Home > Bibliographic references

Swiss Emergency Research collection

2022

  • Durr, D., Niemi, T., Despraz, J., Tusgul, S., Dami, F., Akrour, R., Carron, P. N., Le Pogam, M. A., Calandra, T., and Meylan, S. “National Early Warning Score (News) Outperforms Quick Sepsis-Related Organ Failure (Qsofa) Score For Early Detection Of Sepsis In The Emergency Department”. Antibiotics (Basel) 11, no. 11. doi:10.3390/antibiotics11111518.
    Abstract: Background: Prompt recognition of sepsis is critical to improving patients' outcomes. We compared the performance of NEWS and qSOFA scores as sepsis detection tools in patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) with suspicion of sepsis. Methodology: A single-center 12-month retrospective study comparing NEWS using the recommended cut-off of >/=5 and qSOFA as sepsis screening tools in a cohort of patients transported by emergency medical services (EMS) to the Lausanne University Hospital (LUH). We used the Sepsis-3 consensus definition. The primary study endpoint was the detection of sepsis. Secondary endpoints were ICU admission and 28-day all-cause mortality. Results: Among 886 patients admitted to ED by EMS for suspected infection, 556 (63%) had a complete set of vital parameters panel enabling the calculation of NEWS and qSOFA scores, of whom 300 (54%) had sepsis. For the detection of sepsis, the sensitivity of NEWS > 5 was 86% and that of qSOFA >/= 2 was 34%. Likewise, the sensitivities of NEWS >/= 5 for predicting ICU admission and 28-day mortality were higher than those of qSOFA >/= 2 (82% versus 33% and 88% versus 37%). Conversely, the specificity of qSOFA >/= 2 for sepsis detection was higher than that of NEWS >/= 5 (90% versus 55%). The negative predictive value of NEWS > 5 was higher than that of qSOFA >/= 2 (77% versus 54%), while the positive predictive value of qSOFA >/= 2 was higher than that of NEWS >/= 5 (80% versus 69%). Finally, the accuracy of NEWS >/= 5 was higher than that of qSOFA >/= 2 (72% versus 60%). Conclusions: The sensitivity of NEWS >/= 5 was superior to that of qSOFA >/= 2 to identify patients with sepsis in the ED and predict ICU admission and 28-day mortality. In contrast, qSOFA >/= 2 had higher specificity and positive predictive values than NEWS >/= 5 for these three endpoints.
    Tags: emergency department, News, prehospital care, quick SOFA (qSOFA) score, sepsis.
  • Dittrich, T. D., Sporns, P. B., Kriemler, L. F., Rudin, S., Nguyen, A., Zietz, A., Polymeris, A. A., et al. “Mechanical Thrombectomy For Large Vessel Occlusion Between 6 And 24 H: Outcome Comparison Of Defuse-3/Dawn Eligible Versus Non-Eligible Patients”. Int J Stroke 18, no. 6: 697-703. doi:10.1177/17474930221140793.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: The DEFUSE-3 and DAWN trials showed that mechanical thrombectomy (MT) improves the outcome of selected patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusions (LVO) up to 24 h after stroke onset. However, it is unknown whether only those patients fulfilling the trial inclusion criteria benefit, or whether benefit is seen in a broader range of patients presenting between 6 and 24 h. AIMS: We determined whether fulfilling the DEFUSE-3 and DAWN selection criteria affects outcomes in MT patients in clinical practice. METHODS: We reviewed adult patients with LVO treated with MT between 6 and 24 h after stroke onset at five Swiss stroke centers between 2014 and 2021. We compared two groups: (1) patients who satisfied neither DEFUSE-3 nor DAWN criteria (NDND) and (2) those who satisfied DEFUSE-3 or DAWN criteria (DOD). We used logistic regression to examine the impact of trial eligibility on two safety outcomes (symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage [sICH] and all-cause mortality at 3 months) and two efficacy outcomes (modified Rankin Score [mRS] shift toward lower categories and mRS of 0-2 at 3 months). RESULTS: Of 174 patients who received MT, 102 (59%) belonged to the NDND group. Rates of sICH were similar between the NDND group and the DOD group (3% vs. 4%, p = 1.00). Multivariable regression revealed no differences in 3-month all-cause mortality (aOR 2.07, 95% CI 0.64-6.84, p = 0.23) or functional outcomes (mRS shift: acOR 0.81, 95% CI 0.37-1.79, p = 0.60; mRS 0-2: aOR 0.91, 95% CI 0.31-2.57, p = 0.85). CONCLUSION: Among adult patients with LVO treated with MT between 6 and 24 h, safety and efficacy outcomes were similar between DEFUSE-3/DAWN eligible and ineligible patients. Our data provide a compelling rationale for randomized trials with broader inclusion criteria for MT.
    Tags: *Brain Ischemia/surgery/etiology, *Stroke/surgery/etiology, Adult, endovascular treatment, Humans, Intracranial Hemorrhages/epidemiology/etiology, Ischemic stroke, large vessel occlusion, Thrombectomy/adverse effects, Treatment Outcome.
  • Appelhaus, S., Werner, S., Grosse, P., and Kammer, J. E. “Feedback, Fairness, And Validity: Effects Of Disclosing And Reusing Multiple-Choice Questions In Medical Schools”. Med Educ Online 28, no. 1: 2143298. doi:10.1080/10872981.2022.2143298.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Disclosure of items used in multiple-choice-question (MCQ) exams may decrease student anxiety and improve transparency, feedback, and test-enhanced learning but potentially compromises the reliability and fairness of exams if items are eventually reused. Evidence regarding whether disclosure and reuse of test items change item psychometrics is scarce and inconclusive. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed difficulty and discrimination coefficients of 10,148 MCQ items used between fall 2017 and fall 2019 in a large European medical school in which items were disclosed from fall 2017 onwards. We categorised items as 'new'; 'reused, not disclosed'; or 'reused, disclosed'. For reused items, we calculated the difference from their first ever use, that is, when they were new. Differences between categories and terms were analysed with one-way analyses of variance and independent-samples t tests. RESULTS: The proportion of reused, disclosed items grew from 0% to 48.4%; mean difficulty coefficients increased from 0.70 to 0.76; that is, items became easier, P < .001, eta(p)(2) = 0.011. On average, reused, disclosed items were significantly easier (M = 0.83) than reused, not disclosed items (M = 0.71) and entirely new items (M = 0.66), P < .001, eta(p)(2) = 0.087. Mean discrimination coefficients increased from 0.21 to 0.23; that is, item became slightly more discriminating, P = .002, eta(p)(2) = 0.002. CONCLUSIONS: Disclosing test items provides the opportunity to enhance feedback and transparency in MCQ exams but potentially at the expense of decreased item reliability. Discrimination was positively affected. Our study may help weigh advantages and disadvantages of using previously disclosed items.
    Tags: *Educational Measurement, *Schools, Medical, Assessment, disclosure, Feedback, formative assessment, Humans, item reuse, multiple-choice questions, progress testing, Reproducibility of Results, Retrospective Studies.
  • Morand, O., Safin, S., Larribau, R., and Rizza, C. “Understanding And Improving Collaboration In Emergency Simulations With A Local Chain Of Survival”. In, 2022-November:117-129, 2022. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85170652096&partnerID=40&md5=d06cf9672c29d14530cc1af545e37782.
    Abstract: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and choking are two emergencies where the rapid action of a bystander can increase the victim's chances of survival. Few bystanders act because they are not aware of their role as the first link in the chain of survival. Working on collaboration among a local chain of survival and using applications to improve communication and provide tutorials of actions to perform can be used to overcome this issue. We investigate these elements in the context of the Geneva Chain of Survival using simulations. The results show that an optimal collaboration means a lead’s handover between the intervening parties. Collaboration can be degraded by problems of communication, panic1, and confusion. Applications constitute a valuable addition to enhance the dispatcher's awareness and to help guide the CPR while not extending the intervention time. Finally, the debriefing that follows enables the acquisition of competencies through experiential learning that relies on emotions. © 2022 Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, ISCRAM. All rights reserved.
  • Simma, L., Fornaro, J., Stahr, N., Lehner, M., Roos, J. E., and Lima, T. V. M. “Corrigendum: Optimizing Whole Body Computed Tomography Doses For Paediatric Trauma Patients: A Swiss Retrospective Analysis (2022J. Radiol. Prot.42 021521)”. J Radiol Prot 42, no. 4. doi:10.1088/1361-6498/ac9f1e.
    Abstract: In the original figure 4 the colour codes for the standard and the low dose protocol were swapped by mistake (for left and middle plot), contradicting the right plot. The corrected figure 4 exchanges figure 4 in the original paper. The correction does not alter the findings and conclusions of the paper. (Figure Presented). © 2022 The Author(s). Published on behalf of the Society for Radiological Protection by IOP Publishing Ltd.
