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Swiss Emergency Research collection

2024

  • Katsura, M., Jakob, D. A., Kelly, B., Ikenoue, T., Matsushima, K., and Demetriades, D. “Surgical Management Of Penetrating Carotid Artery Injury: Preoperative Level Of Consciousness Does Matter”. J Am Coll Surg 240, no. 1: 1-10. doi:10.1097/XCS.0000000000001219.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: The optimal surgical management of penetrating carotid artery injuries (PCAIs) remains controversial. This study aimed to examine the association between operative techniques for PCAI and the incidence of stroke. STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective cohort study used the American College of Surgeons TQIP (2016 to 2021) database. We included patients (age 16 years or older) with severe penetrating injuries to the common or internal carotid arteries (CCA/ICA) who underwent one of the following operative procedures: primary suture repair, ligation, and arterial reconstruction with a graft. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with cluster-adjusted-robust SEs was performed to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for postoperative stroke stratified by the initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). RESULTS: A total of 492 patients were included (329 underwent primary suture repair, 82 underwent ligation, and 81 underwent arterial reconstruction with a graft). The median age was 31 years (interquartile range 24 to 43) and median GCS on arrival was 11 (interquartile range 3 to 15). On multivariate analysis after adjusting for potential confounders, ligation of CCA/ICA was significantly associated with increased odds of stroke in patients with initial GCS >/=9 (AOR: 4.40, 95% CI 1.16 to 16.58, p = 0.029), whereas there was no significant association in patients with GCS <9 (AOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.28 to 2.11, p = 0.37). No significant association was identified between arterial reconstruction with a graft and stroke, irrespective of the initial GCS. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that the preoperative level of consciousness may help in planning operative strategies for PCAI. In patients with an initial GCS >/=9, definitive repair of the CCA/ICA, including arterial reconstruction with a graft, should be pursued instead of ligation.
    Tags: *Carotid Artery Injuries/surgery/etiology, *Wounds, Penetrating/surgery/diagnosis, Adult, Female, Glasgow Coma Scale, Humans, Incidence, Ligation/methods, Male, Middle Aged, Postoperative Complications/epidemiology/etiology, Retrospective Studies, Stroke/etiology, Young Adult.
  • Gaye, B., Isiozor, N. M., Singh, G., Gaye, N. D., Ka, M. M., Seck, D., Gueye, K., et al. “Barriers To Global Engagement For African Researchers: A Position Paper From The Alliance For Medical Research In Africa (Amedra)”. J Glob Health 14: 03042. doi:10.7189/jogh.14.03042.
  • Drangova, H., Kofmel, N., Branca, M., Gloor, D., Lehmann, B., Exadaktylos, A., Jung, S., Fischer, U., and Schankin, C. J. “The Potential To Prevent Unnecessary Emergency Department Visits By Timely Diagnosis Of Migraine-A Prospective Observational Study”. Plos One 19, no. 10: e0312106. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0312106.
    Abstract: AIM: Successful acute migraine treatment potentially prevents emergency room (ER) consultations but requires that the diagnosis of migraine was given earlier. The aim of this study is to quantify the problem of missed migraine diagnosis prior to ER visits. METHODS: Inclusion criterion for this single-center prospective study was the presentation at the ER for acute headache. Patients with acute migraine attacks were assessed for previous migraine attacks, and whether they were given a diagnosis of migraine in the past. RESULTS: Of 137 patients with migraine diagnosis at discharge, 108 (79%) had previous headache attacks fulfilling the criteria for migraine according to The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition (ICHD-3). Of those, 54 (50%) received the diagnosis for the first time. CONCLUSION: Half of the migraine patients (50%) presenting in the ER for headache could have been diagnosed earlier. This highlights the need for better detection and treatment of migraine by pre-hospital healthcare providers, as earlier diagnosis and specific acute treatment could have prevented the ER visit.
    Tags: *Emergency Service, Hospital, *Migraine Disorders/diagnosis, Adult, Early Diagnosis, Emergency Room Visits, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Young Adult.
  • Simma, L. “Pediatric Trauma Management In Switzerland: Insights From A Nationwide Survey”. Clin Exp Emerg Med 12, no. 3: 280-286. doi:10.15441/ceem.24.251.
    Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To explore and analyze pediatric trauma care practices across designated pediatric trauma centers (PTCs) in Switzerland. The focus was on reception, trauma team activation (TTA), trauma team composition, patient volumes, and infrastructure. METHODS: A national online survey was conducted among all eight PTCs in Switzerland using an 18-item questionnaire. The survey investigated organizational aspects, criteria for TTA, patient volume, and communication modalities in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). RESULTS: All PTCs responded, revealing varying methods of TTA, with reception of major trauma patients occurring at either PEDs or adjacent adult trauma facilities. Trauma team composition and activation criteria also differ among centers, with nonsurgeons often leading the teams and anesthesiologists being the default facilitators of airway management. TTA criteria vary widely, with the most common being the request of prehospitalization staff (62.5%) and physician discretion (50%). Trauma resuscitation is predominantly led by PED attendants (75%). CONCLUSION: This survey provides insights into the state of pediatric trauma care in Switzerland. The findings underscore the importance of multidisciplinary teams and variability in trauma management practices, which are often tailored to local circumstances. Despite the study limitations of using self-reported data and the small sample size owing to the country's size, the result suggest that a national trauma registry would be helpful to the evaluation and optimization of pediatric trauma care protocols.
    Tags: Child, Hospital emergency service, Multiple trauma, Patient care team, Wounds and injuries.
  • Scafetta, T., Kovacs, O., Milani, G. P., Bronz, G., Lava, S. A. G., Betti, C., Vanoni, F., Bianchetti, M. G., Fare, P. B., and Camozzi, P. “Drug-Related Pyroglutamic Acidosis: Systematic Literature Review”. J Clin Med 13, no. 19. doi:10.3390/jcm13195781.
    Abstract: Background: Inborn errors of glutathione metabolism may cause high anion gap metabolic acidosis due to pyroglutamic acid accumulation. Since 1988, cases of this acidosis have been reported in individuals without these defects. Methods: Given the poorly characterized predisposing factors, presentation, management, and prognosis of acquired pyroglutamic acidosis, we conducted a systematic review using the National Library of Medicine, Excerpta Medica, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Results: A total of 131 cases were found. Most patients were females (79%), adults (92%) aged 51 years or older (66%) with pre-existing conditions (74%) such as undernutrition, alcohol-use disorder, or kidney disease, and had an ongoing infection (69%). The clinical features included diminished consciousness (60%), Kussmaul breathing (56%), and nausea or vomiting (27%). At least 92% of patients were on paracetamol therapy for >10 days at an appropriate dose, 32% on a beta-lactamase-resistant penicillin, and 2.3% on vigabatrin. Besides severe anion gap acidosis, patients also presented with hypokalemia (24%) and kidney function deterioration (41%). Management involved discontinuing the offending drug (100%), bicarbonate (63%), acetylcysteine (42%), and acute kidney replacement therapy (18%). The fatality rate was 18%, which was higher without acetylcysteine (24%) compared to with it (11%). Conclusions: Acquired pyroglutamic acidosis is a rare, potentially fatal metabolic derangement, which usually occurs after paracetamol use, frequently combined with a beta-lactamase-resistant penicillin or vigabatrin. This condition predominantly affects adults, especially women with factors like undernutrition, alcohol-use disorder, or kidney disease, often during infection. Increased awareness of this rare condition is necessary.
    Tags: 5-oxoproline, acetaminophen, acid base equilibrium, beta-lactamase-resistant penicillin, drug-related side effect, vigabatrin.
  • Poncet, C., Carron, P. N., Darioli, V., Zingg, T., and Ageron, F. X. “Prehospital Undertriage Of Older Injured Patients In Western Switzerland: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study”. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 32, no. 1: 100. doi:10.1186/s13049-024-01271-5.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: The ageing of the population is leading to an increase in the number of traumatic injuries and represents a major challenge for the future. Falls represent the leading cause of Emergency department admission in older people, with injuries ranging from minor to severe multiple injuries. Older injured patients are more likely to be undertriaged than younger patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of undertriage in older patients with particular emphasis on access to trauma centres and resuscitation rooms. METHODS: Retrospective observational cross-sectional study based on data prospectively collected from prehospital electronic records including all patients >/= 18 years for whom an ambulance or helicopter was dispatched between 1 January 2018 and 31 April 2023 due to a trauma. The primary outcome, admission to the resuscitation room of the regional trauma centre with trauma team activation, was assessed by age. Multivariate logistic regression was used to control for known confounders and to test for plausible effect modifiers. RESULTS: Emergency Medical Services treated 37,906 injured patients. Older patients >/= 75 years represented 17,719 patients (47%). Admission to trauma centre with trauma team activation was lower in older patients, N = 121 (1%) compared to N = 599 (5%) in younger patients, p < 0.001; adjusted odds ratio: 0.33 (0.24-0.45); p < 0.001. Undertriage increased by twofold with age >/= 75; OR: 1.81 (1.04-3.15); p value < 0.001. Undertriaged patients were older, more likely to be female, to have low energy trauma and to be located farther from the regional trauma centre. CONCLUSION: Older injured patients were at increased risk of undertriage and non-trauma team activation admission, especially if they were older, female, had head injury without altered consciousness and greater distance to regional trauma centre.
    Tags: *Emergency Medical Services, *Trauma Centers/organization & administration, *Triage, *Wounds and Injuries/therapy, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Frail elderly, Humans, Injuries, Injury Severity Score, Male, Middle Aged, Older adults, Prehospital, Retrospective Studies, Switzerland/epidemiology, Trauma, Triage.
  • Arleth, T., Baekgaard, J., Rosenkrantz, O., Zwisler, S. T., Andersen, M., Maissan, I. M., Hautz, W. E., Verdonck, P., Rasmussen, L. S., and Steinmetz, J. “Clinicians' Attitudes Towards Supplemental Oxygen For Trauma Patients - A Survey”. Injury 56, no. 1: 111929. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2024.111929.
    Abstract: INTRODUCTION: The Advanced Trauma Life Support guidelines (ATLS; 2018, 10th ed.) recommend an early and liberal supplemental oxygen for all severely injured trauma patients to prevent hypoxaemia. As of 2024, these guidelines remain the most current. This may lead to hyperoxaemia, which has been associated with increased mortality and respiratory complications. We aimed to investigate the attitudes among clinicians, defined as physicians and prehospital personnel, towards the use of supplemental oxygen in trauma cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A European, web-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted consisting of 23 questions. The primary outcome was the question: "In your opinion, should all severely injured trauma patients always be given supplemental oxygen, regardless of arterial oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry?". RESULTS: The survey was answered by 707 respondents, which corresponded to a response rate of 52 %. The respondents were predominantly male (76 %), with the largest representation from Denmark (82 %), and primarily educated as physicians (62 %). A majority of respondents (73 % [95 % CI: 70 to 76 %]) did not support that supplemental oxygen should always be provided to all severely injured trauma patients without consideration of their arterial oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry (SpO(2)), with no significant difference between physicians and non-physicians (p = 0.08). Based on the respondents' preferred dosages, the median initial administered dosage of supplemental oxygen for spontaneously breathing trauma patients with a normal SpO(2) in the first few hours after trauma was 0 (interquartile range [IQR] 0-3) litres per minute, with 58 % of respondents opting not to provide any supplemental oxygen. The lowest acceptable SpO(2) goal in the first few hours after trauma was 94 % (IQR 92-95). In clinical scenarios with TBI, higher dosage of supplemental oxygen and fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO(2)) were preferred, as well as targeting partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood as opposed to adjusting the FiO(2) directly, compared to no TBI. CONCLUSION: Almost three out of four clinicians did not support the administration of supplemental oxygen to all severely injured trauma patients, regardless of SpO(2). This corresponds to a more restrictive approach than recommended in the current ATLS (2018, 10th ed.) guidelines.
