labels Albania ‘partly free’, the Economist Intelligence Unit considers it a ‘hybrid’ regime and international organizations have expressed concern about the progress of Albania’s reform process in recent times especially the juridical reform. The European Commission’s 2014 ‘Albania Progress Report’, presented a mixed record in the areas of democracy and the rule of law, particularly in reference to the nature of political dialogue; the judicial system; the fight against corruption; and the independence of state institutions1

Non-invasive tools for the diagnosis of potentially life-threatening gynaecological emergencies : a systematic review

Objective To identify non- invasive tools for diagnosis of the major potentially life-threatening gynaecological emergencies (G-PLEs) reported in previous studies, and to assess their diagnostic accuracy. Methods MEDLINE; EMBASE; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; The Cochrane Library) were searched to identify all eligible studies published in English or French between January 1990 and December 2012. Studies were considered eligible if they were primary diagnostic studies of any designs, with a gold standard and with sufficient information for construction of a 2 x 2 contingency table, concerning at least one of the following G-PLEs: complicated ectopic pregnancy, complicated pelvic inflammatory disease, adnexal torsion and haemoperitoneum of any gynaecological origin. Extraction of data and assessment of study quality were conducted by two independent reviewers. We set the thresholds for the diagnostic value of signs retrieved at Sensibility >= 95% and LR- = 90% and LR+ >= 4. Results We identified 8288 reports of diagnostic studies for the selected G-PLEs, 45 of which met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the included studies was generally low. The most common diagnostic tools evaluated were transvaginal ultrasound (20/45), followed by medical history (18/45), clinical examination (15/45) and laboratory tests (14/45). Standardised questioning about symptoms, systolic blood pressure 0.85, identification of a mass by abdominal palpation or vaginal examination, haemoglobin concentration < 10 g/dl and six ultrasound and Doppler signs presented high performances for the diagnosis of G-PLEs. Transvaginal ultrasound was the diagnostic tool with the best individual performance for the diagnosis of all G-PLEs. Conclusion This systematic review suggests that blood pressure measurement, haemoglobin tests and transvaginal ultrasound are cornerstone examinations for the diagnosis of G-PLEs that should be available in all gynaecological emergency care services. Standardised questioning about symptoms could be used for triage of patients

Non-invasive tools for the diagnosis of potentially life-threatening gynaecological emergencies : a systematic review

Objective To identify non- invasive tools for diagnosis of the major potentially life-threatening gynaecological emergencies (G-PLEs) reported in previous studies, and to assess their diagnostic accuracy. Methods MEDLINE; EMBASE; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; The Cochrane Library) were searched to identify all eligible studies published in English or French between January 1990 and December 2012. Studies were considered eligible if they were primary diagnostic studies of any designs, with a gold standard and with sufficient information for construction of a 2 x 2 contingency table, concerning at least one of the following G-PLEs: complicated ectopic pregnancy, complicated pelvic inflammatory disease, adnexal torsion and haemoperitoneum of any gynaecological origin. Extraction of data and assessment of study quality were conducted by two independent reviewers. We set the thresholds for the diagnostic value of signs retrieved at Sensibility >= 95% and LR- <= 0.25, or Specificity >= 90% and LR+ >= 4. Results We identified 8288 reports of diagnostic studies for the selected G-PLEs, 45 of which met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the included studies was generally low. The most common diagnostic tools evaluated were transvaginal ultrasound (20/45), followed by medical history (18/45), clinical examination (15/45) and laboratory tests (14/45). Standardised questioning about symptoms, systolic blood pressure < 110 mmHg, shock index>0.85, identification of a mass by abdominal palpation or vaginal examination, haemoglobin concentration < 10 g/dl and six ultrasound and Doppler signs presented high performances for the diagnosis of G-PLEs. Transvaginal ultrasound was the diagnostic tool with the best individual performance for the diagnosis of all G-PLEs. Conclusion This systematic review suggests that blood pressure measurement, haemoglobin tests and transvaginal ultrasound are cornerstone examinations for the diagnosis of G-PLEs that should be available in all gynaecological emergency care services. Standardised questioning about symptoms could be used for triage of patients

Optimal combination of non-invasive tools for the early detection of potentially life-threatening emergencies in gynecology

International audienceObjectives Potentially life-threatening gynecological emergencies (G-PLEs) are acute pelvic conditions that may spontaneously evolve into a life-threatening situation, or those for which there is a risk of sequelae or death in the absence of prompt diagnosis and treatment. The objective of this study was to identify the best combination of non-invasive diagnostic tools to ensure an accurate diagnosis and timely response when faced with G-PLEs for patients arriving with acute pelvic pain at the Gynecological Emergency Department (ED). Methods The data on non-invasive diagnostic tools were sourced from the records of patients presenting at the ED of two hospitals in the Parisian suburbs (France) with acute pelvic pain between September 2006 and April 2008. The medical history of the patients was obtained through a standardized questionnaire completed for a prospective observational study, and missing information was completed with data sourced from the medical forms. Diagnostic tool categories were predefined as a collection of signs or symptoms. We analyzed the association of each sign/symptom with G-PLEs using Pearson's Chi-Square or Fischer's exact tests. Symptoms and signs associated with G-PLEs (p-value < 0.20) were subjected to logistic regression to evaluate the diagnostic value of each of the predefined diagnostic tools and in various combinations. Results The data of 365 patients with acute pelvic pain were analyzed, of whom 103 were confirmed to have a PLE. We analyzed five diagnostic tools by logistic regression: Triage Process, History-Taking, Physical Examination, Ultrasonography, and Biological Exams. The combination of History-Taking and Ultrasonography had a C-index of 0.83, the highest for a model combining two tools. Conclusions The use of a standardized self-assessment questionnaire for history-taking and focal ultrasound examination were found to be the most successful tool combination for the diagnosis of gynecological emergencies in a Gynecological ED. Additional tools, such as physical examination, do not add substantial diagnostic value