    Tags: erratum.
  • Ravioli, S., Haidinger, M., Exadaktylos, A. K., Pluess, E., and Lindner, G. P. “Emergency Medicine In Switzerland: An Analysis Of Physician Workforce, Gender Equality And Academics”. Swiss Med Wkly 152, no. 3940: 40001. doi:10.57187/smw.2022.40001.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Globally, emergency medicine is continuously evolving and in numerous countries, societies and colleges help develop the specialty on a professional and academic level. However, there are countries, including Switzerland, where emergency medicine is not a fully recognised specialty and there is a historical gender gap. AIMS OF THE STUDY: It was the aim of this study to investigate the trends and developments in Swiss emergency medicine in terms of physician workforce, gender equality and academic posts over time. METHODS: In this observational longitudinal analysis, the number and gender distribution of Swiss Society of Emergency and Rescue Medicine (SSERM) members as well as SSERM-certified physicians were analysed in 2011, 2016 and 2021. Additionally, head and leading physicians of SSERM-certified emergency departments of category 1 and 2 were analysed in 2021 with special regard to gender distribution. Finally, an analysis of Swiss academic emergency medicine including Swiss academic tracks, professors in emergency medicine as well as committees, chairs and speakers of the annual SSERM conference was performed. RESULTS: From 2011 to 2021, there was an increase in SSERM members of 52% and a growing proportion of women from 26% to 35%. Similarly, there was a rise of 66% in physicians certified in in-hospital and 79% certified in prehospital emergency medicine. The proportion of women increased by 153% and 131%, respectively. In the analysed emergency departments, 69% of all head physicians were men whereas 50% of senior consultants and consultants with extended responsibility were women in 2021. Concerning academics, emergency medicine was a mandatory subject at all Swiss universities offering a master's degree in medical studies in 2021. However, 11 Swiss universities reported only six full professors, of whom only one was a woman, and three associate professors in emergency medicine in 2021. The analysis of the annual SSERM conferences from 2016 to 2019 revealed that men outnumbered women at every conference in terms of committees, chairs and speakers. CONCLUSIONS: The number of SSERM members and board-certified emergency physicians, women in particular, remarkably increased in 10 years. Equality appears to be within reach for clinical emergency physicians, but women continue to be underrepresented in academic positions, at scientific conferences and among professors. In Switzerland, academic emergency medicine appears to be lagging behind in view of the growing emergency physician and women workforce, which might complicate further progress in and development of Swiss emergency medicine on a scientific and professional level..
    Tags: *Emergency Medicine, *Physicians, Female, Gender Equity, Humans, Male, Switzerland, Workforce.
  • Flury, R. M., Brockhus, L., Muller, M., Henssler, J., Exadaktylos, A. K., and Klukowska-Rotzler, J. “Presentations To The Emergency Department For Problems Related To Mental Health: Sex Differences In Adolescents”. Int J Environ Res Public Health 19, no. 20. doi:10.3390/ijerph192013196.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Adolescents aged sixteen to eighteen years are mostly treated in adult emergency departments. In a study at our tertiary adult emergency department (ED) at the University Hospital in Bern (Inselspital), Switzerland, we found that adolescents significantly more often present with psychiatric problems than adults. The study at hand aimed to characterise those adolescents presenting to the ED triaged with a chief complaint regarding mental health. Furthermore, the goal was to assess sex differences in terms of diagnosis, suicidal ideation, substance use, as well as social impact. METHODS: We conducted a single-centre, retrospective review of presentations to our adult ED related to the mental health of adolescents aged 16 to 18 years, covering the period from January 2013 to July 2017. Anonymised data were extracted from medical reports referring to the ED visits that were triaged as mental-health-related, and we assessed these for diagnosis, acute and previous suicidal ideation, history of self-harm, external aggression, substance use and social problems. We focused on patient characterisation and defining sex differences. RESULTS: Data were analysed for a total of 612 consultations by adolescents who presented to our ED with problems related to mental health. Women accounted for 61.1% of cases. The most frequent diagnoses were reactions to severe stress and adjustment disorders (19.1%), followed by alcohol use disorders (17.6%), intentional self-harm (17.3%), and affective disorders (13.7%). Males had lower odds for intentional self-harm (OR 0.10, 95% 0.05-0.21, p < 0.001) as well as disorders of personality and behaviour (OR 0.09, 95% 0.21-0.37, p < 0.001), whereas they had higher odds of being admitted due to use of alcohol (OR 2.51, 95% 1.65-3.83, p < 0.001). Of all cases, 31.7% reported acute suicidal ideation, with a significantly lower odds ratio in males (OR 0.58, 95% 0.41-0.84, p = 0.004). The most common source for referral to the ED was family members (25.2%). Males had twice the odds of reporting alcohol consumption as well as use of cannabis (in both cases p < 0.001). In 27.9% of all cases, familial problems were reported, with males having significantly lower odds of being exposed to these (OR 0.64, 95% 0.44-0.94, p = 0.021), whereas they had higher odds of reporting educational problems (OR 1.68, 95% 1.04-2.72, p = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents aged sixteen to eighteen years presenting to the ED with problems related to mental health are an important subgroup of ED presentations and should be thoroughly assessed for suicidal ideation, substance use, as well as familial and educational problems. Assessment and establishment of post-ED care are of particular importance in this vulnerable patient group.
    Tags: *Alcoholism, *Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology, Adolescent, adolescents, Adult, emergency department, Emergency Service, Hospital, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, mental health problems, Retrospective Studies, Sex Characteristics, Suicidal Ideation.
  • Bongiovanni, M., Piccinini, D., Aschwanden, F. J., and Bernasconi, E. “Red Herrings In Monkeypox”. J Infect 86, no. 1: 66-117. doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2022.10.024.
    Tags: *Mpox, Monkeypox/diagnosis/epidemiology, Humans.
  • Gaume, J., Bertholet, N., McCambridge, J., Magill, M., Adam, A., Hugli, O., and Daeppen, J. B. “Effect Of A Novel Brief Motivational Intervention For Alcohol-Intoxicated Young Adults In The Emergency Department: A Randomized Clinical Trial”. Jama Netw Open 5, no. 10: e2237563. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.37563.
    Abstract: IMPORTANCE: Heavy drinking among young adults is a major public health concern. Brief motivational interventions in the emergency department have shown promising but inconsistent results. OBJECTIVE: To test whether young adults receiving a newly developed brief motivational intervention reduce their number of heavy drinking days and alcohol-related problems over 1 year compared with participants receiving brief advice. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This randomized clinical trial was conducted at an emergency department of a tertiary care university hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland. Recruitment ran from December 2016 to August 2019. Follow-up was conducted after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. All adults aged 18 to 35 years presenting for any cause and presenting with alcohol intoxication were eligible (N = 2108); 1764 were excluded or refused participation. Follow-up rate was 79% at 12 months and 89% of participants provided follow-up data at least once and were included in the primary analyses. Statistical analysis was performed from September 2020 to January 2021. INTERVENTIONS: The novel intervention was based on motivational interviewing and comprised in-person discussion in the emergency department and up to 3 booster telephone calls. The control group received brief advice. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcomes were the number of heavy drinking days (at least 60 g of ethanol) over the previous month and the total score on the Short Inventory of Problems (0-45, higher scores indicating more problems) over the previous 3 months. Hypotheses tested were formulated before data collection. RESULTS: There were 344 young adults included (median [IQR] age: 23 [20-28] years; 84 women [24.4%]). Among the 306 participants providing at least 1 follow-up point, a statistically significant time x group interaction was observed (beta = -0.03; 95% CI, -0.05 to 0.00; P = .02), and simple slopes indicated an increase of heavy drinking days over time in the control (beta = 0.04; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.05; P < .001) but not in the intervention group (beta = 0.01; 95% CI, -0.01 to 0.03; P = .24). There was no effect on the Short Inventory of Problems score (beta = -0.01; 95% CI, -0.03 to 0.02; P = .71). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This randomized clinical trial found that a brief motivational intervention implemented in the emergency department provided beneficial effects on heavy drinking, which accounts for a substantial portion of mortality and disease burden among young adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry: 13832949.
    Tags: *Alcohol-Related Disorders/therapy, *Alcoholic Intoxication/therapy, Adult, Crisis Intervention, Emergency Service, Hospital, Ethanol, Female, Humans, Young Adult.
  • Ellerton, J. A., Pasquier, M., Paal, P., Strapazzon, G., Darocha, T., and Brugger, H. “A Response To "Edcb Et Aa: A Mnemonic For Resuscitating Hypothermic Patients Under Extreme Conditions."”. Anesth Analg 135, no. 5: e40-e41. doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000006202.
    Tags: *Hypothermia, Induced, *Hypothermia/diagnosis/therapy, Humans, Memory.