    Tags: *Attitude of Health Personnel, *Oximetry, *Oxygen Inhalation Therapy/methods, *Wounds and Injuries/therapy, Adult, Advanced Trauma Life Support Care, and he received funding for the TRAUMOX2 trial from the Novo Nordisk Foundation., attended a Secma ultrasound course, and is an IDMC consultant for the GA Targets, Attitudes, Australia. Jacob Steinmetz receives funding of his professorship from the, Baekgaard received funding for the TRAUMOX2 trial from the Novo Nordisk, biomarker Copenhagen sub-trial of TRAUMOX2 from the Holger and Ruth Hesses, Clinicians, Consultant Dr. Med. Edgar Schnohr and wife Gilberte Schnohrs Foundation. Josefine, Cross-Sectional Studies, Europe, European, Female, Foundation and the European Union. Wolf E. Hautz received consulting fees and, Foundation and was awarded with the prize for "talented young researcher" by The, honorarias from the AO Foundation Zurich, and Mundipharma Switzerland gave him, Humans, Hypoxia, Injury, interest to declare regarding the present manuscript. For conflicts of interests, Lundbeck Foundation, of which 47.000euro was allocated to research. Stine T. Zwisler, Male, Memorial Foundation and Danish Air Ambulance, and received funding for three, Middle Aged, months of research PhD programme exchange from Knud Hojgaard's Foundation, the, Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation where payments are made to his organization,, Oxygen Saturation, Physicians/psychology, Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data, related to any entity the past 36 months not related to the present manuscript,, Supplemental oxygen, support for attending meetings, alongside participating in a DMSC for MDI, Survey, Surveys and Questionnaires, the author or the author's affiliation did not receive any payments in, the Medical Science Faculty Foundation of Copenhagen University, and the, The rest of the authors have nothing to declare., these authors have the following to declare: Tobias Arleth received funding for a, this regard. Wolf. E. Hautz received funding from the Swiss National Science, Trauma, Trial, William Demant Foundation, Christian and Ottilia Brorson's Travel Scholarships,.
  • McKee, C. D., Yu, E. X., Garcia, A., Jackson, J., Koyuncu, A., Rose, S., Azman, A. S., et al. “Superspreading Of Sars-Cov-2: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Event Attack Rates And Individual Transmission Patterns”. Epidemiol Infect 152: e121. doi:10.1017/S0950268824000955.
    Abstract: SARS-CoV-2 superspreading occurs when transmission is highly efficient and/or an individual infects many others, contributing to rapid spread. To better quantify heterogeneity in SARS-CoV-2 transmission, particularly superspreading, we performed a systematic review of transmission events with data on secondary attack rates or contact tracing of individual index cases published before September 2021 prior to the emergence of variants of concern and widespread vaccination. We reviewed 592 distinct events and 9,883 index cases from 491 papers. A meta-analysis of secondary attack rates identified substantial heterogeneity across 12 chosen event types/settings, with the highest transmission (25-35%) in co-living situations including households, nursing homes, and other congregate housing. Among index cases, 67% reported zero secondary cases and only 3% (287) infected >5 secondary cases ("superspreaders"). Index case demographic data were limited, with only 55% of individuals reporting age, sex, symptoms, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle threshold values, or total contacts. With the data available, we identified a higher percentage of superspreaders among symptomatic individuals, individuals aged 49-64 years, and individuals with over 100 total contacts. Addressing gaps in the literature regarding transmission events and contact tracing is needed to properly explain the heterogeneity in transmission and facilitate control efforts for SARS-CoV-2 and other infections.
    Tags: *Contact Tracing, *COVID-19/diagnosis/epidemiology/transmission, *SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification/pathogenicity, coronavirus, Covid-19, heterogeneity, Humans, infectious disease epidemiology, transmission.
  • Graeve, V. I. J., Laures, S., Spirig, A., Zaytoun, H., Gregoriano, C., Schuetz, P., Burn, F., Schindera, S., and Schnitzler, T. “Implementation Of An Ai Algorithm In Clinical Practice To Reduce Missed Incidental Pulmonary Embolisms On Chest Ct And Its Impact On Short-Term Survival”. Invest Radiol 60, no. 4: 260-266. doi:10.1097/RLI.0000000000001122.
    Abstract: OBJECTIVES: A substantial number of incidental pulmonary embolisms (iPEs) in computed tomography scans are missed by radiologists in their daily routine. This study analyzes the radiological reports of iPE cases before and after implementation of an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm for iPE detection. Furthermore, we investigate the anatomic distribution patterns within missed iPE cases and mortality within a 90-day follow-up in patients before and after AI use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This institutional review board-approved observational single-center study included 5298 chest computed tomography scans performed for reasons other than suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). We compared 2 cohorts: cohort 1, consisting of 1964 patients whose original radiology reports were generated before the implementation of an AI algorithm, and cohort 2, consisting of 3334 patients whose scans were analyzed after the implementation of an Food and Drug Administration-approved and CE-certified AI algorithm for iPE detection (Aidoc Medical, Tel Aviv, Israel). For both cohorts, any discrepancies between the original radiology reports and the AI results were reviewed by 2 thoracic imaging subspecialized radiologists. In the original radiology report and in case of discrepancies with the AI algorithm, the expert review served as reference standard. Sensitivity, specificity, prevalence, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) were calculated. The rates of missed iPEs in both cohorts were compared statistically using STATA (Version 17.1). Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used for survival analysis. RESULTS: In cohort 1 (mean age 70.6 years, 48% female [n = 944], 52% male [n = 1020]), the prevalence of confirmed iPE was 2.2% (n = 42), and the AI detected 61 suspicious iPEs, resulting in a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 99%, a PPV of 69%, and an NPV of 99%. Radiologists missed 50% of iPE cases in cohort 1. In cohort 2 (mean age 69 years, 47% female [n = 1567], 53% male [n = 1767]), the prevalence of confirmed iPEs was 1.7% (56/3334), with AI detecting 59 suspicious cases (sensitivity 90%, specificity 99%, PPV 95%, NPV 99%). The rate of missed iPEs by radiologists dropped to 7.1% after AI implementation, showing a significant improvement ( P < 0.001). Most overlooked iPEs (61%) were in the right lower lobe. The survival analysis showed no significantly decreased 90-day mortality rate, with a hazards ratio of 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.45-1.96; P = 0.88). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of an AI algorithm significantly reduced the rate of missed iPEs from 50% to 7.1%, thereby enhancing diagnostic accuracy. Despite this improvement, the 90-day mortality rate remained unchanged. These findings highlight the AI tool's potential to assist radiologists in accurately identifying iPEs, although its implementation does not significantly affect short-term survival. Notably, most missed iPEs were located in the right lower lobe, suggesting that radiologists should pay particular attention to this area during evaluations.
    Tags: *Algorithms, *Artificial Intelligence, *Missed Diagnosis/prevention & control/statistics & numerical data, *Pulmonary Embolism/diagnostic imaging/mortality, *Radiography, Thoracic/methods, *Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Incidental Findings, Male, Middle Aged, Retrospective Studies, Sensitivity and Specificity, Survival Rate.
  • Bulleri, E., Bambi, S., and Lucchini, A. “Quantifying Inspiratory Effort: A Future Challenge For Icu Nurses?”. Intensive Crit Care Nurs 86: 103844. doi:10.1016/j.iccn.2024.103844.
  • Dittrich, T. D., Nguyen, A., Sporns, P. B., Toebak, A. M., Kriemler, L. F., Rudin, S., Zietz, A., et al. “Large Ischemic Core Defined By Visually Assessed Aspects Predicts Functional Outcomes Comparably Accurate To Automated Ct Perfusion In The 6-24 H Window”. Eur Stroke J 10, no. 2: 552-559. doi:10.1177/23969873241286691.
    Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Automated CT perfusion (aCTP) is commonly used to select patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (aLVO) for endovascular treatment (EVT). The equivalence of visually assessed Non-contrast CT Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Scores (ASPECTS) and aCTP based selection in predicting favorable functional outcomes remains uncertain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective multicenter study of adult aLVO patients from the Swiss Stroke Registry (2014-2021) treated with EVT or best medical treatment 6-24 h after stroke onset. We assessed ASPECTS on non-contrast CT visually and ischemic core volumes on aCTP, defining ASPECTS 0-5 and aCTP CBF < 30% volumes ⩾50 mL as large ischemic cores. We used logistic regression to explore the association between CT modalities and favorable functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score shift toward lower categories) at 3 months. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis compared the predictive accuracy of visually assessed ASPECTS and aCTP ischemic core for favorable outcomes (mRS 0-2) at 3 months. RESULTS: Of 210 patients, 11.4% had ASPECTS 0-5, and 12.9% aCTP core volumes ⩾50 mL. Within the same model, ASPECTS but not aCTP core volumes were associated with favorable outcomes (ASPECTS: acOR 1.85, 95%CI 1.27-2.70, p = 0.001). The ROC curve analyses showed comparable diagnostic accuracy in predicting favorable functional outcomes (mRS 0-2) at 3 months (ROC areas: ASPECTS 0.80 [95%CI 0.74-0.86] vs aCTP core 0.79 [95%CI 0.72-0.85]). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In patients with aLVO, visually assessed ASPECTS showed at least comparable accuracy to automatically generated CTP core volumes in predicting functional outcomes at 3 months.
    Tags: *Brain Ischemia/diagnostic imaging/therapy, *Ischemic Stroke/diagnostic imaging/therapy, *Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, and BMS/Pfizer, and in-kind contributions from BRAHMS Termofisher Scientific,, and USZ-foundation, and received honoraria and consulting fees from Astra Zeneca, Aspects, conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or, conflicts relevant to this study., CT perfusion, Endovascular Procedures/methods, endovascular treatment, Female, funding form the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation,, GMDM received speaker honoraria from Medtronic. The remaining authors report no, holds stocks from Novartis, Roche, Alcon, and Johnson&Johnson. MK received, Humans, Ischemic stroke, Male, Middle Aged, Predictive Value of Tests, publication of this article: RS received personal grants from UCB-pharma and, Registries, Retrospective Studies, Roche Diagnostics. LHB received personal fees from Claret Medical and InnovHeart., Treatment Outcome.
  • Stalder, A., Guechi, Y., Bonnemain, C. L., and Schmutz, T. “Airway Obstruction Due To Ingestion Of Sodium Polyacrylate: A Case Report”. Int J Emerg Med 17, no. 1: 137. doi:10.1186/s12245-024-00730-1.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Super-absorbent polymers (SAPs) possess the ability to absorb large amounts of water and are widely used in medical settings. Commonly used in vomit bags to contain fluids, reduce spillage, and enhance bedside hygiene, SAPs are generally regarded as safe and non-toxic. However, we report a tragic incident where the accidental ingestion of SAPs led to fatal asphyxiation, highlighting a critical safety concern. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76-year-old female suffering from advanced Alzheimer's dementia was brought to the emergency department following a fall with cervical trauma. Following a complaint of nausea, she was given a vomit bag containing a sachet of approximately 9 g of SAP. Thirty minutes later, she was found deceased in the waiting area, with a grayish, half-hardened gel blocking her oropharynx and remnants of a chewed SAP sachet. Pathological analysis confirmed death by asphyxiation caused by the SAP expanding in her oropharynx upon contact with saliva. CONCLUSIONS: This case emphasizes the potential dangers of SAPs when accidentally ingested and it is imperative that such products are kept out of reach of vulnerable populations. In cases of airway obstruction, there are no specific treatments available. Laryngoscopy may be impossible, necessitating the prompt consideration of an emergency tracheotomy. Experimental data suggest the use of an aerosol of warm alkaline hydrogen peroxide solution to dissolve these obstructive foreign bodies, but further studies are needed to validate its use in emergency situations.
    Tags: Airways obstruction, Asphyxia, Foreign body aspiration, Sodium polyacrylate, Super-absorbent polymers.
  • Husarek, J., Hess, S., Razaeian, S., Ruder, T. D., Sehmisch, S., Muller, M., and Liodakis, E. “Artificial Intelligence In Commercial Fracture Detection Products: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Diagnostic Test Accuracy”. Sci Rep 14, no. 1: 23053. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-73058-8.
    Abstract: Conventional radiography (CR) is primarily utilized for fracture diagnosis. Artificial intelligence (AI) for CR is a rapidly growing field aimed at enhancing efficiency and increasing diagnostic accuracy. However, the diagnostic performance of commercially available AI fracture detection solutions (CAAI-FDS) for CR in various anatomical regions, their synergy with human assessment, as well as the influence of industry funding on reported accuracy are unknown. Peer-reviewed diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) studies were identified through a systematic review on Pubmed and Embase. Diagnostic performance measures were extracted especially for different subgroups such as product, type of rater (stand-alone AI, human unaided, human aided), funding, and anatomical region. Pooled measures were obtained with a bivariate random effects model. The impact of rater was evaluated with comparative meta-analysis. Seventeen DTA studies of seven CAAI-FDS analyzing 38,978 x-rays with 8,150 fractures were included. Stand-alone AI studies (n = 15) evaluated five CAAI-FDS; four with good sensitivities (> 90%) and moderate specificities (80-90%) and one with very poor sensitivity (< 60%) and excellent specificity (> 95%). Pooled sensitivities were good to excellent, and specificities were moderate to good in all anatomical regions (n = 7) apart from ribs (n = 4; poor sensitivity / moderate specificity) and spine (n = 4; excellent sensitivity / poor specificity). Funded studies (n = 4) had higher sensitivity (+ 5%) and lower specificity (-4%) than non-funded studies (n = 11). Sensitivity did not differ significantly between stand-alone AI and human AI aided ratings (p = 0.316) but specificity was significantly higher the latter group (p < 0.001). Sensitivity was significant lower in human unaided compared to human AI aided respectively stand-alone AI ratings (both p </= 0.001); specificity was higher in human unaided ratings compared to stand-alone AI (p < 0.001) and showed no significant differences AI aided ratings (p = 0.316). The study demonstrates good diagnostic accuracy across most CAAI-FDS and anatomical regions, with the highest performance achieved when used in conjunction with human assessment. Diagnostic accuracy appears lower for spine and rib fractures. The impact of industry funding on reported performance is small.
