ALBANIAN MEDICAL JOURNAL SUPPLEMENTPsychosocial <strong>in</strong>tervention <strong>in</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation withpharmacotherapy and treatment response amongpatients with alcohol addiction <strong>in</strong> Tirana, <strong>Albania</strong>Shpëtim Doksani 1 , Sokol Myftiu 2 , Artan Simaku 3 , Rabushe Kollcaku 11Cl<strong>in</strong>ic of Alcohol Addiction Treatment, University Hospital Center Mother Teresa , Tirana, <strong>Albania</strong>;2Faculty of Medic<strong>in</strong>e, University of Medic<strong>in</strong>e, Tirana, <strong>Albania</strong>;3Institute of Public Health, Tirana, <strong>Albania</strong>.Aim: Alcohol abuse and alcoholism represent aworld-wide problem, both from a medical and asocial po<strong>in</strong>t of view. Psychiatric disorders occurmore often among alcoholics than among thegeneral population. The aim of this study was to<strong>in</strong>vestigate the treatment response and the patternof psychiatric, neurologic and <strong>in</strong>ternal co-morbiditieswhich may affect the organization of thetreatment.Methods: This study <strong>in</strong>cluded 51 patients, whostarted psychosocial treatment at alcohol treatment<strong>in</strong>patient cl<strong>in</strong>ic over the period September 2010September 2011. Socio-demographic and socioeconomiccharacteristics <strong>in</strong>cluded marital status,educational level, employment status, and <strong>in</strong>comelevel. Treatment stages followed the HUDOLINscheme.Results: Mean age of the patients was 47.3± 9.8years (range: 31-72 years). There were 49 (96%)males and only 2 (3.9%) females. The most frequentdisorders <strong>in</strong> this group of patients were thepsychiatric disorders (n=41, 80%), followed by<strong>in</strong>ternal disorders (n=36, 70%) and neurologicaldisorders (n= 15, 30%). A significant positiveassociation was found between psychiatric disorders(generalized anxiety, or mayor depressive disorders)with the civil status divorced (P= 0.006);unemployment (P
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH CONFERENCE IN TIRANA, ALBANIASafety and health <strong>in</strong> the waters of the swimm<strong>in</strong>gpoolsDrita Mema 1 , Donika Boçari 1 , Arben Luzati 1 , Valent<strong>in</strong>a Pashaj 1 , Olta Petri 1 ,Besim Agolli 11Department of Health and Environment, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, <strong>Albania</strong>.Aim: The <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> the number of swimm<strong>in</strong>gpools as recreational places has brought the necessityof their sanitary evaluation. This study is based onthe WHO recommendations for safe and healthypools.Methods: This study <strong>in</strong>cluded several outdoor pools<strong>in</strong> Tirana. These pools have different structuralcharacteristics (surface, volume) and dis<strong>in</strong>fectionmeans. The study was conducted with<strong>in</strong> a periodof three years. Sampl<strong>in</strong>g was conducted <strong>in</strong> variousdays over the weekend. Analytical methods <strong>in</strong>accordance with the <strong>Albania</strong>n standards ISO, ENwere employed. Quality control of the analysis wascarried out through the participation <strong>in</strong> laboratorytest, IPA 2011. The ma<strong>in</strong> physical and chemical<strong>in</strong>dicators used to assess the quality of pool waters<strong>in</strong>cluded the follow<strong>in</strong>g: free chlor<strong>in</strong>e, suspendedmatter, pH, and ammonia. Conversely, microbiological<strong>in</strong>dicators <strong>in</strong>cluded total coliform, faecalcoliform, faecal, sptreptococus, and pseudomonasaerug<strong>in</strong>osa. Ma<strong>in</strong>tenance <strong>in</strong>dicators <strong>in</strong>cluded the areaavailable per each sunbather, the usage of annexesas public environments, and sanitation services.Results: This study demonstrated that several<strong>in</strong>dicators <strong>in</strong> the swimm<strong>in</strong>g pools of Tirana arequite poor. Free chlor<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> 49.6% of the analyzedsamples was below the recommended values.Furthermore, ammonia <strong>in</strong> 50.6 % of the analyzedsamples was above the recommended values. Totalcoliform number <strong>in</strong> 70% of the analyzed sampleswas above the recommended values. The report ofthe area per each sunbather <strong>in</strong> all pools was notmanaged by their keepers.Conclusion: In Tirana, the factors which <strong>in</strong>fluencethe safety of the swimm<strong>in</strong>g pools <strong>in</strong>clude themicrobiological (fecal) <strong>in</strong>dicators, the chemical (byproductof the chlor<strong>in</strong>ation: chloram<strong>in</strong>es) <strong>in</strong>dices andcontam<strong>in</strong>ation by the users of the pools (ammonia).Proper management of the microbiological,chemical and ma<strong>in</strong>tenance <strong>in</strong>dicators are a basicprerequisite for healthy and safe swimm<strong>in</strong>g pools<strong>in</strong> <strong>Albania</strong>.Keywords: free chlor<strong>in</strong>e, recreational places, swimm<strong>in</strong>g pool, water safety.ALBANIAN MEDICAL JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT99
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