  • Ansorge, A., de Foy, M., Gayet-Ageron, A., Andereggen, E., and Gamulin, A. “Epidemiology Of High-Energy Blunt Pelvic Ring Injuries: A Three-Year Retrospective Case Series In A Level-I Trauma Center”. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res 109, no. 2: 103446. doi:10.1016/j.otsr.2022.103446.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: High-energy pelvic ring injuries (PRI) represent a heavy burden for institutions treating severely injured patients. Epidemiological data knowledge may help to provide them appropriate management. Only two epidemiologic studies about high-energy PRI were published during last decade. This study aimed to determine the gender-specific and global incidences of high-energy blunt AO/OTA type B or C PRI and their frequency among high-energy blunt trauma. It further reports the spectrum of these injuries and compares their characteristics and outcomes to high-energy blunt trauma without type B or C PRI. HYPOTHESIS: Type B or C PRI incidence isn't gender specific and approximates 5/100,000/year. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective database of a level-I trauma center serving approximately 500,000 inhabitants was retrospectively queried for all high-energy trauma patients injured between 01.01.2014 and 12.31.2016. Inclusion criteria were: alive emergency department delivery; entire acute treatment at the authors' institution; age >16. Exclusion criteria were: penetrating, blast, burn and electrical injuries; drownings; low-energy trauma; patients living outside the institution's catchment area. Three authors performed PRI classifications. Clinical data were extracted from the database. RESULTS: We analyzed 434 patients. High-energy blunt type B or C PRI incidence was 3.8/100,000/year without gender disparity (p=0.6697). High-energy blunt trauma incidence was lower in women than in men (20.5 vs. 51.6/100,000/year, p<0.001). Type B or C PRI frequency during high-energy blunt trauma was higher in women than in men (17.6% vs. 7.9%, p=0.003). Type B or C PRI patients were more severely injured and needed more treatment resources than other high-energy blunt trauma patients but didn't present higher complication or death rates. DISCUSSION: The incidence of high-energy blunt type B or C PRI was comparable to previously published data. Women were less likely to sustain a high-energy blunt trauma, but when they sustained one, they were more likely to have a type B or C PRI. Despite higher injury severity score and resource requirements, complication and death rates weren't different between type B or C PRI patients and other high-energy blunt trauma patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective cohort study.
    Tags: *Fractures, Bone/complications, *Wounds, Nonpenetrating/etiology/complications, Blunt trauma, Epidemiology, Female, High-energy trauma, Humans, Injury Severity Score, Male, Pelvic ring injuries, Retrospective Studies, Trauma Centers.
  • Casanova, A., Entz, L., Weinmann, S., Wanke, I., and Reisch, R. “Bilateral Subdural Hematoma Caused By Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension Originating From A Discogenic Microspur Successfully Treated With Duraplasty: A Case Report”. Brain Spine 2: 100879. doi:10.1016/j.bas.2022.100879.
    Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Discogenic microspurs are calcified outgrowths from the intervertebral disc which can perforate the dura, causing a leak of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Spontaneous leaks of the CSF present a recognized cause of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). Moreover, subdural hematomas (SDH) are a potentially severe complication of SIH. RESEARCH QUESTION: We present a case of a bilateral subdural hematoma without orthostatic headaches caused by a discogenic microspur protruding from the T1-2 intervertebral disc. The microspur is conjectured to be the culprit of the leak by ventrally perforating the dura and catalyzing the causal chain leading to the formation of the subdural hemorrhage. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 79-year woman noticed a progressive gait disturbance accompanied by a decline of short-term memory over several months without experiencing orthostatic headaches. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed extensive bilateral subdural fronto-parietal hematoma, signs of CSF hypotension (dilated venous compartments), and computed tomography (CT) myelography revealed a CSF leak originating at the T1-2 level. RESULTS: The leakage site was treated with microsurgical duraplasty leading to a regression of the symptoms and complete resolution of the subdural hematomas within five postoperative months. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Discogenic microspurs can perforate the dura causing a CSF leak, leading to spontaneous intracranial hypotension, finally resulting in a bilateral subdural hematoma. This constellation of symptoms does not necessarily induce orthostatic headaches and can be treated with microsurgical duraplasty.
    Tags: Cerebrospinal fluid leak, Discogenic microspur, Duraplasty, Spontaneous intracranial hypotension, Subdural hematoma.
  • Kiesswetter, Eva, Stadelmaier, Julia, Grummich, Kathrin, Schwarzer, Guido, Bongaerts, Brenda, Meerpohl, Joerg J., Norman, Kristina, et al. “Oral Nutrition Interventions In Hospitalised Older People At Nutritional Risk: A Network Meta-Analysis Of Individual Participant Data”. Cochrane Database Of Systematic Reviews 2022, no. 10. doi:10.1002/14651858.Cd015468.
    Abstract: Objectives: This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:. To assess in hospitalised older people with (risk of) malnutrition the effects of different nutrition interventions (e.g. supportive interventions, nutritional counselling, food modifications, oral nutritional supplements, comprehensive individualised nutritional interventions or combined approaches) compared to control groups (usual care, placebo or health education materials) on patient-relevant outcomes, and to rank the effects of the different treatments by using a network meta-analysis with individual participant data. Copyright © 2022 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
  • Petrino, R., Castrillo, L. G., Yilmaz, B., Dodt, C., Tuunainen, E., Khoury, A., and Emergency Medicine Day working, group. “Policy Statement On Minimal Standards For Safe Working Conditions In Emergency Medicine”. Eur J Emerg Med 29, no. 6: 389-390. doi:10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000985.
    Tags: *Emergency Medicine, *Occupational Health, Humans, Policy, Societies, Medical.
  • Koechlin, L., Boeddinghaus, J., Lopez-Ayala, P., Nestelberger, T., Wussler, D., Mais, F., Twerenbold, R., et al. “Diagnostic Discrimination Of A Novel High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I Assay And Derivation/Validation Of An Assay-Specific 0/1H-Algorithm”. Am Heart J 255: 58-70. doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2022.10.007.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of the Dimension EXL LOCI High-Sensitivity Troponin I (hs-cTnI-EXL) assay. METHODS: This multicenter study included patients with chest discomfort presenting to the emergency department. Diagnoses were centrally and independently adjudicated by two cardiologists using all available clinical information. Adjudication was performed twice including serial measurements of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) I-Architect (primary analysis) and serial measurements of hs-cTnT-Elecsys (secondary analysis) in addition to the clinically used (hs)-cTn. The primary objective was to assess and compare the discriminatory performance of hs-cTnI-EXL, hs-cTnI-Architect and hs-cTnT-Elecsys for acute myocardial infarction (MI). Furthermore, we derived and validated a hs-cTnI-EXL-specific 0/1h-algorithm. RESULTS: Adjudicated MI was the diagnosis in 204/1454 (14%) patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for hs-cTnI-EXL was 0.94 (95%CI, 0.93-0.96), and comparable to hs-cTnI-Architect (0.95; 95%CI, 0.93-0.96) and hs-cTnT-Elecsys (0.93; 95%CI, 0.91-0.95). In the derivation cohort (n = 813), optimal criteria for rule-out of MI were <9ng/L at presentation (if chest pain onset >3h) or <9ng/L and 0h-1h-change <5ng/L, and for rule-in >/=160ng/L at presentation or 0h-1h-change >/=100ng/L. In the validation cohort (n = 345), these cut-offs ruled-out 56% of patients (negative predictive value 99.5% (95%CI, 97.1-99.9), sensitivity 97.8% (95%CI, 88.7-99.6)), and ruled-in 9% (positive predictive value 83.3% (95%CI, 66.4-92.7), specificity 98.3% (95%CI, 96.1-99.3)). Secondary analyses using adjudication based on hs-cTnT measurements confirmed the findings. CONCLUSIONS: The overall performance of the hs-cTnI-EXL was comparable to best-validated hs-cTnT/I assays and an assay-specific 0/1h-algorithm safely rules out and accurately rules in acute MI. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00470587.