    Tags: *Artificial Intelligence, *Fractures, Bone/diagnostic imaging/diagnosis, Diagnostic Tests, Routine/methods, Humans, Radiography/methods, Sensitivity and Specificity.
  • Meyer Sauteur, P. M., Seiler, M., Tilen, R., Osuna, E., von Wantoch, M., Sidorov, S., Aebi, C., et al. “A Randomized Controlled Non-Inferiority Trial Of Placebo Versus Macrolide Antibiotics For Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infection In Children With Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Trial Protocol For The Mythic Study”. Trials 25, no. 1: 655. doi:10.1186/s13063-024-08438-6.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a major cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in school-aged children. Macrolides are the first-line treatment for this infection. However, it is unclear whether macrolides are effective in treating M. pneumoniae CAP, mainly due to limitations in microbiological diagnosis of previous studies. The extensive global use of macrolides has led to increasing antimicrobial resistance. The overall objective of this trial is to produce efficacy data for macrolide treatment in children with M. pneumoniae CAP. METHODS: The MYTHIC Study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, non-inferiority trial in 13 Swiss pediatric centers. Previously healthy ambulatory and hospitalized children aged 3-17 years with clinically diagnosed CAP will be screened with a sensitive and commercially available M. pneumoniae-specific IgM lateral flow assay from capillary blood. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in screened patients will be verified retrospectively by respiratory PCR (reference test) and IgM antibody-secreting cell enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay (confirmatory test for distinguishing between carriage and infection). Patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive a 5-day treatment of macrolides (azithromycin) or placebo. The co-primary endpoints are (1) time to normalization of all vital signs, including body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and saturation of peripheral oxygen (efficacy), and (2) CAP-related change in patient care status (i.e., admission, re-admission, or intensive care unit transfer) within 28 days (safety). Secondary outcomes include adverse events (AEs), as well as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. For both co-primary endpoints, we aim to show non-inferiority of placebo compared to macrolide treatment. We expect no macrolide effect (hazard ratio of 1, absolute risk difference of 0) and set the corresponding non-inferiority margins to 0.7 and -7.5%. The "at least one" success criterion is used to handle multiplicity with the two co-primary endpoints. With a power of 80% to reject at least one null hypothesis at a one-sided significance level of 1.25%, 376 patients will be required. DISCUSSION: This trial will produce efficacy data for macrolide treatment in children with M. pneumoniae CAP that might help to reduce the prescription of antibiotics and therefore contribute to the global efforts toward reducing antimicrobial resistance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06325293. Registered on 24 April 2024.
    Tags: *Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use/adverse effects, *Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy/microbiology/diagnosis, *Equivalence Trials as Topic, *Mycoplasma pneumoniae/drug effects, *Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/drug therapy/microbiology/diagnosis, Adolescent, Age Factors, Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Atypical pneumonia, Azithromycin, Azithromycin/therapeutic use/adverse effects, Carriage, Child, Child, Preschool, Colonization, Diagnosis, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Macrolides/therapeutic use/adverse effects, Male, Multicenter Studies as Topic, Resistance, Respiratory tract infection, Stewardship, Switzerland, Time Factors, Treatment Outcome.
  • Eidenbenz, D., Kottmann, A., Zafren, K., Carron, P. N., Albrecht, R., and Pasquier, M. “Noncompressible Chest Wall In Critically Buried Avalanche Victims With Cardiac Arrest: A Case Series”. High Alt Med Biol 26, no. 2: 129-133. doi:10.1089/ham.2024.0104.
    Abstract: David Eidenbenz, Alexandre Kottmann, Ken Zafren, Pierre-Nicolas Carron, Roland Albrecht, and Mathieu Pasquier. Noncompressible chest wall in critically buried avalanche victims with cardiac arrest: a case series. High Alt Med Biol. 26:129-133, 2025. Introduction: In avalanche victims with cardiac arrest, a noncompressible chest wall or frozen body is a contraindication to initiating cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The evidence sustaining this recommendation is low. Objective: To describe the characteristics and prehospital management of critically buried avalanche victims declared dead on site, with and without noncompressible chest walls. Methods: Retrospective study including all critically buried avalanche victims declared dead on site by physicians of a helicopter emergency medical service in Switzerland, from 2010 to 2019. The primary outcome was the proportion of victims with a noncompressible chest wall reported in medical records. Secondary outcomes included victims' characteristics and the relevance of the criterion, noncompressible chest wall, for management. Results: Among the 53 included victims, 12 (23%) had noncompressible chest walls. Victims with noncompressible chest walls had significantly longer burial durations (median 1,125 vs. 45 minutes; p < 0.001) and lower core temperatures (median 14 vs. 32 degrees C; p = 0.01). The criterion, noncompressible chest wall, assessed in six victims, was decisive for declaring death on site in four victims. Conclusion: The presence of a noncompressible chest wall does not appear to be a sufficient criterion to allow to declare the death of critically buried avalanche victims. Further clinical information should be sought.
    Tags: *Avalanches, *Heart Arrest/therapy/etiology, *Thoracic Wall/pathology, Adult, Aged, avalanches, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Emergency Medical Services, extracorporeal life support, Female, Humans, hypothermia, Male, Middle Aged, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, Retrospective Studies, Switzerland.
  • Restellini, R., Golay, P., Jenni, R., Baumann, P. S., Alameda, L., Allgauer, L., Steullet, P., et al. “Winter Birth: A Factor Of Poor Functional Outcome In A Swiss Early Psychosis Cohort”. Schizophr Res 274: 206-211. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2024.09.022.
    Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Winter birth has consistently been identified as a risk factor for schizophrenia. This study aimed to determine whether individuals born during this season are also at higher risk for early psychosis and whether this is associated with distinct functional and clinical outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study on 222 patients during their early phase of psychosis in Switzerland, nested in the Treatment and Early Intervention in Psychosis (TIPP) cohort. We compared the birth trimesters of these patients with those of the general Swiss population. Additionally, we evaluated the Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores among patients born in winter (January to March) versus those born during the rest of the year during a three-year follow-up period. RESULTS: A significantly higher proportion of patients experiencing early psychosis were born in winter compared to the general Swiss population. Patients born in winter had significantly lower GAF scores at 6 months, 24 months, and 36 months of follow-up, compared to patients born during the rest of the year. They also manifested fewer positive symptoms, as indicated by the PANSS positive subscale. CONCLUSION: Birth in winter appears to be associated with a lower functional outcome and potentially distinct symptomatology in the early phase of psychosis.
    Tags: *Psychotic Disorders/physiopathology/epidemiology, *Seasons, Adolescent, Adult, Cohort Studies, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Functional outcome, Humans, Male, Prospective Studies, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychosis, Risk Factors, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenia/physiopathology, Season of birth, Switzerland/epidemiology, Tipp, Winter birth, Young Adult.
  • Peters, A. A., Wiescholek, N., Muller, M., Klaus, J., Strodka, F., Macek, A., Primetis, E., et al. “Impact Of Artificial Intelligence Assistance On Pulmonary Nodule Detection And Localization In Chest Ct: A Comparative Study Among Radiologists Of Varying Experience Levels”. Sci Rep 14, no. 1: 22447. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-73435-3.
    Abstract: The study aimed to evaluate the impact of AI assistance on pulmonary nodule detection rates among radiology residents and senior radiologists, along with assessing the effectiveness of two different commercialy available AI software systems in improving detection rates and LungRADS classification in chest CT. The study cohort included 198 participants with 221 pulmonary nodules. Residents' mean detection rate increased significantly from 64 to 77% with AI assist, while seniors' detection rate remained largely unchanged (85% vs. 86%). Residents showed significant improvement in segmental nodule localization with AI assistance, seniors did not. Software 2 slightly outperformed software 1 in increasing detection rates (67-77% vs. 80-86%), but neither significantly affected LungRADS classification. The study suggests that clinical experience mitigates the need for additional AI software, with the combination of CAD with residents being the most beneficial approach. Both software systems performed similarly, with software 2 showing a slightly higher but non-significant increase in detection rates.
    Tags: *Artificial Intelligence, *Lung Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging, *Radiologists, *Solitary Pulmonary Nodule/diagnostic imaging, *Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods, Adult, Aged, Ct, Female, Humans, Lung cancer, Male, Middle Aged, Multiple Pulmonary Nodules/diagnostic imaging, Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted/methods, Radiologists, Software.
  • Rauch, S., Brugger, H., Falk, M., Zweifel, B., Strapazzon, G., Albrecht, R., and Pietsch, U. “Avalanche Survival Rates In Switzerland, 1981-2020”. Jama Netw Open 7, no. 9: e2435253. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.35253.
    Abstract: IMPORTANCE: Survival probability among individuals critically buried by avalanche is highly time dependent, which was demonstrated 30 years ago. However, it remains unclear whether avalanche survival probability has changed over time. OBJECTIVE: To assess the avalanche survival rate and probability as well as the rescue probability over the past 4 decades. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this cohort study, avalanche data from Switzerland that were collected by the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in Davos were analyzed from the winter beginning in 1981 to that beginning in 2020 and compared with data from the period 1981 to 1990. Data were analyzed from January to April 2024. EXPOSURE: Critical avalanche burial (ie, burial involving the head and chest). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Survival rate among individuals critically buried by avalanche, survival probability, and rescue probability in relation to time buried under the avalanche. RESULTS: The study included 1643 individuals critically buried by avalanche (mean [SD] age, 37 [13.7] years; 1090 of 1342 with known sex [81.2%] were male) among 3805 avalanches involving 7059 persons. Compared with the period from 1981 to 1990, the total survival rate over the full study period increased from 43.5% (95% CI, 38.8%-48.3%) to 53.4% (95% CI, 51.0%-55.8%). Survival probability remained high at 91% (95% CI, 80%-100%) for rescue during the first 10 minutes but then decreased to 31% (95% CI, 11%-51%) for rescue between 10 and 30 minutes. The survival rate among those buried long term (>130 minutes) increased from 2.6% (95% CI, 0.7%-6.9%) to 7.3% (95% CI, 4.8%-10.7%). The median rescue time decreased from 45 (IQR, 15-148) minutes to 25 (IQR, 10-85) minutes. Survival rates among individuals rescued from avalanche by organized rescue teams increased from 14.0% (28 of 200) to 22.9% (161 of 704). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This cohort study of 1643 individuals critically buried by avalanche found that over the past 4 decades, total survival rates considerably increased and rescue times decreased. Survival rates among those buried long term (>130 minutes) also increased. These findings are likely attributable to collaborative efforts among stakeholders to enhance avalanche search-and-rescue techniques and medical interventions.
    Tags: *Avalanches/mortality, Adult, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Rescue Work/statistics & numerical data, Survival Rate, Switzerland/epidemiology.
  • Wunderle, C., Suter, S. S., Endner, N., Haenggi, E., Kaegi-Braun, N., Tribolet, P., Stanga, Z., Mueller, B., and Schuetz, P. “Sex Differences In Clinical Presentation, Treatment Response, And Side Effects Of Nutritional Therapy Among Patients At Nutritional Risk: A Secondary Analysis Of The Randomized Clinical Trial Effort”. Am J Clin Nutr 120, no. 5: 1225-1232. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.09.020.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Considering sex-specific factors has become an increasingly recognized area for research and practice, in the field of clinical nutrition, there is insufficient evidence regarding differences in clinical presentation, treatment response, and side effects of nutritional therapy among female and male patients. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that the clinical presentation, response to nutritional therapy, and side effects from the intervention would differ in the two sexes. METHODS: This secondary analysis investigated differences among female and male patients at risk for malnutrition regarding initial presentation, clinical outcomes, and treatment response in patients included in the Effect of Early Nutritional Support on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of Malnourished Medical Inpatients Trial (EFFORT), a randomized controlled trial comparing individualized nutritional support to usual care. RESULTS: Of 2028 patients included in the trial, 964 were females and 1064 were males. The nutritional history and clinical presentation of female patients was different: they consumed less food and had a greater loss of appetite than the male population. Male patients had higher risk for mortality at 180 d [27% compared with 19%; adjusted hazards ratio (HR): 1.35; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.63] and further adverse clinical outcomes. However, there was no difference in the effect of nutritional support on mortality among female and male patients (HR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.45, 1.27, compared with HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.54, 1.21, respectively; P-interaction = 0.939). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this multicenter randomized trial suggest that multimorbid female inpatients have a different clinical presentation and are more prone to loss of appetite and reduced daily dietary intake than male inpatients. Importantly, the favorable response to nutritional interventions was similar in both sexes. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02517476.