    Tags: *Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis, *Troponin I, Abbott, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Idorsia, Novartis,, Akademische Gesellschaft Basel" and speaker honoraria from Roche Diagnostics and, and the Division of Internal Medicine, the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences, the, Beckman Coulter. Dr. Twerenbold received research support from the Swiss National, Biomarkers, Boeddinghaus, Nestelberger, Twerenbold, Koechlin, Rubini Gimenez, Wildi, and, Cardiovascular Research Foundation Basel as well as speaker honoraria/consulting, conducting the study and no role in gathering or analyzing the data or writing, for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. All authors, Foundation, and a PhD scholarship of the University of Queensland and The Wesley, Foundation, the University of Basel, the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences and, Gottfried and Julia Bangerter-Rhyner-Foundation, and speaker honoraria/consulting, have read and approved the manuscript. The sponsors had no role in designing or, Healthineers and Abbott Diagnostics. Dr. Hammerer received reagents provided, Heart Foundation. Dr. Bernasconi received speakers honorarium from Siemens, honoraria from Abbott, Amgen, Brahms, Roche, Singulex and Siemens. Dr. Wildi, honoraria from Siemens and Roche Diagnostics. Dr Lopez-Ayala has received, Humans, institution. All other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest, Medical Research Foundation, Brisbane, Australia. Dr. Zimmermann received, Meeting invitation from Roche Diagnostics. Dr. Mueller has received research, Mueller had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility, of Cardiology, the University Hospital of Basel, the University of Basel and the, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Quidel, Roche, Siemens, Singulex, Sphingotec, all, Osler, Roche, Sanofi, and Singulex, all outside the current work and paid to the, outside the current work, as well as speaker honoraria/consulting honoraria from, part in any language, including publicly accessible web sites or e-print servers., preparation of the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for, previously and are not being considered for publications elsewhere in whole or in, Prospective Studies, publication., received a research grant from the "Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft Basel",, research grants from the Swiss Heart Foundation (FF20079 and FF21103) and, research support from the "Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft Basel". Dr., ROC Curve, Rubini received speaker honoraria from Abbott and research grants from the Swiss, Science Foundation (P300PB_167803), the Swiss Heart Foundation, the Swiss Society, Siemens Healthineers, Beckman Diagnostics, Abbott Diagnostics and advisory Board, Siemens. Dr. Boeddinghaus received research grants from the University of Basel, speaker's honoraria from Quidel, paid to the institution, outside the submitted, support from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation,, the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter-Rhyner Foundation, as well as the "Freiwillige, the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter-Rhyner Foundation, the Prince Charles Hospital, the KTI, the University Hospital Basel, the University of Basel, Abbott, Astra, the manuscript. The manuscript and its contents have not been published, Troponin T, vouched for the data and analysis, wrote the paper, and decided to publish. Drs., We disclose that Dr. Koechlin received a research grant from the Swiss Heart, who had no role in the design of the study, the analysis of the data, the, with this study. The investigated hs-cTn assay was donated by the manufacturers,, without costs for hs-cTnI by Siemens Healthineers, speakers honorarium from, work. Dr. Nestelberger received speaker honoraria/consulting honoraria from, Zeneca, Beckman Coulter, Brahms, Idorsia, Novartis, LSI Medience Corporation,.
  • Vincent, A., Beck, K., Thommen, E., Widmer, M., Becker, C., Loretz, N., Gross, S., et al. “Post-Intensive Care Syndrome In Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study”. Plos One 17, no. 10: e0276011. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0276011.
    Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Intensive care unit patients are at risk for post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), which includes psychological, physical and/or cognitive sequelae after their hospital stay. Our aim was to investigate PICS in adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). METHODS: In this prospective observational cohort study, we assessed risks for PICS at 3 and 12-month follow-up within the following domains: a) physical impairment (EuroQol [EQ-5D-3L]), b) cognitive functioning (Cerebral Performance Category [CPC] score >1, modified Rankin Scale [mRS] >2) and c) psychological burden (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS], Impact of Event Scale-Revised [IES-R]). RESULTS: At 3 months, 69/139 patients (50%) met the definition of PICS including 37% in the physical domain, 25% in the cognitive domain and 13% in the psychological domain. Intubation (OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.1 to 5,0 p = 0.03), sedatives (OR 3.4, 95%CI 1 to 11, p = 0.045), mRS at discharge (OR 4.3, 95%CI 1.70 to 11.01, p = 0.002), CPC at discharge (OR 3.3, 95%CI 1.4 to 7.6, p = 0.005) and post-discharge work loss (OR 13.4, 95%CI 1.7 to 107.5, p = 0.014) were significantly associated with PICS. At 12 months, 52/110 (47%) patients had PICS, which was associated with prolonged duration of rehabilitation, higher APACHE scores, and higher mRS and CPC scores at hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of long-term OHCA survivors show PICS after 3 and 12 months. These high numbers call for more emphasis on appropriate screening and treatment in this patient population. Future studies should evaluate whether early identification of these patients enables preventive strategies and treatment options.
    Tags: *Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest/epidemiology/therapy, *Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology, Adult, Aftercare, Anxiety/epidemiology, Critical Illness, Depression/epidemiology, Humans, Hypnotics and Sedatives, Intensive Care Units, Patient Discharge, Prospective Studies.
  • Schmutz, T., Habchi, K., Le Terrier, C., Favre Kruit, C., Stengel, P., Guechi, Y., and Ribordy, V. “Implementation Of A Novel Concept Of Emergency Department Management: E-Boss”. Int J Environ Res Public Health 19, no. 19. doi:10.3390/ijerph191912291.
    Abstract: Hospital-based emergency services are frequently criticized worldwide for their management, which can lead to a decrease in staff motivation, with a potential impact on patient safety. This article describes how harnessing the power of social networks can facilitate the management of emergency department teams. Beyond teaching, promoting emergency medicine and recruiting health professionals, these tools can unite employees around a virtual leader and help develop a true service culture. The concept of management through social networks is a novel manner to reach out to staff and should be further explored for use in the health care context.
    Tags: *Emergency Medicine, *Emergency Service, Hospital, Delivery of Health Care, emergency, emergency department, Health Personnel, Humans, management, Patient Safety, social media.
  • Crowther, L. M., Poms, M., Zandl-Lang, M., Abela, L., Hartmann, H., Seiler, M., Mathis, D., and Plecko, B. “Metabolomics Analysis Of Antiquitin Deficiency In Cultured Human Cells And Plasma: Relevance To Pyridoxine-Dependent Epilepsy”. J Inherit Metab Dis 46, no. 1: 129-142. doi:10.1002/jimd.12569.
    Abstract: Deficiency of antiquitin (alpha-aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase), an enzyme involved in lysine degradation and encoded by ALDH7A1, is the major cause of vitamin B(6) -dependent epilepsy (PDE-ALDH7A1). Despite seizure control with high dose pyridoxine (PN), developmental delay still occurs in approximately 70% of patients. We aimed to investigate metabolic perturbations due to possible previously unidentified roles of antiquitin, which may contribute to developmental delay, as well as metabolic effects of high dose pyridoxine supplementation reflecting the high doses used for seizure control in patients with PDE-ALDH7A1. Untargeted metabolomics by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was used to analyze plasma of patients with PDE-ALDH7A1 and two independently generated lines of cultured ReNcell CX human neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) with CRISPR/Cas mediated antiquitin deficiency. Accumulation of lysine pathway metabolites in antiquitin-deficient NPCs and western-blot analysis confirmed knockdown of ALDH7A1. Metabolomics analysis of antiquitin-deficient NPCs in conditions of lysine restriction and PN supplementation identified changes in metabolites related to the transmethylation and transsulfuration pathways and osmolytes, indicating a possible unrecognized role of antiquitin outside the lysine degradation pathway. Analysis of plasma samples of PN treated patients with PDE-ALDH7A1 and antiquitin-deficient NPCs cultured in conditions comparable to the patient plasma samples demonstrated perturbation of metabolites of the gamma-glutamyl cycle, suggesting potential oxidative stress-related effects in PN-treated patients with PDE-ALDH7A1. We postulate that a model of human NPCs with CRISPR/Cas mediated antiquitin deficiency is well suited to characterize previously unreported roles of antiquitin, relevant to this most prevalent form of pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy.
    Tags: *Epilepsy/metabolism, *Pyridoxine/therapeutic use, Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, antiquitin deficiency, conflict of interest., Humans, lysine catabolism, Lysine/metabolism, Metabolomics, Michelle Seiler, Deborah Mathis, and Barbara Plecko declare that they have no, NPCs, Pde-aldh7a1, pyridoxine, Seizures.
  • Busch, J. M., Arnold, I., Kellett, J., Brabrand, M., Bingisser, R., and Nickel, C. H. “Validation Of A Simple Score For Mortality Prediction In A Cohort Of Unselected Emergency Patients”. Int J Clin Pract 2022: 7281693. doi:10.1155/2022/7281693.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Prognostication is an important component of medical decision-making. A patients' general prognosis can be difficult to measure. The Simple Prognostic Score (SPS) was designed to include patients' age, mobility, aggregated vital signs, and the treating physician's decision to admit to aid prognostication. Study Aim. Our study aim is to validate the SPS, compare it with the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) regarding its prognostic performance, and test the interrater reliability of the subjective variable of the decision to admit. METHODS: Over a period of 9 weeks all patients presenting to the ED were included, routinely interviewed, final disposition registered, and followed up for one year. The C-statistics of discrimination was used to compare SPS and ESI predictions of 7-day, 30-day, and 1-year mortality. Youden J Statistics and Odds ratio, using logistical regression, were calculated for the Simple Prognostic Score. In a subset, a chart review was performed by senior physicians for a secondary assessment of the decision to admit. Interrater reliability was calculated using percentages and Cohens Kappa. RESULTS: Out of 5648 patients, 3272 (57.9%) had a low SPS (i.e., </= 1); none of these patients died within 7 days, 2 (0.1%) died within 30 days after presentation and 19 (0.6%) died within a year. The area under the curve for 1-year mortality of the Simple Prognostic Score was 0.848. Secondary analysis of the interrater agreement for the decision to admit was 92%. CONCLUSION: In a prospective study of unselected ED patients, the Simple Prognostic Score was validated as a reliable predictor of short- and long-term mortality.