    Tags: *Malnutrition/diet therapy, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Clinical Nutrition and played no role in the Journal's evaluation of the, conflicts of interest., Female, Humans, individualized nutrition support, Male, malnutrition, manuscript. PS reports funding grants from Roche, ThermoFisher, bioMerieux,, Middle Aged, Nestle Health Science, and Abbott Nutrition. ZS reports funding grants from, Nestle Health Science, Fresenius Kabi, and B. Braun. The other authors report no, Nutrition Therapy/methods, nutritional risk screening (NRS), Nutritional Status, Nutritional Support, Risk Factors, Sex Characteristics, sex difference, Sex Factors, Treatment Outcome.
  • Schobi, N., Duppenthaler, A., Horn, M., Bartenstein, A., Keitel, K., Kopp, M. V., Agyeman, P. K. A., and Aebi, C. “Ongoing Excess Hospitalizations For Severe Pediatric Group A Streptococcal Disease In 2023-2024-A Single-Center Report”. Infect Dis Rep 16, no. 5: 864-869. doi:10.3390/idr16050067.
    Abstract: A Europe-wide outbreak of invasive pediatric group A streptococcal infections (iGAS) began in fall 2022. Here, we report the evolution of GAS hospitalizations in children and adolescents during the second outbreak year in 2023-2024 at a tertiary center in Switzerland. Using prospective monitoring of all in-patient GAS cases below 16 years of age, including those with iGAS, we compared case frequencies and clinical characteristics in three time periods (2013-2020; 2022-2023; 2023-2024). Annual GAS hospitalizations increased from a median of 25 cases (range 11-28) in 2013-2020 to 89 and 63 cases, respectively, in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. iGAS cases evolved similarly (2013-2020, 4 cases (3-8); 2022-2023, 32 cases; 2023-2024, 21 cases). The decline in cases from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 included all types of GAS organ involvement, except suppurative infections in the head area, which remained largely unchanged (48 vs. 45 cases). Pleural empyema declined from 13 to 7 cases, possibly explained by a poor overlap of the GAS and influenza curves, respectively, in 2023-2024 compared to 2022-2023. These data document the prolongation of the GAS outbreak into its second winter season in 2023-2024.
    Tags: child, iGAS, influenza, invasive group A streptococcus, outbreak, Streptococcus pyogenes.
  • Lang-Hodge, A. M., Monaghan, M. N., Lim, R., Heymann, E. P., and Lang, E. “Modulating Patient Output: Rethinking The Role Of Em In The Healthcare System”. Intern Emerg Med 20, no. 1: 215-220. doi:10.1007/s11739-024-03774-6.
    Abstract: Overcrowding has become a significant issue in Emergency departments (EDs) around the world. Overcrowding contributes to a chaotic, unsafe and disorganized environment, increasing the burden on healthcare teams, and has led to deteriorating working conditions, with subsequent higher rates of burnout. This review aims to discuss different solutions to improve the process of patient discharge from the ED, either to an inpatient unit, another hospital, or to an outpatient setting, and the impact this component of patient flow can have on physician well being. The solutions presented in this paper have been chosen for their translatability to any setting, regardless of their geographical location.
    Tags: *Emergency Service, Hospital/organization & administration, conflict of interest. Human and animal rights: This article does not contain any, Crowding/psychology, Emergency department, Flow solutions, Humans, Output, Overcrowding, Patient Discharge/standards, Physician wellness, published data. Informed consent: Formal consent is not required for this type of, Strategy implementation, studies directly involving human participants as it is a review of previously, study..
  • Ahmad, S. J., Ahmed, A. R., Mohajer-Bastami, A., Moin, S., Sweetman, B., Pouwels, S., Head, M., et al. “Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Citation Count As A Measure Of Methodological Quality In Esophagogastric Surgery Research: A Comparative Analysis With The Minors Score And Levels Of Evidence”. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench 17, no. 3: 212-224. doi:10.22037/ghfbb.v17i3.3005.
    Abstract: AIM: The primary objective was to assess the relationship between the citation number and the quality of the articles, as compared with the level of evidence and the MINORS score. This study's secondary objective was to characterize the 50 most cited articles in the field of oesophagectomy research. BACKGROUND: There has been an increased need for an evaluation tool to indicate research quality. Available quality assessment tools include the Level of Evidence, the MINORS score, the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 Tool, the Newcastle Ottawa Scale, CASP Appraisal Checklists, and Legend Evidence Evaluation tools. METHODS: The Web of Science allowed evaluating and comparing articles on oesophagectomy research. The quality of the 50 most cited articles was assessed using the Oxford Centre level of evidence classification and the methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS). RESULTS: Level of evidence II studies were cited more than level IV (P=0.008). There was a significant positive correlation between citation number and MINORS score (P=0.002). The median MINORS score was highest amongst level II studies, followed by levels III, IV, and I. The median MINORS score for level II evidence was significantly higher than for level IV (P=0.001). The study sample size is associated with higher levels of evidence but does not correlate with the citation number. Female authors contributed to 4 out of 50 articles. Recently published articles tended to be cited more frequently. More authors equated to more citations. Prospective studies are more likely to be cited. CONCLUSION: Citation analysis can be used as an indicator of quality when assessing articles. It should, however, be used with caution as highly cited work, famous authors, and journals are all more likely to be cited. Citation analysis should be used alongside other well-established tools.
    Tags: Ivor Lewis, Mckeown, Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma, Oesophageal Cancer, Oesophageal Carcinoma, Oesophageal Resection, Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Oesophagectomy, Oesophagus, Transhiatal Resection.
  • Lechner, R., Brugger, H., Cools, E., Darocha, T., Paal, P., Pasquier, M., Strapazzon, G., et al. “Studies Of Hypothermic Cardiac Arrest Outcomes Without Core Temperature Measurements Are Deeply Flawed”. Am J Emerg Med 85: 243-244. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2024.09.011.
  • Collaborators, G. B. D. Stroke Risk Factor. “Global, Regional, And National Burden Of Stroke And Its Risk Factors, 1990-2021: A Systematic Analysis For The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2021”. Lancet Neurol 23, no. 10: 973-1003. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00369-7.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Up-to-date estimates of stroke burden and attributable risks and their trends at global, regional, and national levels are essential for evidence-based health care, prevention, and resource allocation planning. We aimed to provide such estimates for the period 1990-2021. METHODS: We estimated incidence, prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) counts and age-standardised rates per 100 000 people per year for overall stroke, ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, and subarachnoid haemorrhage, for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. We also calculated burden of stroke attributable to 23 risk factors and six risk clusters (air pollution, tobacco smoking, behavioural, dietary, environmental, and metabolic risks) at the global and regional levels (21 GBD regions and Socio-demographic Index [SDI] quintiles), using the standard GBD methodology. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for each individual future estimate were derived from the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of distributions generated from propagating 500 draws through the multistage computational pipeline. FINDINGS: In 2021, stroke was the third most common GBD level 3 cause of death (7.3 million [95% UI 6.6-7.8] deaths; 10.7% [9.8-11.3] of all deaths) after ischaemic heart disease and COVID-19, and the fourth most common cause of DALYs (160.5 million [147.8-171.6] DALYs; 5.6% [5.0-6.1] of all DALYs). In 2021, there were 93.8 million (89.0-99.3) prevalent and 11.9 million (10.7-13.2) incident strokes. We found disparities in stroke burden and risk factors by GBD region, country or territory, and SDI, as well as a stagnation in the reduction of incidence from 2015 onwards, and even some increases in the stroke incidence, death, prevalence, and DALY rates in southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania, countries with lower SDI, and people younger than 70 years. Globally, ischaemic stroke constituted 65.3% (62.4-67.7), intracerebral haemorrhage constituted 28.8% (28.3-28.8), and subarachnoid haemorrhage constituted 5.8% (5.7-6.0) of incident strokes. There were substantial increases in DALYs attributable to high BMI (88.2% [53.4-117.7]), high ambient temperature (72.4% [51.1 to 179.5]), high fasting plasma glucose (32.1% [26.7-38.1]), diet high in sugar-sweetened beverages (23.4% [12.7-35.7]), low physical activity (11.3% [1.8-34.9]), high systolic blood pressure (6.7% [2.5-11.6]), lead exposure (6.5% [4.5-11.2]), and diet low in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (5.3% [0.5-10.5]). INTERPRETATION: Stroke burden has increased from 1990 to 2021, and the contribution of several risk factors has also increased. Effective, accessible, and affordable measures to improve stroke surveillance, prevention (with the emphasis on blood pressure, lifestyle, and environmental factors), acute care, and rehabilitation need to be urgently implemented across all countries to reduce stroke burden. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
    Tags: *Global Burden of Disease, *Global Health, *Stroke/epidemiology, Disability-Adjusted Life Years, Female, Humans, Incidence, Male, Prevalence, Quality-Adjusted Life Years, Risk Factors.
  • Simon, S. S. A., van Vliet, A. M. C., Vogt, L., Lindner, G., and Olde Engberink, R. H. G. “The Prediction Of Alterations In Plasma Sodium Levels In Acutely Ill Patients Should Be More Comprehensive. Author's Reply”. Eur J Intern Med 131: 158. doi:10.1016/j.ejim.2024.09.010.
    Tags: acutely ill patient, albumin, albumin blood level, aldosterone, bioelectrical impedance analysis, C reactive protein, controlled study, female, fluid balance, human, hypernatremia, inflammation, intensive care unit, kidney function, Letter, male, nonhuman, prediction, protein blood level, sepsis, skin blood vessel, skin water loss, sodium, sodium balance, sodium blood level, sodium urine level, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, total body water, vasoconstriction, vasopressin.
  • Kosteska Misajlevska, D., Pavol, P., and Ziaka, M. “Influenza A Infection As A Potential Trigger Of Giant Cell Arteritis: A Case Report”. Sage Open Med Case Rep 12: 2050313X241272666. doi:10.1177/2050313X241272666.
    Abstract: Presenting as a large vessel vasculitis, giant cell arteritis (GCA) manifests with various symptoms, including fever, myalgias, headache, and jaw claudication. Although the precise pathogenesis of GCA remains incompletely elucidated, there is speculation about the involvement of environmental factors and infectious agents like bacteria and viruses in its development. Nevertheless, data on the potential link between influenza infection and GCA are limited. In this report, we present the case of an 88-year-old patient diagnosed with GCA following a severe influenza A infection.
    Tags: bacteria, giant cell arteritis, Influenza A, polymyalgia rheumatica, research, authorship and/or publication of this article., viruses.
  • Brauer, S. K., Musy, A. A., Schneider, S., Trottmann, F. N., Kaderli, N., Vetter, C., Surbek, D., et al. “Using Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion Of The Aorta (Reboa) As A Rescue Strategy In Severe Postpartum Hemorrhage: A Case Report”. Diagnostics (Basel) 14, no. 17. doi:10.3390/diagnostics14171980.
    Abstract: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Routine treatment of PPH includes uterotonics, tranexamic acid, curettage, uterine (balloon) tamponade, compression sutures, uterine artery ligation, and, if available, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). In cases of severe PPH refractory to standard medical and surgical management, hysterectomy is usually the ultima ratio, and is equally associated with a higher rate of complications. In addition, this sudden loss of fertility, especially in young women, can be devastating. Here, we report a case of a 29-year-old woman who suffered from severe PPH with a blood loss > 1500 mL and hemodynamic instability after delivery of her first baby at a smaller hospital. She was consequently successfully treated with resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) by first placing a balloon catheter into the infra-renal aorta and subsequent TAE after failure of all other available treatment options prior to hysterectomy. TAE has been suggested in PPH treatment to avoid hysterectomies and thus to preserve patients' reproductive function. If hemodynamic stabilization cannot be achieved with mass transfusion, REBOA seems to be an effective rescue strategy with which to achieve hemodynamic stabilization and gain additional time for embolization. Although REBOA is already recommended in several PPH guidelines, this approach seems relatively unknown in German-speaking countries.
    Tags: multidisciplinary approach, postpartum hysterectomy, Reboa, resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta, severe postpartum hemorrhage.
  • Sirota, S. B., Dominguez, R. M. V., Bender, R. G., Vongpradith, A., Albertson, S. B., Novotney, A., Burkart, K., et al. “Global, Regional, And National Burden Of Upper Respiratory Infections And Otitis Media, 1990-2021: A Systematic Analysis From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2021”. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 25, no. 1: 36-51. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00430-4.
    Abstract: Background: Upper respiratory infections (URIs) are the leading cause of acute disease incidence worldwide and contribute to a substantial health-care burden. Although acute otitis media is a common complication of URIs, the combined global burden of URIs and otitis media has not been studied comprehensively. We used results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2021 to explore the fatal and non-fatal burden of the two diseases across all age groups, including a granular analysis of children younger than 5 years, in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. Methods: Mortality due to URIs and otitis media was estimated with use of vital registration and sample-based vital registration data, which are used as inputs to the Cause of Death Ensemble model to separately model URIs and otitis media mortality by age and sex. Morbidity was modelled with a Bayesian meta-regression tool using data from published studies identified via systematic reviews, population-based survey data, and cause-specific URI and otitis media mortality estimates. Additionally, we assessed and compared the burden of otitis media as it relates to URIs and examined the collective burden and contributing risk factors of both diseases. Findings: The global number of new episodes of URIs was 12·8 billion (95% uncertainty interval 11·4 to 14·5) for all ages across males and females in 2021. The global all-age incidence rate of URIs decreased by 10·1% (-12·0 to -8·1) from 1990 to 2019. From 2019 to 2021, the global all-age incidence rate fell by 0·5% (-0·8 to -0·1). Globally, the incidence rate of URIs was 162 484·8 per 100 000 population (144 834·0 to 183 289·4) in 2021, a decrease of 10·5% (-12·4 to -8·4) from 1990, when the incidence rate was 181 552·5 per 100 000 population (160 827·4 to 206 214·7). The highest incidence rates of URIs were seen in children younger than 2 years in 2021, and the largest number of episodes was in children aged 5-9 years. The number of new episodes of otitis media globally for all ages was 391 million (292 to 525) in 2021. The global incidence rate of otitis media was 4958·9 per 100 000 (3705·4 to 6658·6) in 2021, a decrease of 16·3% (-18·1 to -14·0) from 1990, when the incidence rate was 5925·5 per 100 000 (4371·8 to 8097·9). The incidence rate of otitis media in 2021 was highest in children younger than 2 years, and the largest number of episodes was in children aged 2-4 years. The mortality rate of URIs in 2021 was 0·2 per 100 000 (0·1 to 0·5), a decrease of 64·2% (-84·6 to -43·4) from 1990, when the mortality rate was 0·7 per 100 000 (0·2 to 1·1). In both 1990 and 2021, the mortality rate of otitis media was less than 0·1 per 100 000. Together, the combined burden accounted for by URIs and otitis media in 2021 was 6·86 million (4·24 to 10·4) years lived with disability and 8·16 million (4·99 to 12·0) disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for all ages across males and females. Globally, the all-age DALY rate of URIs and otitis media combined in 2021 was 103 per 100 000 (63 to 152). Infants aged 1-5 months had the highest combined DALY rate in 2021 (647 per 100 000 [189 to 1412]), followed by early neonates (aged 0-6 days; 582 per 100 000 [176 to 1297]) and late neonates (aged 7-24 days; 482 per 100 000 [161 to 1052]). Interpretation: The findings of this study highlight the widespread burden posed by URIs and otitis media across all age groups and both sexes. There is a continued need for surveillance, prevention, and management to better understand and reduce the burden associated with URIs and otitis media, and research is needed to assess their impacts on individuals, communities, economies, and health-care systems worldwide. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license
    Tags: *Global Burden of Disease, *Otitis Media/epidemiology, *Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology/mortality, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Article, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Global Burden of Disease, Global Health/statistics & numerical data, Humans, Incidence, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Middle Aged, Respiratory Tract Infections, Risk Factors, Young Adult.
  • Wespi, R., Schwendimann, L., Neher, A., Birrenbach, T., Schauber, S. K., Manser, T., Sauter, T. C., and Kammer, J. E. “Teams Go Vr-Validating The Team In A Virtual Reality (Vr) Medical Team Training”. Adv Simul (Lond) 9, no. 1: 38. doi:10.1186/s41077-024-00309-z.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Inadequate collaboration in healthcare can lead to medical errors, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork training. Virtual reality (VR) simulation-based training presents a promising, cost-effective approach. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM) for assessing healthcare student teams in VR environments to improve training methodologies. METHODS: Forty-two medical and nursing students participated in a VR-based neurological emergency scenario as part of an interprofessional team training program. Their performances were assessed using a modified TEAM tool by two trained coders. Reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of the tool were evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: Rater agreement on TEAM's leadership, teamwork, and task management domains was high, with ICC values between 0.75 and 0.90. Leadership demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.90), while teamwork and task management showed moderate to acceptable consistency (alpha = 0.78 and 0.72, respectively). Overall, the TEAM tool exhibited high internal consistency (alpha = 0.89) and strong concurrent validity with significant correlations to global performance ratings. CONCLUSION: The TEAM tool proved to be a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating team dynamics in VR-based training scenarios. This study highlights VR's potential in enhancing medical education, especially in remote or distanced learning contexts. It demonstrates a dependable approach for team performance assessment, adding value to VR-based medical training. These findings pave the way for more effective, accessible interdisciplinary team assessments, contributing significantly to the advancement of medical education.
    Tags: disclose., Interprofessional education, Medical education, Medicine student, Nursing student, of Bern sponsored by the Touring Club Switzerland. The sponsor has no influence, on the research or decision to publish. All other authors have nothing to, Simulation, Team training, Virtual reality.
  • Fumagalli, R. M., Voci, D., Bikdeli, B., Bingisser, R., Colucci, G., Forgo, G., Gerardi, T., et al. “Long-Term Course Of Ambulatory Patients With Covid-19 Initially Treated With Enoxaparin Vs No Anticoagulation: Final Analysis Of The Ovid (Enoxaparin For Outpatients With Covid-19) Randomized Trial”. Res Pract Thromb Haemost 8, no. 5: 102534. doi:10.1016/j.rpth.2024.102534.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Early thromboprophylaxis does not prevent hospital admissions and death among outpatients with symptomatic COVID-19. Its impact on long-term outcomes, including long COVID symptoms and performance status, is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To assess the long-term effects of thromboprophylaxis given at the time of acute COVID-19 in outpatients. METHODS: The OVID (enoxaparin for outpatients with COVID-19) trial randomized outpatients older than 50 years with acute COVID-19 to receive either subcutaneous enoxaparin 40 mg once daily for 14 days or standard of care (no thromboprophylaxis). In this follow-up study, we assessed the 2-year outcomes, including all-cause hospitalization and death, cardiovascular events, long COVID symptoms, and functional limitations based on the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) scale and EuroQol-5 Dimensions-5 Levels scale. RESULTS: Of 469 potentially eligible patients, 468 survived, of whom 439 (mean age 59 years; 54% men) participated in the Post-OVID study. There was no difference in terms of hospitalization and death (8.3% in the treatment group vs 10% in controls; relative risk, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.5-1.5) and of cardiovascular events between groups. The risk of presenting with long COVID symptoms was similar in the 2 groups (44% in the treatment group vs 47% in the standard of care group), with no difference between groups also concerning individual symptoms. A PCFS grade of 1 to 3, indicating light-to-moderate functional limitation, was recorded in 15% of patients in each group (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.6-1.7). No patients reported severe limitations (PCFS grade 4). Median EuroQol visual analog scale score was 85 on 100 points (IQR, 80-90 for the standard of care group and 75-90 for the enoxaparin group). CONCLUSION: Early thromboprophylaxis does not improve long-term, 2-year clinical and functional outcomes among symptomatic ambulatory patients with acute COVID-19.
    Tags: Covid-19, heparin, long COVID, quality of life, thrombosis.
  • Wunderle, C., Ciobanu, C., Ritz, J., Tribolet, P., Neyer, P., Bernasconi, L., Stanga, Z., Mueller, B., and Schuetz, P. “Association Of Leucine And Other Branched Chain Amino Acids With Clinical Outcomes In Malnourished Inpatients: A Secondary Analysis Of The Randomized Clinical Trial Effort”. Eur J Clin Nutr 79, no. 1: 42-49. doi:10.1038/s41430-024-01507-8.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: The essential branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine are considered anabolic and stimulate protein synthesis in the muscles as well in the liver. They also promote muscle recovery and contribute to glucose homeostasis. Recent studies in critically ill patients have demonstrated that depletion of plasma leucine is associated with increased mortality, but data in the non-critical care setting is lacking. METHODS: This secondary analysis of the randomized controlled Effect of early nutritional support on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of malnourished medical inpatients Trial (EFFORT), investigated the impact of leucine, isoleucine, and valine metabolism on clinical outcomes. The primary endpoint was 180-day all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Among 238 polymorbid patients with available metabolite measurements, low serum leucin levels were associated with a doubled risk of 180-day all-cause mortality in a fully adjusted regression model (adjusted HR 2.20 [95% CI 1.46-3.30], p < 0.001). There was also an association with mortality for isoleucine (1.56 [95% CI 1.03-2.35], p = 0.035) and valine (1.69 [95% CI 1.13-2.53], p = 0.011). When comparing effects of nutritional support on mortality in patients with high and low levels of leucine, there was no evidence of significant differences in effectiveness of the intervention. The same was true for isoleucine and valine. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that depletion of leucine, isoleucine, and valine among malnourished polymorbid patients is associated with increases in long-term mortality. However, patients with low metabolite levels did not show a pronounced benefit from nutritional support. Further research should focus on the clinical effects of nutritional support in patients with depleted stores of essential branched-chain amino acids. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02517476 (registered 7 August 2015).
    Tags: *Amino Acids, Branched-Chain/blood, *Leucine/blood, *Malnutrition/blood/mortality/therapy, 2014_001) approved the study protocol., Aged, Aged, 80 and over, All participants or their authorized representatives provided written informed, consent. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (, Diagnostics, not related to this project. No other disclosures are reported., Ethics approval and consent to participate: The Ethics Committee of, Female, Health Science, Thermo Fisher, bioMerieux, Abbott Nutrition and Roche, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ NCT02517476)., Humans, Inpatients, Isoleucine/blood, Male, Middle Aged, Northwestern/Central Switzerland (EKNZ, Nutritional Support/methods, Treatment Outcome.
  • Pfortmueller, C. A., Ott, I., Muller, M., Wilson, D., Schefold, J. C., and Messmer, A. S. “The Association Of Midregional Pro-Adrenomedullin (Mr-Proadm) At Icu Admission And Fluid Overload In Patients Post Elective Cardiac Surgery”. Sci Rep 14, no. 1: 20897. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-71918-x.
    Abstract: Postoperative fluid overload (FO) after cardiac surgery is common and affects recovery. Predicting FO could help optimize fluid management. This post-hoc analysis of the HERACLES randomized controlled trial evaluated the predictive value of MR-proADM for FO post-cardiac surgery. MR-proADM levels were measured at four different timepoints in 33 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Patients were divided into FO (> 5% weight gain) and no-FO at ICU discharge. The primary outcome was the predictive power of MR-proADM at ICU admission for FO at discharge. Secondary outcomes included the predictive value of MR-proADM for FO on day 6 post-surgery and changes over time. The association between MR-proADM and FO at ICU discharge or day 6 post-surgery was not significant (crude odds ratio (cOR): 4.3 (95% CI 0.5-40.9, p = 0.201) and cOR 1.1 (95% CI 0.04-28.3, p = 0.954)). MR-proADM levels over time did not differ significantly between patients with and without FO at ICU discharge (p = 0.803). MR-proADM at ICU admission was not associated with fluid overload at ICU discharge in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. MR-proADM levels over time were not significantly different between groups, although elevated levels were observed in patients with FO.
    Tags: *Adrenomedullin/blood, *Cardiac Surgical Procedures/adverse effects, *Elective Surgical Procedures/adverse effects, *Intensive Care Units, Abbott AG, Anandic Medical Systems, Pan Gas AG Healthcare, Bracco, Hamilton, Abbott Nutrition International, B. Braun Medical AG, CSEM AG, Edwards, Aged, Astellas, Astra Zeneca, CSL Behring, Novartis, Covidien, Phagenesis, Cytel, and, Biomarkers/blood, Cardiac surgery, Clinical Research AG, Nestle, Pierre Fabre Pharma AG, Pfizer, Bard Medica S.A.,, Critical care, Female, Fluid overload, GmbH, Glaxo Smith Kline, Merck Sharp and Dohme AG, Eli Lilly and Company, Baxter,, Humans, Lifesciences Services GmbH, Kenta Biotech Ltd, Maquet Critical Care AB, Omnicare, Male, Medical AG, Fresenius Kabi, Getinge Group Maquet AG, Drager AG, Teleflex Medical, Middle Aged, MR-proADM, no personal financial gain applied. All other authors have nothing to disclose., Nycomed outside the submitted work. The money was paid into departmental funds, Postoperative Complications/blood/etiology.
  • Schuetz, P., Kerr, K. W., Cereda, E., and Sulo, S. “Impact Of Nutrition Interventions For Malnourished Patients: Introduction To Health Economics And Outcomes Research With Findings From Nutrition Care Studies”. Nutr Clin Pract 39, no. 6: 1329-1342. doi:10.1002/ncp.11207.