    Tags: *Emergency Service, Hospital, *Hospital Mortality, Cohort Studies, Humans, Prognosis, Prospective Studies, Reproducibility of Results.
  • Gauss, T., Richards, J. E., Tortu, C., Ageron, F. X., Hamada, S., Josse, J., Husson, F., et al. “Association Of Early Norepinephrine Administration With 24-Hour Mortality Among Patients With Blunt Trauma And Hemorrhagic Shock”. Jama Netw Open 5, no. 10: e2234258. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.34258.
    Abstract: IMPORTANCE: Hemorrhagic shock is a common cause of preventable death after injury. Vasopressor administration for patients with blunt trauma and hemorrhagic shock is often discouraged. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of early norepinephrine administration with 24-hour mortality among patients with blunt trauma and hemorrhagic shock. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective, multicenter, observational cohort study used data from 3 registries in the US and France on all consecutive patients with blunt trauma from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2018. Patients were alive on admission with hemorrhagic shock, defined by prehospital or admission systolic blood pressure less than 100 mm Hg and evidence of hemorrhage (ie, prehospital or resuscitation room transfusion of packed red blood cells, receipt of emergency treatment for hemorrhage control, transfusion of >10 units of packed red blood cells in the first 24 hours, or death from hemorrhage). Blunt trauma was defined as any exposure to nonpenetrating kinetic energy, collision, or deceleration. Statistical analysis was performed from January 15, 2021, to February 22, 2022. EXPOSURE: Continuous administration of norepinephrine in the prehospital environment or resuscitation room prior to hemorrhage control, according to European guidelines. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was 24-hour mortality, and the secondary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The average treatment effect (ATE) of early norepinephrine administration on 24-hour mortality was estimated according to the Rubin causal model. Inverse propensity score weighting and the doubly robust approach with 5 distinct analytical strategies were used to determine the ATE. RESULTS: A total of 52 568 patients were screened for inclusion, and 2164 patients (1508 men [70%]; mean [SD] age, 46 [19] years; median Injury Severity Score, 29 [IQR, 17-36]) presented with acute hemorrhage and were included. A total of 1497 patients (69.1%) required emergency hemorrhage control, 128 (5.9%) received a prehospital transfusion of packed red blood cells, and 543 (25.0%) received a massive transfusion. Norepinephrine was administered to 1498 patients (69.2%). The 24-hour mortality rate was 17.8% (385 of 2164), and the in-hospital mortality rate was 35.6% (770 of 2164). None of the 5 analytical strategies suggested any statistically significant association between norepinephrine administration and 24-hour mortality, with ATEs ranging from -4.6 (95% CI, -11.9 to 2.7) to 2.1 (95% CI, -2.1 to 6.3), or between norepinephrine administration and in-hospital mortality, with ATEs ranging from -1.3 (95% CI, -9.5 to 6.9) to 5.3 (95% CI, -2.1 to 12.8). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this study suggest that early norepinephrine infusion was not associated with 24-hour or in-hospital mortality among patients with blunt trauma and hemorrhagic shock. Randomized clinical trials that study the effect of early norepinephrine administration among patients with trauma and hypotension are warranted to further assess whether norepinephrine is safe for patients with hemorrhagic shock.
    Tags: *Shock, Hemorrhagic/drug therapy, *Wounds, Nonpenetrating/complications/drug therapy, Hemorrhage/drug therapy, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Norepinephrine/therapeutic use, Retrospective Studies.
  • Bruni, F., Charitos, P., Lampart, M., Moser, S., Siegemund, M., Bingisser, R., Osswald, S., et al. “Complement And Endothelial Cell Activation In Covid-19 Patients Compared To Controls With Suspected Sars-Cov-2 Infection: A Prospective Cohort Study”. Front Immunol 13: 941742. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.941742.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Thromboinflammation may influence disease outcome in COVID-19. We aimed to evaluate complement and endothelial cell activation in patients with confirmed COVID-19 compared to controls with clinically suspected but excluded SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: In a prospective, observational, single-center study, patients presenting with clinically suspected COVID-19 were recruited in the emergency department. Blood samples on presentation were obtained for analysis of C5a, sC5b-9, E-selectin, Galectin-3, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. RESULTS: 153 cases and 166 controls (suffering mainly from non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viral infections, non-infectious inflammatory conditions and bacterial pneumonia) were included. Hospital admission occurred in 62% and 45% of cases and controls, respectively. C5a and VCAM-1 concentrations were significantly elevated and E-selectin concentrations decreased in COVID-19 out- and inpatients compared to the respective controls. However, relative differences in outpatients vs. inpatients in most biomarkers were comparable between cases and controls. Elevated concentrations of C5a, Galectin-3, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 on presentation were associated with the composite outcome of ICU- admission or 30-day mortality in COVID-19 and controls, yet more pronounced in COVID-19. C5a and sC5b-9 concentrations were significantly higher in COVID-19 males vs. females, which was not observed in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate an activation of the complement cascade and endothelium in COVID-19 beyond a nonspecific inflammatory trigger as observed in controls (i.e., "over"-activation).
    Tags: *covid-19, *Thrombosis, 32003B_197880) and Pharming Biotechnologies B.V. outside the submitted work. RT, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Roche, Siemens, Singulex, and Thermo Scientific BRAHMS. The, Biomarkers, Cardiovascular Research Foundation Basel, the University of Basel and the, commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential, complement system, Complement System Proteins, conflict of interest. The handling editor (PN) declared a shared committee with, Covid-19, E-Selectin, Endothelial Cells, Female, Galectin 3, galectin-3, Humans, Icam-1, Inflammation, Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1, Male, P300PB_167803), the Swiss Heart Foundation, the Swiss Society of Cardiology, the, Prospective Studies, remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any, reports research support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No, SARS-CoV-2, the author (MT) at the time of review., University Hospital Basel and speaker honoraria/consulting honoraria from Abbott,, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1, Vcam-1.
  • Baumlin, R., Kaiser, C., Combescure, C., Rohrer-Christ, J., Herzig, L., and Haller, D. M. “Management Of Injuries In Swiss Primary Care Practices: A Cross-Sectional Study Within The Sentinella Surveillance System”. Swiss Med Wkly 152, no. 3738: w30226. doi:10.4414/smw.2022.w30226.
    Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Injuries are amongst the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Our aim was to describe the frequency, type of injury and care provided in primary care in Switzerland. METHODS: We used anonymous data from 14,307 injury-related consultations of all ages, with a representative sample of 160 primary care physicians from the Sentinella network throughout the year 2017. Descriptive information about patients presenting with one or multiple injuries and the type of care provided were collected in a weekly questionnaire. Data about the primary care physicians including their experience, postgraduate training, equipment and skills were obtained using a single anonymous questionnaire. Negative binomial regression models with mixed effects were used to examine the association between primary care physicians' characteristics, the proportion represented by injured patients in their total activity and independent management in primary care (without referral). With these models, the associations are expressed as a ratio of prevalence (PR). RESULTS: The median proportion (prevalence) of injury-related consultations was 2.0% (range 0.0-19.8%), with a significant difference between paediatricians and general practitioners (median 1.2% vs 2.1%). Nearly 60% of consultations for injuries involved men, 21.0% were for patients <18 years and 15.3% for those above 65. Sprains and dislocations (31.2%) were the most frequent diagnoses followed by cutaneous injuries (23.0%), contusions (20.1%) and fractures (18.8%). Of the injuries presenting directly to primary care, 87.0% were managed by the primary care physician without referral to external services. Fractures were the main diagnosis motivating referral, yet 67.9% of them were entirely managed within primary care. Multivariable analyses showed that training as a paediatrician and a longer experience in primary care were associated with having a lower prevalence of injury-related consultations (adjusted PR [adjPR] 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31-0.78 and adjPR 0.41, 95% CI 0.23-0.75, respectively), whereas the ability to offer wound care including sutures and both splints and casts were associated with a much higher prevalence of injury-related consultations (adjPR 9.36, 95% CI 3.42-25.61 and adjPR 2.38, 95% CI 1.43-3.97, respectively). CONCLUSION: The proportion represented by injured patients in a primary care physician's total activity is heterogeneous. Most patients with mild to moderate injuries could be managed in primary care without referral to secondary care. Further studies could explore factors associated with patients' decision to consult their primary care physician or emergency services for injuries. Exploring outcomes of primary care and patients' satisfaction is another future research priority.