    Abstract: Healthcare systems and patients today are challenged by high and ever-escalating costs for care. With increasing costs and declining affordability, public and private healthcare payers are all seeking value in care. As the evidence regarding health benefits of nutrition products and interventional nutrition care is increasing, cost-effectiveness of these interventions needs consideration. Health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) examines the value of healthcare treatments, including nutrition interventions. This review summarizes how HEOR tools are used to measure health impact, that is, the burden of illness, the effect of interventions on the illness, and the value of the nutrition intervention in terms of health and cost outcomes. How studies are designed to compile data for economic analyses is briefly discussed. Then, studies that use HEOR methods to measure efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and cost savings from nutrition care across the healthcare spectrum-from hospitals to nursing homes and rehabilitation centers, to care for community-living individuals, with an emphasis on individuals who are older or experiencing chronic health issues-are reviewed. Overall, findings from HEOR studies over the past decade build considerable evidence to show that nutrition care improves the health of at-risk or malnourished patients effectively and at a reasonable cost. As such, the evidence suggests that nutrition care brings value to healthcare across multiple settings and populations.
    Tags: *Cost-Benefit Analysis, *Malnutrition/economics/therapy/diet therapy, *Nutrition Therapy/methods/economics, community, Cost of Illness, health economics, hospital, Humans, malnutrition, nursing home, nutrition interventions, Outcome Assessment, Health Care.
  • Schuetz, P. “A Negative Trial On The Effect Of Spirulina In Covid-19 Patients Or A Positive Trial For The Scientific Community?”. Am J Clin Nutr 120, no. 3: 461-462. doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.06.017.
    Tags: *COVID-19/prevention & control/epidemiology, *SARS-CoV-2, *Spirulina, COVID-19 Drug Treatment, Dietary Supplements, Humans.
  • Guntern, L. B., Erne, K., Achermann, A., Muller, M., Jeitziner, M. M., and Zante, B. “Strategies For Coping With Complicated Grief In Relatives Of Patients Who Are Critically Ill: An Observational Single-Center Cohort Study”. Chest 167, no. 2: 466-476. doi:10.1016/j.chest.2024.06.3841.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Relatives of patients who are critically ill who die are at high risk for symptoms of complicated grief (CG) with potential individual and social burdens. The prevalence and predictors of CG, and in particular the involvement of individual facets of relatives' coping strategies, are not well understood. RESEARCH QUESTION: How high is the prevalence and what are the predictors of CG, and how are coping strategies associated with CG symptoms? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this observational single-center cohort study, relatives of patients who are critically ill who died while in the ICU were surveyed 6 months later, using the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG) and the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced questionnaire, to assess CG symptoms and coping strategies, respectively. Patients' and relatives' characteristics were obtained. The primary outcome was the ICG sum score. RESULTS: Relatives of 89 of the 298 patients who died in the ICU during the study period were included. The mean +/- SD ICG sum score was 41.6 +/- 10.9. Eighty-four relatives (94.4%) had an ICG score >/= 25. Multivariable analysis revealed that being a partner significantly affected the ICG sum score (coefficient, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.8 to 8.0; P = .003), as did the coping strategies of self-distraction (coefficient, 4.4; 95% CI, 2.5 to 6.3; P < .001), acceptance (coefficient, -4.4; 95% CI, -6.3 to -2.5; P < .001), and self-blame (coefficient, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.4 to 6.3; P = .002). INTERPRETATION: Almost all relatives of deceased patients who are critically ill exhibit symptoms of CG. Relatives' functional and dysfunctional coping strategies may be associated with their CG symptoms. Knowledge of individual relatives' coping strategies may be helpful in supporting them. Adequate supportive interventions should be developed.
    Tags: *Adaptation, Psychological, *Critical Illness/psychology, *Family/psychology, *Grief, Adult, Aged, Cohort Studies, coping, family members, Female, grief, Humans, Icu, Intensive Care Units, Male, Middle Aged, prolonged grief disorder, Surveys and Questionnaires.
  • Gualtieri, R., Verolet, C., Mardegan, C., Papis, S., Loevy, N., Asner, S., Rohr, M., et al. “Amoxicillin Vs. Placebo To Reduce Symptoms In Children With Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis: A Randomized, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Non-Inferiority Trial”. Eur J Pediatr 183, no. 11: 4773-4782. doi:10.1007/s00431-024-05705-1.
    Abstract: The efficacy of antibiotic therapy for group A streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis is debated. The role of antibiotics in preventing complications seems limited, with the main potential benefit being symptom duration reduction. Our study aimed to evaluate whether a placebo is non-inferior to amoxicillin in reducing fever duration. We randomized 88 children between 3 and 15 years of age presenting with acute symptoms of pharyngitis and a positive rapid antigen detection test for GAS to receive 6-day treatment with either placebo (n = 46) or amoxicillin (n = 42). The primary outcome was the difference in fever duration, with a non-inferiority threshold set at 12 h. The secondary outcomes included pain intensity and complications of streptococcal pharyngitis. The mean difference in fever duration between the amoxicillin and placebo groups was 2.0 h (95% CI, - 8.3 to 12.3) in the per-protocol analysis and 2.8 h (95% CI, - 6.5 to 12.2) in the intention-to-treat analysis. Treatment failure was observed in six participants in the placebo group and two in the amoxicillin group (relative risk, 2.15; 95% CI, 0.44-10.57). All patients were identified early and recovered well. There was no clinically relevant difference in pain intensity between groups over the 7 days following randomization, with the largest difference of 0.5 (95% CI, - 0.62-1.80) observed on day 3. CONCLUSION: Placebo appears to be non-inferior to amoxicillin in reducing fever duration. Pain intensity and risk of complications were similar between the two groups. These findings support the restrictive antibiotic treatment for streptococcal pharyngitis. WHAT IS KNOWN: * Group A streptococcus pharyngitis is a common reason for prescribing antibiotics in pediatric care. * In high-income countries, while antibiotic treatment has not been effective in preventing non-suppurative complications, the primary justification for their use remains the reduction of symptoms. WHAT IS NEW: * Our results suggest that antibiotics have a limited impact on the duration of fever and the intensity of pain in children with streptococcal pharyngitis. * Considering that suppurative complications can be promptly treated if they arise, we recommend a more judicious approach to antibiotic prescriptions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered at the US National Institutes of Health (ClinicalTrials.gov) # NCT03264911 on 15.08.2017.
    Tags: *Amoxicillin/therapeutic use, *Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use, *Pharyngitis/drug therapy/microbiology, *Streptococcal Infections/drug therapy/diagnosis, *Streptococcus pyogenes, Adolescent, Amoxicillin, Child, Child, Preschool, Double-Blind Method, Female, Group A Streptococcus, Humans, Male, Placebo, Streptococcal pharyngitis, Treatment Outcome.
  • Ziaka, M., Liakoni, E., Mani-Weber, U., and Exadaktylos, A. “Probable Drug-Induced Systemic Reaction Without Blood Eosinophilia And Rash- Utility Of Eosinophilic Cationic Protein For Diagnosis”. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 38: 3946320241271712. doi:10.1177/03946320241271712.
    Tags: *Eosinophil Cationic Protein/blood, *Eosinophilia/chemically induced/diagnosis, Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome/diagnosis/etiology/immunology/blood, Exanthema/chemically induced/diagnosis, Humans, Male, Middle Aged.
  • Wunderle, C., Haller, L., Laager, R., Bernasconi, L., Neyer, P., Stumpf, F., Tribolet, P., Stanga, Z., Mueller, B., and Schuetz, P. “The Association Of The Essential Amino Acids Lysine, Methionine, And Threonine With Clinical Outcomes In Patients At Nutritional Risk: Secondary Analysis Of A Randomized Clinical Trial”. Nutrients 16, no. 16. doi:10.3390/nu16162608.
    Abstract: Lysine, methionine, and threonine are essential amino acids with vital functions for muscle and connective tissue health, metabolic balance, and the immune system. During illness, the demand for these amino acids typically increases, which puts patients at risk for deficiencies with harmful clinical consequences. In a secondary analysis of the Effect of Early Nutritional Support on Frailty, Functional Outcomes, and Recovery of Malnourished Medical Inpatients Trial (EFFORT), which compared individualized nutritional support to usual care nutrition in patients at nutritional risk, we investigated the prognostic impact of the lysine, methionine, and threonine metabolism. We had complete clinical and amino acid data in 237 patients, 58 of whom reached the primary endpoint of death at 30 days. In a model adjusted for comorbidities, sex, nutritional risk, and trial intervention, low plasma methionine levels were associated with 30-day mortality (adjusted HR 1.98 [95% CI 1.16 to 3.36], p = 0.01) and with a decline in functional status (adjusted OR 2.06 [95% CI 1.06 to 4.01], p = 0.03). The results for lysine and threonine did not show statistically significant differences regarding clinical outcomes. These findings suggest that low levels of methionine may be critical during hospitalization among patients at nutritional risk. Further studies should investigate the effect of supplementation of methionine in this patient group to improve outcomes.
    Tags: *Amino Acids, Essential/blood/administration & dosage, *Lysine/blood, *Methionine/blood/administration & dosage, *Nutritional Support/methods, *Threonine, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, biomarker, Female, Fresenius Kabi, and B. Braun. No other disclosures are reported., grant money unrelated to this project from Roche, Thermo Fisher, bioMerieux,, Hospitalization, Humans, Male, malnutrition, Malnutrition/mortality, Middle Aged, mortality, muscle health, Nestle Health Science, and Abbott Nutrition. The institution employing Zeno, Nutritional Status, nutritional support, Risk Factors, sarcopenia, Stanga received research support from Nestle Health Science, Abbott Nutrition,, Treatment Outcome.
  • Suttels, V., Chichignoud, I., Wachinou, P. A., Du Toit, J. D., Mans, P. A., Blanco, J. M., Agodokpessi, G., et al. “Web-Based Objective And Structured Assessment Of Point-Of-Care Lung Ultrasound Skills In Resource-Limited Settings”. Bmc Med Educ 24, no. 1: 939. doi:10.1186/s12909-024-05925-x.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Objective assessment of skills after training is essential for safe implementation of lung point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). In low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) there is a need for assessment tools without onsite experts to scale up POCUS access. Our objective is to develop a web-based assessment tool and evaluate trainees across different countries and at different time points after initial lung POCUS training. METHODS: We adapted the objective and validated lung ultrasound score (LUS-OSAUS) to a web-based tool with quiz and practical skills test. Trainees were evaluated after a short (4-day) standardized lung POCUS training and were classified in distinct groups according to (i) their geographical location (Benin vs. South-Africa) and (ii) time elapsed since training (Benin 0 months vs. Benin 6 months). The Benin 6 months group had minimal continuous education. Skills test images were read by two blinded experts. We report the overall success rates and then compare these rates based on location and timing since training, using the Fischer's exact test. RESULTS: A total of 35 out of 43 participants completed the online LUS-OSAUS quiz and skills test. The overall success rate was 0.84 (95%CI 0.80-0.88), with lower success rates for "correct depth" 0.54 (0.37-0.71), "correct assessment of pleura" 0.63 (0.45-0.79) and "conclusion" 0.71 (0.54-0.85). There were no differences based on location, with respective rates of 0.86 (0.80-0.92) and 0.83 (0.75-0.91) (p-value = 0.125) for Benin and South Africa at 0 months, respectively. Similarly, there were no differences according to timing with success rates of 0.86 (0.80-0.92) and 0.82 (0.72-0.93) (p-value = 0.563) for Benin at 0 months and 6 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Web-based objective and structured assessment of lung POCUS skills in LMIC following a short-standardized training is feasible and has a good overall success rate with consistent results across regions and up to 6 months after training given minimal continuous education. Overall, technical and POCUS-based clinical conclusion skills are the most difficult to acquire.
    Tags: *Clinical Competence, *Developing Countries, *Lung/diagnostic imaging, *Point-of-Care Systems, *Ultrasonography, Educational Measurement, Humans, Internet, Low- and middle- income countries, Lung POCUS, Lus-osaus, Resource-Limited Settings, South Africa, Training, quality control.