    Tags: *General Practitioners, *Primary Health Care, Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Male, Referral and Consultation, Switzerland/epidemiology.
  • Habib, N., Hughes, M. D., Broutet, N., Thorson, A., Gaillard, P., Landoulsi, S., McDonald, S. L. R., Formenty, P., and Sierra Leone Ebola Virus Persistence Study, Group. “Statistical Methodologies For Evaluation Of The Rate Of Persistence Of Ebola Virus In Semen Of Male Survivors In Sierra Leone”. Plos One 17, no. 10: e0274755. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0274755.
    Abstract: The 2013-2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak in West Africa was the largest and most complex outbreak ever, with a total number of cases and deaths higher than in all previous EBOV outbreaks combined. The outbreak was characterized by rapid spread of the infection in nations that were weakly prepared to handle it. EBOV ribonucleic acid (RNA) is known to persist in body fluids following disease recovery, and studying this persistence is crucial for controlling such epidemics. Observational cohort studies investigating EBOV persistence in semen require following up recently recovered survivors of Ebola virus disease (EVD), from recruitment to the time when their semen tests negative for EBOV, the endpoint being time-to-event. Because recruitment of EVD survivors takes place weeks or months following disease recovery, the event of interest may have already occurred. Survival analysis methods are the best suited for the estimation of the virus persistence in body fluids but must account for left- and interval-censoring present in the data, which is a more complex problem than that of presence of right censoring alone. Using the Sierra Leone Ebola Virus Persistence Study, we discuss study design issues, endpoint of interest and statistical methodologies for interval- and right-censored non-parametric and parametric survival modelling. Using the data from 203 EVD recruited survivors, we illustrate the performance of five different survival models for estimation of persistence of EBOV in semen. The interval censored survival analytic methods produced more precise estimates of EBOV persistence in semen and were more representative of the source population than the right censored ones. The potential to apply these methods is enhanced by increased availability of statistical software to handle interval censored survival data. These methods may be applicable to diseases of a similar nature where persistence estimation of pathogens is of interest.
    Tags: *Body Fluids, *Ebolavirus, *Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola/epidemiology, Humans, Male, Rna, Semen, Sierra Leone/epidemiology, Survivors.
  • Ratmann, P. D., Boeddinghaus, J., Nestelberger, T., Lopez-Ayala, P., Hure, G., Gehrke, J., Koechlin, L., et al. “Extending The No Objective Testing Rules To Patients Triaged By The European Society Of Cardiology 0/1-Hour Algorithms”. Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care 11, no. 11: 834-840. doi:10.1093/ehjacc/zuac120.
    Abstract: AIMS: After rule-out of non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/1 h-algorithms, it is unclear which patients require further anatomical or functional cardiac testing. To test the safety and efficacy of the no-objective-testing (NOT)-rules after NSTEMI rule-out by the ESC 0/1 h-algorithms. METHODS AND RESULTS: International, prospective, diagnostic multicentre study enrolling adult patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department. Central adjudication of final diagnosis by two independent cardiologists using information including cardiac imaging. Primary endpoints were the safety and efficacy of the NOT-rules for the rule-out of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Secondary endpoints included 365-day and 2-year MACE. Among 4804 and 4569 patients with available 0/1 h high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn)T-Elecsys or hs-cTnI-Architect concentrations, 2783 (58%) and 2252 (49%) were eligible for application of the NOT-rules after rule-out of NSTEMI by the ESC hs-cTnT/I-0/1h-algorithm. The first rule identified 26% of patients with a sensitivity of 100% (95%CI 98.3-100%) and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 100% (95% CI, n.c.). The second and third rules both identified 31% of patients with a sensitivity of 99.5% (95% CI 97.4-99.9%) and a NPV of 99.9% (95% CI 99.2-99.9%). Similar findings emerged for hs-cTnI. High safety was confirmed for rule-out of 365-day and 2-year MACE and proven to be superior to the HEART Score. CONCLUSION: All three NOT-rules performed very well for rule-out of MACE. The third NOT-rule best balanced feasibility, safety, and efficacy by identifying nearly one out of three patients as low-risk and may not require further cardiac testing. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00470587.
    Tags: "Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft Basel". K.W. has received research support, (3MS1038), and the University Hospital Basel as well as speaker, (P400PM_180828) and from the Swiss Heart Foundation and speakers/advisors', *Cardiology, *Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis, *Non-ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis, 2017/1424). M.R.G. reports research grants from Swiss National Science Foundation, a research grant from the University of Basel, the Swiss Academy of Medical, accessible web sites or e-print servers. We disclose that J.B. has received, accuracy of the data analysis. All authors have read and approved the manuscript., Acute coronary syndrome, Adult, Algorithms, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Roche, Siemens, Singulex and Thermo Scientific BRAHMS. C.M., and has received speaker honoraria and/or, and Quidel Corporation, outside the submitted work. T.N. has received research, and the Division of Internal Medicine, the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences, the, and the Wesley Medical Research Foundation, all outside of the submitted work., Biomarkers, Cardiovascular Research Foundation Basel, the University of Basel and the, Cinical Diagnostics, Quidel, Roche, Siemens, Singulex, Sphingotec, as well as, Clinical Diagnostics and Orion Pharma, outside the submitted work. L.K. received, consulting honoraria from Siemens, Roche Diagnostics, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics,, contents have not been published previously and are not being considered for, data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the, data, vouched for the data and analysis, wrote the paper, and decided to publish., Dr. Max Cloetta Foundation, the Margarete und Walter Lichtenstein-Stiftung, ESC 0/1h-algorithms, Foundation (P500PM_206636/1), from the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter Rhyner Stiftung, The Prince Charles, from the Spanish Ministry of Health and FEDER (PI10/01918, PI11/01021,, gathering or analyzing the data or writing the manuscript. The manuscript and its, Gottfried and Julia Bangerter Rhyner Foundation, and the Swiss National Science, Government for Consolidated Groups of Investigation (GRC 2009/1385, 2014/0313,, has received research support from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the, Highsensitive cardiac troponin, honoraria from Roche, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Abbott and Siemens. R.T., honoraria/consulting honoraria from Siemens, Beckman Coulter, Bayer, Ortho, Hospital Foundation, the CRE Actions Fund (NHMRC), the University of Queensland,, Humans, Ingelheim, Bayer, BMS, Idorsia, Novartis, Osler, Roche, Sanofi, outside of the, No Objective testing rules, O.M. received grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III supported with funds, P.D.R., J.B., T.N., L.K., K.W., R.T., M.R.G., and C.M. had full access to all the, P300PB_167803), the Swiss Heart Foundation, the Swiss Society of Cardiology, the, PI15/01019, PI15/00773), La Marato de TV3 (2015/2510) and from the Catalonian, Prospective Studies, publication elsewhere in whole or in part in any language, including publicly, reports research support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No, research grants from the University of Basel, the University Hospital of Basel, Sciences and the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter Rhyner Foundation, as well as the, speaker honoraria/consulting honoraria from Acon, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Boehringer, submitted work. All other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest, support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (P400PM_191037/1), the Prof., Swiss Heart Foundation, the KTI, the European Union, the University of Basel, the, The sponsors had no role in designing or conducting the study and no role in, Troponin I, Troponin T, University Hospital Basel and speaker honoraria/consulting honoraria from Abbott,, University Hospital Basel, Abbott, Beckman Coulter, Biomerieux, Idorsia, Ortho, with this study..
  • Jankauskaite, L., Grechukha, Y., Kjaer, K. A., Mamenko, M., Nakstad, B., Romankevych, I., Schnyder, S., et al. “Overuse Of Medical Care In Paediatrics: A Survey From Five Countries In The European Academy Of Pediatrics”. Front Pediatr 10: 945540. doi:10.3389/fped.2022.945540.
    Abstract: Studies and initiatives such as the "Choosing wisely" (CW) campaign emphasise evidence-based investigations and treatment to avoid overdiagnosis and overtreatment. The perception of the extent of medical overactivity among professionals and drivers behind are not well studied in the paediatric field. AIM: We aimed to investigate the physicians' opinion and clarify the main drivers regarding medical overactivity in member countries of the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP). METHODS: In this study, paediatricians, paediatric residents, primary care paediatricians, and family doctors treating children were surveyed in Norway, Lithuania, Ukraine, Italy, and Switzerland. Over-investigation was defined as "diagnostic work-up or referral that is unlikely to provide information which is relevant for a patient" and overtreatment was defined as "treatment that does not benefit or can harm more than benefit the patient." The original questionnaire was developed in 2018 by a working group from the Norwegian Paediatric Association. RESULTS: Overall, 1,416 medical doctors participated in the survey, ranging from 144 in Lithuania to 337 in Switzerland. 83% stated that they experienced over-investigation/overtreatment, and 81% perceived this as a problem. The majority (83%) perceived expectations from family and patients as the most important driver for overtreatment in their country. Other drivers for overuse were use of national guidelines/recommendations, worry for reactions, and reduction of uncertainty. CONCLUSION: This is the first study investigating knowledge and attitude toward medical overactivity in European countries. Despite different cultural and economic environments, the patterns and drivers of increased investigations and medicalisation are similar.