  • Olpe, T., Wunderle, C., Bargetzi, L., Tribolet, P., Laviano, A., Stanga, Z., Prado, C. M., Mueller, B., and Schuetz, P. “Muscle Matters: Prognostic Implications Of Malnutrition And Muscle Health Parameters In Patients With Cancer. A Secondary Analysis Of A Randomised Trial”. Clin Nutr 43, no. 9: 2255-2262. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2024.07.020.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Low muscle mass and malnutrition are independently associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes in patients with cancer. However, it is not yet clear which parameter is most indicative of these risks. This study investigates the prognostic significance of different parameters reflecting malnutrition and muscle health in a well-characterised oncology population at nutritional risk. METHODS: This preplanned secondary analysis included patients with cancer from a Swiss-wide, randomised-controlled nutritional trial. We investigated associations among malnutrition markers (i.e., malnutrition diagnosis based on modified Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, albumin concentration) and muscle health markers (i.e., hand grip strength, computed tomography (CT)-based muscle mass and radiodensity) with 180-day all-cause mortality (primary outcome). RESULTS: We included 269 patients with a main admission diagnosis of cancer and available CT scans. In a mutually adjusted model, four parameters contributed to risk assessment including modified malnutrition diagnosis (GLIM) (HR 1.78 (95%CI 1.17 to 2.69), p = 0.007, AUC 0.58), low albumin concentration (HR 1.58 (95%CI 1.08 to 2.31), p = 0.019, AUC 0.62), low handgrip strength (HR 2.05 (95%CI 1.43 to 2.93), p = 0.001, AUC 0.62) and low muscle radiodensity (HR 1.39 (95%CI 0.90 to 2.16), p = 0.139, AUC 0.63). Combining these parameters resulted in a model with high prognostic power regarding 180-day mortality (overall AUC 0.71). CONCLUSIONS: In this study of inpatients with cancer at nutritional risk, several malnutrition and muscle health parameters emerged as independent prognostic indicators for mortality. The use of these parameters may improve risk stratification and guide nutritional interventions in this vulnerable population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02517476.
    Tags: *Hand Strength, *Malnutrition/diagnosis/mortality, *Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology/diagnostic imaging, *Neoplasms/mortality/complications, Abbott Nutrition. The institution of Z.Stanga received speaking honoraria and, Aged, Cancer, CMP has received honoraria and/or paid consultancy from Abbott Nutrition,, Ct, except in abstract form., Female, Glim, Humans, institution. All other authors report no conflicts of interest. The results, interest with Dr. Vickie Baracos and Dr. Lisa Martin, who are both from the same, Male, Malnutrition, Middle Aged, Muscle, Nutricia, Nestle Health Science, Pfizer, and AMRA Medical. CMP has a conflict of, Nutrition Assessment, Nutritional Status, presented in this paper have not been published previously in whole or part,, Prognosis, research support from Nestle Health Science, Abbott Nutrition and Fresenius Kabi., Risk Assessment, Sarcopenia, Serum Albumin/analysis/metabolism, Switzerland/epidemiology, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, unrestricted grant money unrelated to this project from Nestle Health Science and.
  • de Masi, A., Ehrler, F., and Siebert, J. N. “Toward Laboratory Notification In Pediatric Emergency Departments”. In, 316:152-156, 2024. doi:10.3233/SHTI240366.
    Abstract: This study explores how patient's laboratory result are accessed in pediatric emergency departments. The rapid turnaround of laboratory results and their timely access by the medical team are crucial for effective patient management and care decision-making. This study revealed a systematic access prioritization to the Electronic Health Record, led by physicians, followed by nurses, and then other healthcare staff Despite efforts to streamline access through computerized laboratory results, optimized laboratory turnaround time and integration of final results into the electronic health record remain key challenges. Delays in accessing analysis results issued by the central hospital laboratory are consistently experienced across various laboratory types, indicating broader systemic workflow issues rather than inefficiencies specific to individual laboratories. © 2024 The Authors.
  • Breindahl, N., Bierens, J. L. M., Wiberg, S., Barcala-Furelos, R., and Maschmann, C. “Prehospital Guidelines On In-Water Traumatic Spinal Injuries For Lifeguards And Prehospital Emergency Medical Services: An International Delphi Consensus Study”. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 32, no. 1: 76. doi:10.1186/s13049-024-01249-3.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Trauma guidelines on spinal motion restriction (SMR) have changed drastically in recent years. An international group of experts explored whether consensus could be reached and if guidelines on SMR performed by trained lifeguards and prehospital EMS following in-water traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) should also be changed. METHODS: An international three-round Delphi process was conducted from October 2022 to November 2023. In Delphi round one, brainstorming resulted in an exhaustive list of recommendations for handling patients with suspected in-water TSCI. The list was also used to construct a preliminary flowchart for in-water SMR. In Delphi round two, three levels of agreement for each recommendation and the flowchart were established. Recommendations with strong consensus (>/= 85% agreement) underwent minor revisions and entered round three; recommendations with moderate consensus (75-85% agreement) underwent major revisions in two consecutive phases; and recommendations with weak consensus (< 75% agreement) were excluded. In Delphi round 3, the level of consensus for each of the final recommendations and each of the routes in the flowchart was tested using the same procedure as in Delphi round 2. RESULTS: Twenty-four experts participated in Delphi round one. The response rates for Delphi rounds two and three were 92% and 88%, respectively. The study resulted in 25 recommendations and one flowchart with four flowchart paths; 24 recommendations received strong consensus (>/= 85%), and one recommendation received moderate consensus (81%). Each of the four paths in the flowchart received strong consensus (90-95%). The integral flowchart received strong consensus (93%). CONCLUSIONS: This study produced expert consensus on 25 recommendations and a flowchart on handling patients with suspected in-water TSCI by trained lifeguards and prehospital EMS. These results provide clear and simple guidelines on SMR, which can standardise training and guidelines on SMR performed by trained lifeguards or prehospital EMS.
    Tags: *Consensus, *Delphi Technique, *Emergency Medical Services/standards, *Spinal Cord Injuries/therapy, Delphi, Drowning, Emergency medical service (EMS), Guideline, Humans, Lifeguard, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Spinal cord injuries, Spinal fractures, Spinal injuries, Spinal Injuries/therapy, Trauma, Water.
  • Ruchonnet-Metrailler, I., Siebert, J. N., Hartley, M. A., and Lacroix, L. “Automated Interpretation Of Lung Sounds By Deep Learning In Children With Asthma: Scoping Review And Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, And Threats Analysis”. J Med Internet Res 26: e53662. doi:10.2196/53662.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: The interpretation of lung sounds plays a crucial role in the appropriate diagnosis and management of pediatric asthma. Applying artificial intelligence (AI) to this task has the potential to better standardize assessment and may even improve its predictive potential. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to objectively review the literature on AI-assisted lung auscultation for pediatric asthma and provide a balanced assessment of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. METHODS: A scoping review on AI-assisted lung sound analysis in children with asthma was conducted across 4 major scientific databases (PubMed, MEDLINE Ovid, Embase, and Web of Science), supplemented by a gray literature search on Google Scholar, to identify relevant studies published from January 1, 2000, until May 23, 2023. The search strategy incorporated a combination of keywords related to AI, pulmonary auscultation, children, and asthma. The quality of eligible studies was assessed using the ChAMAI (Checklist for the Assessment of Medical Artificial Intelligence). RESULTS: The search identified 7 relevant studies out of 82 (9%) to be included through an academic literature search, while 11 of 250 (4.4%) studies from the gray literature search were considered but not included in the subsequent review and quality assessment. All had poor to medium ChAMAI scores, mostly due to the absence of external validation. Identified strengths were improved predictive accuracy of AI to allow for prompt and early diagnosis, personalized management strategies, and remote monitoring capabilities. Weaknesses were the heterogeneity between studies and the lack of standardization in data collection and interpretation. Opportunities were the potential of coordinated surveillance, growing data sets, and new ways of collaboratively learning from distributed data. Threats were both generic for the field of medical AI (loss of interpretability) but also specific to the use case, as clinicians might lose the skill of auscultation. CONCLUSIONS: To achieve the opportunities of automated lung auscultation, there is a need to address weaknesses and threats with large-scale coordinated data collection in globally representative populations and leveraging new approaches to collaborative learning.
    Tags: *Asthma/diagnosis/physiopathology, *Deep Learning, *Respiratory Sounds/physiopathology, Artificial Intelligence, asthma, auscultation, Auscultation/methods, Child, deep learning, Humans, machine learning, mobile phone, pediatric, respiratory sounds, stethoscope, wheezing disorders.
  • Iten, M., Pietsch, U., Knapp, J., Jakob, D. A., Krummrey, G., Maschmann, C., Steinmetz, J., Arleth, T., Mueller, M., and Hautz, W. “Hyperoxaemia In Acute Trauma Is Common And Associated With A Longer Hospital Stay: A Multicentre Retrospective Cohort Study”. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 32, no. 1: 75. doi:10.1186/s13049-024-01247-5.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Trauma poses a significant global health challenge. Despite advancements in the management of severely injured patients, (poly)trauma continues to be a primary contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the context of trauma resuscitation, supplemental oxygen is commonly administered generously as suggested by guidelines. Yet, it remains uncertain whether the trauma population might derive advantages from a more conservative approach to supplemental oxygen. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study from two Swiss trauma centers, severely injured adult (> 16 years) trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >/= 16 were divided into four groups according to the first blood gas analysis taken: hypoxaemia (PaO(2) < 10.7 kPa/80 mmHg), normoxaemia (PaO(2) 10.7-16.0 kPa/80-120 mmHg), which served as reference, moderate hyperoxaemia (PaO(2) > 16.0-40 kPa/120-300 mmHg) and severe hyperoxaemia (PaO(2) > 40 kPa/300 mmHg). The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Length of hospital stay (LOS) and length of intensive care unit stay (LOS-ICU) were analyzed as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Of 1,189 trauma patients, 41.3% had hyperoxaemia (18.8% with severe hyperoxaemia) and 19.3% had hypoxaemia. No difference was found for 28-day mortality (hypoxaemia: 15.7%, normoxaemia: 14.1%, hyperoxaemia: 13.8%, severe hyperoxaemia: 16.0%, p = 0.846). Patients with severe hyperoxaemia had a significant prolonged LOS (median 12.5 [IQR 7-18.5] days vs. 10 [7-17], p = 0.040) and extended LOS-ICU (3.8 [1.8-9] vs. 2 [1-5] days, p = 0.149) compared to normoxaemic patients. In multivariable analysis, oxygen group was not associated with the primary outcome 28-day mortality or LOS-ICU. Severe hyperoxaemia patients had a tendency towards longer hospital stay (adjusted coefficient 2.23 days [95% CI: - 0.32; 4.79], p = 0.087). CONCLUSION: Hyperoxaemia was not associated with an increased 28-day mortality when compared to normoxaemia. However, both moderate and severe hyperoxaemia is frequently observed in trauma patients, and the presence of severe hyperoxaemia showed a tendency with extended hospital stay compared to normoxaemia patients. Robust randomized controlled trials are imperative to thoroughly evaluate the potential correlation between hyperoxaemia and outcomes in trauma patients . Trial Registration Retrospectively registered.
    Tags: *Hyperoxia/complications, *Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data, Adult, Blood Gas Analysis, Female, foundation. The other authors declare that they have no competing interests., Humans, Hyperoxaemia, Hypoxaemia, Injury Severity Score, Male, Middle Aged, Normoxaemia, Oxygen, Oxygen Inhalation Therapy/methods, Retrospective Studies, Switzerland/epidemiology, Trauma, Trauma Centers, Wounds and Injuries/complications/therapy/mortality.
  • Assunta, F., Matteo, A., Severine, V., Guy, S., Aurelien, K., Oriana, K. P., Dominique, J., et al. “Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Serious Game To Study The Effects Of Environmental Distractors On Emergency Room Nurse Triage Accuracy: A Pilot Study”. Int Emerg Nurs 76: 101504. doi:10.1016/j.ienj.2024.101504.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Emergency triage, which involves complex decision-making under stress and time constraints, may suffer from inaccuracies due to workplace distractions. A serious game was developed to simulate the triage process and environment. A pilot study was undertaken to collect preliminary data on the effects of distractors on emergency nurse triage accuracy. METHOD: A 2 x 2 factorial randomized controlled trial (RCT) was designed for the study. A sample of 70 emergency room nurses was randomly assigned to three experimental groups exposed to different distractors (noise, task interruptions, and both) and one control group. Nurses had two hours to complete a series of 20 clinical vignettes, in which they had to establish a chief complaint and assign an emergency level. RESULTS: Fifty-five nurses completed approximately 15 vignettes each during the allotted time. No intergroup differences emerged in terms of triage performance. Nurses had a very favorable appreciation of the serious game focusing on triage. CONCLUSION: The results show that both the structure of our study and the serious game can be used to carry out a future RCT on a larger scale. The lack of a distractor effect raises questions about the frequency and intensity required to find a significant impact on triage performance.
    Tags: *Emergency Service, Hospital, *Triage/methods, Adult, competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared, Decision-making, Emergency Nursing, Feasibility Studies, Female, Gamification, Humans, Interruptions, Male, Middle Aged, Nurses/psychology, Patient safety, Pilot Projects, Quality improvement, to influence the work reported in this paper., Triage accuracy.
  • Hall, N., Rousson, V., and Pasquier, M. “Comment On The Use Of The Hope Score In The Specific Case Of Drowning Resuscitation”. Resusc Plus 19: 100723. doi:10.1016/j.resplu.2024.100723.
  • Koechlin, L., Boeddinghaus, J., Lopez-Ayala, P., Reber, C., Nestelberger, T., Wildi, K., Spagnuolo, C. C., et al. “Clinical And Analytical Performance Of A Novel Point-Of-Care High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I Assay”. J Am Coll Cardiol 84, no. 8: 726-740. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2024.05.056.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Point-of-care (POC) high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays may further accelerate the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI). OBJECTIVES: This study sought to assess the clinical and analytical performance of the novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI)-SPINCHIP POC test. METHODS: Adult patients presenting with acute chest discomfort to the emergency department were enrolled in an international, diagnostic, multicenter study. The final diagnosis was centrally adjudicated by 2 independent cardiologists using all clinical information. We compared the discriminatory performance of hs-cTnI-SPINCHIP with current established central laboratory assays and derived an assay-specific hs-cTnI-SPINCHIP 0/1-hour algorithm. Secondary analyses included sample type comparisons (whole blood, fresh/frozen plasma, and capillary finger prick) and precision analysis. RESULTS: MI was the adjudicated final diagnosis in 214 (19%) of 1,102 patients. Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.92-0.95) for hs-cTnI-SPINCHIP vs 0.94 (95% CI: 0.92-0.95) for hs-cTnI-Architect (P = 0.907) and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.91-0.95) for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T Elecsys (P = 0.305). A cutoff <7 ng/L at presentation (if chest pain onset was >3 hours) or <7 ng/L together with a 0/1-hour delta of <4 ng/L ruled out 51% with a sensitivity and negative predictive value of 100% (95% CI: 97.7%-100%) and 100% (95% CI: 99.0%-100%), respectively. A hs-cTnI-SPINCHIP concentration >/=36 ng/L or a 0/1-hour delta >/=11 ng/L ruled in 27% with a specificity and positive predictive value of 90.9% (95% CI: 88.3%-92.9%) and 72.9% (95% CI: 66.4%-78.6%), respectively. Bootstrap internal validation confirmed excellent diagnostic performance. High agreement was observed between different sample types. CONCLUSIONS: The SPINCHIP hs-cTnI POC test has very high diagnostic accuracy. Its assay-specific 0/1-hour algorithm achieved very high sensitivity/negative predictive value and specificity/positive predictive value for rule-out/in MI. (Advantageous Predictors of Acute Coronary Syndromes Evaluation [APACE] Study [APACE]; NCT00470587).
    Tags: " and has received speaker honoraria, "Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft Basel, *Myocardial Infarction/blood/diagnosis, *Troponin I/blood, Abbott, CardiNor, Novartis, and Roche, acute coronary syndrome, Aged, analytical part of the study and the diagnostic study blinded to all clinical, and, and has, and has a, and has received a PhD scholarship from the University of Queensland,, and has received speaker honoraria/consulting, and has received speaker/consulting, and has received speaker/consulting honoraria or, and SpinChip Diagnostics AS. SpinChip Diagnostics was involved in planning the, and the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter-Rhyner Foundation, as well as the, Authority to Akershus Clinical Research Center, Stiftelsen Kristian Gerhard, Bangerter-Rhyner-Foundation, Basel, Beckman Coulter, Bayer, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, and Orion Pharma, outside the, biomarker, biomarker patent with CardiNor AS, outside the submitted work. Dr Schirmer has, Biomarkers/blood, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Idorsia, Novartis, Osler, Roche, Sanofi, Singulex, and, Brahms, Idorsia, LSI Medience Corporation, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Quidel,, Brahms, Idorsia, Novartis, LSI Medience Corporation, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics,, Brisbane, Australia. Dr Rubini has received speaker honoraria from Abbott, Broughton are employees at SpinChip Diagnostics. Dr Rosjo has received consulting, data. Akershus University Hospital has a collaboration agreement with SpinChip, design of the analytical part of the study and conducted the measurements of the, Diagnostics and SpinChip Diagnostics provided support to Akershus University, fees from SpinChip Diagnostics. Dr Omland has received research support from, Female, Foundation, the Margarete und Walter Lichtenstein-Stiftung (3MS1038), and the, from Roche Diagnostics, Abbott, Polymedco, and Siemens, all outside of the, grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation,, grants from the University of Basel and the Division of Internal Medicine, the, has received research grants from the Swiss Heart Foundation. Drs Storvold and, Heart Foundation, the University of Basel, the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences,, honoraria from Abbott, Bayer, CardiNor, Novo Nordisk, and Roche. Dr Rosjo has, honoraria from Siemens and Roche Diagnostics. Dr Lopez-Ayala has received, Hospital Basel, the University of Basel, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Beckman Coulter,, Hospital for this study.Dr Koechlin has received research grants from the Swiss, Hospital Foundation, the Wesley Medical Research Foundation, the University of, Humans, Jebsen to K.G. Jebsen Center for Cardiac Biomarkers (grant number SKGJ-MED-024),, Male, Middle Aged, myocardial infarction, National Science Foundation (P400PM_191037/1), the Prof. Dr Max Cloetta, Point-of-Care Systems, Prospective Studies, Quidel, Roche, Siemens, Singulex, Sphingotec, and SpinChip Diagnostics, received consulting fees from CardiNor AS and Thermo Fisher BRAHMS, received lecture fees from Novartis, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Sanofi, and a joint, received speaker honoraria from Quidel, paid to the institution, outside the, received speaker/consulting honoraria from Abbott, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer,, reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper, research grants from the Swiss Heart Foundation (FF20079 and FF21103), research support from Edwards Lifesciences, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Abbott,, Roche, Siemens, Singulex, and SpinChip Diagnostics. The study group from Akershus, Sensitivity and Specificity, SpinChip Diagnostics, all paid to the institution. All other authors have, submitted work and paid to the institution. Dr Boeddinghaus has received research, submitted work. Dr Nestelberger has received research support from the Swiss, submitted work. Dr Wildi has received research funding from the Prince Charles, Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Gottfried and Julia, Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation, the University, the University Hospital Basel, the University of Basel, Abbott, Beckman Coulter,, to disclose., troponin, University Hospital Basel, University Hospital was supported by the Norwegian South-East Regional Health, venture project with Novartis. Dr Mueller has received research support from the.
  • Bourlond, B., Dupre, M., Carron, P. N., Liaudet, L., and Eeckhout, E. “Outcomes And Relevance Of Emergency Percutaneous Coronary Angiography And Intervention After Resuscitated Cardiac Arrest: A Retrospective Study”. Bmc Cardiovasc Disord 24, no. 1: 425. doi:10.1186/s12872-024-04052-1.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: In patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest and displaying no ST-segment elevation on initial electrocardiogram (ECG), recent randomized trials indicated no benefits from early coronary angiography. How the results of such randomized studies apply to a real-world clinical context remains to be established. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed a clinical database including all patients 18 yo or older admitted to our tertiary University Hospital from January 2017 to August 2020 after successful resuscitation of out-of-Hospital (OHCA) or In-Hospital (IHCA) cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac origin, and undergoing immediate coronary angiography, regardless of the initial rhythm and post-resuscitation ECG. The primary outcome of the study was survival at day 90 after cardiac arrest. Demographic data, characteristics of cardiac arrest, duration of resuscitation, laboratory values at admission, angiographic data and revascularization status were collected. Comparisons were performed according to the initial ECG (ST-segment elevation or not), and between survivors and non-survivors. Variables associated with the primary outcome were evaluated by univariate and multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: We analyzed 147 patients (130 OHCA and 17 IHCA), including 67 with STEMI and 80 without STEMI (No STEMI). Immediate revascularization was performed in 65/67 (97%) STEMI and 15/80 (19%) no STEMI. Day 90 survival was significantly higher in STEMI (48/67, 72%) than no STEMI (44/80, 55%). In the latter patients, survival was not influenced by the revascularization status. In univariate and multivariate analyses, lower age, a shockable rhythm, shorter durations of no flow and low flow, and a lower initial blood lactate were associated with survival in both STEMI and no STEMI. In contrast, metabolic abnormalities, including lower initial plasma sodium and higher potassium were significantly associated with mortality only in the subgroup of no STEMI patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results, obtained in a real-world clinical setting, indicate that an immediate coronary angiography is not associated with any survival advantage in patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac etiology without ST-segment elevation on initial ECG. Furthermore, we found that some early metabolic abnormalities may be associated with mortality in this population, which should deserve further investigation.
    Tags: *Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, *Coronary Angiography, *Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest/diagnostic imaging/mortality, Cardiac arrest, Coronary angiography, Emergencies, Humans, Percutaneous intervention, Retrospective Studies, ST segment elevation, Survival.
  • Abou Fayad, A., Rafei, R., Njamkepo, E., Ezzeddine, J., Hussein, H., Sinno, S., Gerges, J. R., et al. “An Unusual Two-Strain Cholera Outbreak In Lebanon, 2022-2023: A Genomic Epidemiology Study”. Nat Commun 15, no. 1: 6963. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51428-0.
    Abstract: Cholera is a life-threatening gastrointestinal infection caused by a toxigenic bacterium, Vibrio cholerae. After a lull of almost 30 years, a first case of cholera was detected in Lebanon in October 2022. The outbreak lasted three months, with 8007 suspected cases (671 laboratory-confirmed) and 23 deaths. In this study, we use phenotypic methods and microbial genomics to study 34 clinical and environmental Vibrio cholerae isolates collected throughout this outbreak. All isolates are identified as V. cholerae O1, serotype Ogawa strains from wave 3 of the seventh pandemic El Tor (7PET) lineage. Phylogenomic analysis unexpectedly reveals the presence of two different strains of the seventh pandemic El Tor (7PET) lineage. The dominant strain has a narrow antibiotic resistance profile and is phylogenetically related to South Asian V. cholerae isolates and derived African isolates from the AFR15 sublineage. The second strain is geographically restricted and extensively drug-resistant. It belongs to the AFR13 sublineage and clusters with V. cholerae isolates collected in Yemen. In conclusion, the 2022-2023 Lebanese cholera outbreak is caused by the simultaneous introduction of two different 7PET strains. Genomic surveillance with cross-border collaboration is therefore crucial for the identification of new introductions and routes of circulation of cholera, improving our understanding of cholera epidemiology.
    Tags: *Cholera/epidemiology/microbiology, *Disease Outbreaks, *Phylogeny, Adolescent, Adult, Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology, Child, Female, Genome, Bacterial/genetics, Genomics/methods, Humans, Lebanon/epidemiology, Male, Middle Aged, Molecular Epidemiology, Vibrio cholerae O1/genetics/isolation & purification/classification, Vibrio cholerae/genetics/isolation & purification/classification, Young Adult.
  • Hess, S., Husarek, J., Muller, M., Eberlein, S. C., Klenke, F. M., and Hecker, A. “Applications And Accuracy Of 3D-Printed Surgical Guides In Traumatology And Orthopaedic Surgery: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis”. J Exp Orthop 11, no. 3: e12096. doi:10.1002/jeo2.12096.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Patient-Specific Surgical Guides (PSSGs) are advocated for reducing radiation exposure, operation time and enhancing precision in surgery. However, existing accuracy assessments are limited to specific surgeries, leaving uncertainties about variations in accuracy across different anatomical sites, three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies and manufacturers (traditional vs. printed at the point of care). This study aimed to evaluate PSSGs accuracy in traumatology and orthopaedic surgery, considering anatomical regions, printing methods and manufacturers. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Studies were eligible if they (1) assessed the accuracy of PSSGs by comparing preoperative planning and postoperative results in at least two different planes (2) used either computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (3) covered the field of orthopaedic surgery or traumatology and (4) were available in English or German language. The 'Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies' was used for methodological quality assessment. Descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, and ranges, are presented. A random effects meta-analysis was performed to determine the pooled mean absolute deviation between preoperative plan and postoperative result for each anatomic region (shoulder, hip, spine, and knee). RESULTS: Of 4212 initially eligible studies, 33 were included in the final analysis (8 for shoulder, 5 for hip, 5 for spine, 14 for knee and 1 for trauma). Pooled mean deviation (95% confidence interval) for total knee arthroplasty (TKA), total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), total hip arthroplasty (THA) and spine surgery (pedicle screw placement during spondylodesis) were 1.82 degrees (1.48, 2.15), 2.52 degrees (1.9, 3.13), 3.49 degrees (3.04, 3.93) and 2.67 degrees (1.64, 3.69), respectively. Accuracy varied between TKA and THA and between TKA and TSA. CONCLUSION: Accuracy of PSSGs depends on the type of surgery but averages around 2-3 degrees deviation from the plan. The use of PSSGs might be considered for selected complex cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3 (meta-analysis including Level 3 studies).
    Tags: 3D printing, computer-aided design, computer-assisted surgery, meta-analysis, orthopaedic procedures, orthopaedics, precision medicine, systematic review, traumatology.
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