    Tags: children, choosing wisely, commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential, conflict of interest., over-testing, overtreatment, survey.
  • Kutz, A., Koch, D., Haubitz, S., Conca, A., Baechli, C., Regez, K., Gregoriano, C., et al. “Association Of Interprofessional Discharge Planning Using An Electronic Health Record Tool With Hospital Length Of Stay Among Patients With Multimorbidity: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial”. Jama Netw Open 5, no. 9: e2233667. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.33667.
    Abstract: IMPORTANCE: Whether interprofessional collaboration is effective and safe in decreasing hospital length of stay remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcomes and safety associated with an electronic interprofessional-led discharge planning tool vs standard discharge planning to safely reduce length of stay among medical inpatients with multimorbidity. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This multicenter prospective nonrandomized controlled trial used interrupted time series analysis to examine medical acute hospitalizations at 82 hospitals in Switzerland. It was conducted from February 2017 through January 2019. Data analysis was conducted from March 2021 to July 2022. INTERVENTION: After a 12-month preintervention phase (February 2017 through January 2018), an electronic interprofessional-led discharge planning tool was implemented in February 2018 in 7 intervention hospitals in addition to standard discharge planning. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Mixed-effects segmented regression analyses were used to compare monthly changes in trends of length of stay, hospital readmission, in-hospital mortality, and facility discharge after the implementation of the tool with changes in trends among control hospitals. RESULTS: There were 54 695 hospitalizations at intervention hospitals, with 27 219 in the preintervention period (median [IQR] age, 72 [59-82] years; 14 400 [52.9%] men) and 27 476 in the intervention phase (median [IQR] age, 72 [59-82] years; 14 448 [52.6%] men) and 438 791 at control hospitals, with 216 261 in the preintervention period (median [IQR] age, 74 [60-83] years; 109 770 [50.8%] men) and 222 530 in the intervention phase (median [IQR] age, 74 [60-83] years; 113 053 [50.8%] men). The mean (SD) length of stay in the preintervention phase was 7.6 (7.1) days for intervention hospitals and 7.5 (7.4) days for control hospitals. During the preintervention phase, population-averaged length of stay decreased by -0.344 hr/mo (95% CI, -0.599 to -0.090 hr/mo) in control hospitals; however, no change in trend was observed among intervention hospitals (-0.034 hr/mo; 95% CI, -0.646 to 0.714 hr/mo; difference in slopes, P = .09). Over the intervention phase (February 2018 through January 2019), length of stay remained unchanged in control hospitals (slope, -0.011 hr/mo; 95% CI, -0.281 to 0.260 hr/mo; change in slope, P = .03), but decreased steadily among intervention hospitals by -0.879 hr/mo (95% CI, -1.607 to -0.150 hr/mo; change in slope, P = .04, difference in slopes, P = .03). Safety analyses showed no change in trends of hospital readmission, in-hospital mortality, or facility discharge over the whole study time. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this nonrandomized controlled trial, the implementation of an electronic interprofessional-led discharge planning tool was associated with a decline in length of stay without an increase in hospital readmission, in-hospital mortality, or facility discharge. TRIAL REGISTRATION: isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN83274049.
    Tags: *Electronic Health Records, *Patient Discharge, Aged, Female, Hospitals, Humans, Length of Stay, Male, Multimorbidity, Prospective Studies.
  • Costa, A., Carron, P. N., Zingg, T., Roberts, I., Ageron, F. X., and Swiss Trauma, Registry. “Early Identification Of Bleeding In Trauma Patients: External Validation Of Traumatic Bleeding Scores In The Swiss Trauma Registry”. Crit Care 26, no. 1: 296. doi:10.1186/s13054-022-04178-8.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Early identification of bleeding at the scene of an injury is important for triage and timely treatment of injured patients and transport to an appropriate facility. The aim of the study is to compare the performance of different bleeding scores. METHODS: We examined data from the Swiss Trauma Registry for the years 2015-2019. The Swiss Trauma Registry includes patients with major trauma (injury severity score (ISS) >/= 16 and/or abbreviated injury scale (AIS) head >/= 3) admitted to any level-one trauma centre in Switzerland. We evaluated ABC, TASH and Shock index (SI) scores, used to predict massive transfusion (MT) and the BATT score and used to predict death from bleeding. We evaluated the scores when used prehospital and in-hospital in terms of discrimination (C-Statistic) and calibration (calibration slope). The outcomes were early death within 24 h and the receipt of massive transfusion (>/= 10 Red Blood cells (RBC) units in the first 24 h or >/= 3 RBC units in the first hour). RESULTS: We examined data from 13,222 major trauma patients. There were 1,533 (12%) deaths from any cause, 530 (4%) early deaths within 24 h, and 523 (4%) patients who received a MT (>/= 3 RBC within the first hour). In the prehospital setting, the BATT score had the highest discrimination for early death (C-statistic: 0.86, 95% CI 0.84-0.87) compared to the ABC score (0.63, 95% CI 0.60-0.65) and SI (0.53, 95% CI 0.50-0.56), P < 0.001. At hospital admission, the TASH score had the highest discrimination for MT (0.80, 95% CI 0.78-0.82). The positive likelihood ratio for early death were superior to 5 for BATT, ABC and TASH. The negative likelihood ratio for early death was below 0.1 only for the BATT score. CONCLUSIONS: The BATT score accurately estimates the risk of early death with excellent performance, low undertriage, and can be used for prehospital treatment decision-making. Scores predicting MT presented a high undertriage rate. The outcome MT seems not appropriate to stratify the risk of life-threatening bleeding. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04561050 . Registered 15 September 2020.
    Tags: *Shock/complications, *Wounds and Injuries/complications/therapy, Death from bleeding, Haemorrhage, Hemorrhage/diagnosis/etiology/therapy, Humans, Injury Severity Score, Massive transfusion, Prognostic model, Registries, Score, Switzerland/epidemiology, Trauma, Trauma Centers.
  • Dethlefsen, R., Orlik, L., Muller, M., Exadaktylos, A. K., Scholz, S. M., Klukowska-Rotzler, J., and Ziaka, M. “Work-Related Injuries Among Insured Construction Workers Presenting To A Swiss Adult Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study (2016-2020)”. Int J Environ Res Public Health 19, no. 18. doi:10.3390/ijerph191811294.
    Abstract: Occupational injuries are one of the main causes of Emergency Department visits and represent a substantial source of disability or even death. However, the published studies and reports on construction-occupational accidents in Switzerland are limited. We aimed to investigate the epidemiology of fatal and non-fatal injuries among construction workers older than 16 years of age over a 5-year period. Data were gathered from the emergency department (ED) of Bern University Hospital. A retrospective design was chosen to allow analysis of changes in construction accidents between 2016-2020. A total of 397 patients were enrolled. Compared to studies in other countries, we also showed that the upper extremity and falling from height is the most common injured body part and mechanism of injury. Furthermore, we were able to show that the most common age group representing was 26-35 years and the second common body part injured was the head, which is a difference from studies in other countries. Wound lacerations were the most common type of injury, followed by joint distortions. By stratifying according to the season, occupational injuries among construction workers were found to be significant higher during summer and autumn. As work-related injuries among construction workers are becoming more common, prevention strategies and safety instructions must be optimized.
    Tags: *Construction Industry, *Occupational Injuries/etiology, Accidents, Occupational/prevention & control, Adult, adult emergency department, construction site accidents, Emergency Service, Hospital, for Suva, a public accident insurance company. Suva had no role in the design of, Humans, in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data, in the writing, of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results., Retrospective Studies, Suva, Switzerland/epidemiology, the study, work-related injuries.
  • Schoning, V., Liakoni, E., Baumgartner, C., Exadaktylos, A. K., Hautz, W. E., Atkinson, A., and Hammann, F. “Revalidating The Prognostic Covid-19 Severity Assessment (Cosa) Score For Variants Of Concern”. J Transl Med 20, no. 1: 427. doi:10.1186/s12967-022-03634-x.
  • Aranowicz, A., van den Brandt, S. L., Slankamenac, K., and Keller, D. I. “Destructive Osteomyelitis Involving Parvimonas Micra And Campylobacter Rectus”. Bmj Case Rep 15, no. 9. doi:10.1136/bcr-2022-250886.
    Abstract: We present a rare case of destructive osteomyelitis of the sternum caused by Parvimonas micra and Campylobacter rectus A previously healthy female patient in her 40s presented to the emergency department due to a spontaneous rupture of an abscess located to the chest wall. Imaging confirmed abscess formation with osteomyelitis of the sternum. Emergent surgical debridement was performed, blood and bone cultures were taken and the patient received antibiotic treatment. Cultures of the bone and deep tissue revealed infection with Parvimonas micra and Campylobacter rectus, both being members of the oral flora and associated with chronic periodontitis. Receiving targeted antibiotic treatment, our patient made a quick recovery. After treatment of the osteomyelitis, our patient was referred to the dentist where chronic periodontitis could be confirmed. Invasive infections with Parvimonas micra and Campylobacter rectus are rare. Investigation of a dental origin is crucial to prevent recurrent infections.
    Tags: *Chronic Periodontitis/drug therapy, *Osteomyelitis/diagnosis/drug therapy, Abscess/drug therapy, Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use, Bone and joint infections, Campylobacter rectus, Dentistry and oral medicine, Emergency medicine, Female, Firmicutes, Humans, Peptostreptococcus.
  • Eisenring, C. V., Hamilton, P. L., Herzog, P., Oertel, M. F., Jacot-Sadowski, I., Burn, F., Cornuz, J., Schatlo, B., and Nanchen, D. “Nicotine Replacement Therapy For Smokers With Acute Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: An International Survey”. Adv Ther 39, no. 11: 5244-5258. doi:10.1007/s12325-022-02300-4.
    Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Smoking prevalence is twice as high among patients admitted to hospital because of the acute condition of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) as in the general population. Smoking cessation may improve the prognosis of aSAH, but nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) administered at the time of aSAH remains controversial because of potential adverse effects such as cerebral vasospasm. We investigated the international practice of NRT use for aSAH among neurosurgeons. METHODS: The online SurveyMonkey software was used to administer a 15-question, 5-min online questionnaire. An invitation link was sent to those 1425 of 1988 members of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) who agreed to participate in surveys to assess treatment strategies for withdrawal of tobacco smoking during aSAH. Factors contributing to physicians' posture towards NRT were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 158 physicians from 50 nations participated in the survey (response rate 11.1%); 68.4% (108) were affiliated with university hospitals and 67.7% (107) practiced at high-volume neurovascular centers with at least 30 treated aSAH cases per year. Overall, 55.7% (88) of physicians offered NRT to smokers with aSAH, 22.1% (35) offered non-NRT support including non-nicotine medication and counselling, while the remaining 22.1% (35) did not actively support smoking cessation. When smoking was not possible, 42.4% (67) of physicians expected better clinical outcomes when prescribing NRT instead of nicotine deprivation, 36.1% (57) were uncertain, 13.9% (22) assumed unaffected outcomes, and 7.6% (12) assumed worse outcomes. Only 22.8% (36) physicians had access to a local smoking cessation team in their practice, of whom half expected better outcomes with NRT as compared to deprivation. CONCLUSIONS: A small majority of the surveyed physicians of the EANS offered NRT to support smoking cessation in hospitalized patients with aSAH. However, less than half believed that NRT could positively impact clinical outcome as compared to deprivation. This survey demonstrated the lack of consensus regarding use of NRT for hospitalized smokers with aSAH.
    Tags: *Smoking Cessation, *Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/complications/drug therapy, Cerebral aneurysm, Cerebrovascular disease, Humans, Intracranial aneurysm, Intracranial hemorrhage, Neurocritical care, Nicotine, Nicotine replacement products, Nicotine/adverse effects, SAH (subarachnoid hemorrhage), Smokers, Smoking cessation agents, Stroke, Surveys and Questionnaires, Tobacco use cessation, Tobacco Use Cessation Devices.
  • Kaegi-Braun, N., Lobo, D. N., and Schuetz, P. “Reply - Letter To The Editor - The Usefulness Of Glim Criteria To Guide Nutritional Treatment Needs Further Study”. Clin Nutr 41, no. 10: 2418-2419. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2022.08.026.
    Tags: *Malnutrition, *Nutrition Assessment, Humans, Nutritional Status, Thermofisher, BioMerieux, Abbott Nutrition and Roche Diagnostics not related to, this project. No other disclosures where reported..
  • Ravioli, S., Rohn, V., and Lindner, G. “Hypernatremia At Presentation To The Emergency Department: A Case Series”. Intern Emerg Med 17, no. 8: 2323-2328. doi:10.1007/s11739-022-03097-4.
    Abstract: Disorders of serum sodium are common findings in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the prevalence, symptoms, etiology, treatment as well as the course of hypernatremia present on admission to the ED. All adult patients with measurements of serum sodium presenting to the ED between 01 January 2017 and 31 December 2020 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Chart reviews were performed for all patients with hypernatremia defined as serum sodium > 147 mmol/L. 376 patients (0.7%) had a serum sodium > 145 mmol/L on admission and 109 patients (0.2%) had clinically relevant hypernatremia > 147 mmol/L. Main symptoms included somnolence (42%) followed by disorientation (30%) and recent falls (17%). An impaired sense of thirst was the main cause of hypernatremia as present in 76 patients (70%), followed by a lack of free access to water in 50 patients (46%). Regarding treatment, only one patient received targeted oral hydration and 38 patients (35%) experienced inadequate correction of hypernatremia as defined as either a correction of < 2 mmol/L or further increasing sodium during the first 24 h. 25% of patients with hypernatremia died during the course of their hospital stay. Patients who died had significantly lower correction rates of serum sodium (0 mmol/L (-3 - 1.5) versus - 6 mmol/L (-10 - 0), p < 0.001). Hypernatremia is regularly encountered in the ED and patients present with unspecific neurologic symptoms. Initial treatment and correction of hypernatremia are frequently inadequate with no decrease or even increase in serum sodium during the first 24 h.
    Tags: *Hypernatremia/epidemiology/etiology/therapy, Adult, Electrolyte, Emergency Hypernatremia, Emergency Service, Hospital, Humans, Length of Stay, On admission, Retrospective Studies, Sodium.
  • Wismer, A. C., Rakic, M., Kuehni, C. E., Jaboyedoff, M., Romano, F., Kopp, M. V., Brandenberger, J., Staubli, G., and Keitel, K. “Consensus Minimal Dataset For Pediatric Emergency Medicine In Switzerland”. Pediatr Emerg Care 38, no. 10: 511-516. doi:10.1097/PEC.0000000000002841.
    Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Standardized, harmonized data sets generated through routine clinical and administrative documentation can greatly accelerate the generation of evidence to improve patient care. The objective of this study was to define a pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) minimal dataset for Switzerland (Swiss PEM minimal dataset) and to contribute a subspecialty module to a national pediatric data harmonization process (SwissPedData). METHODS: We completed a modified Delphi survey, inviting experts from all major Swiss pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). RESULTS: Twelve experts from 10 Swiss PEDs, through 3 Delphi survey rounds and a moderated e-mail discussion, suggested a subspecialty module for PEM to complement the newly developed SwissPedData main common data model (CDM). The PEM subspecialty CDM contains 28 common data elements (CDEs) specific to PEM. Additional CDEs cover PEM-specific admission processes (type of arrival), timestamps (time of death), greater details on investigations and treatments received at the PED, and PEM procedures (eg, procedural sedation). In addition to the 28 CDEs specific to PEM, 43 items from the SwissPedData main CDM were selected to create a Swiss PEM minimal dataset. The final Swiss PEM minimal dataset was similar in scope and content to the registry of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. CONCLUSIONS: A practical minimal dataset for PEM in Switzerland was developed through recognized consensus methodology. The Swiss PEM minimal dataset developed by Swiss PEM experts will facilitate international data sharing for PEM research and quality improvement projects.
    Tags: *Emergency Medicine, *Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Child, Consensus, Emergency Service, Hospital, Humans, Switzerland.
  • Ebrahimi, F., Kutz, A., Christ, E. R., and Szinnai, G. “Lifetime Risk And Health-Care Burden Of Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Population-Based Study”. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 13: 940990. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.940990.
    Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We aimed to assess population-based rates, trends and outcomes of patients with DKA. DESIGN AND METHODS: This is a nationwide cohort study using hospital discharge claims data from 2010 to 2018 in Switzerland. Incidence rates and in-hospital outcomes of DKA were analyzed throughout lifetime for children (0-9 years), adolescents (10-19 years), and adults (20-29, 30-59, and 60-90 years). Analyses were stratified for type of diabetes mellitus and sex. RESULTS: In total, 5,544 hospitalizations with DKA were identified, of whom 3,847 were seen in patients with type 1 diabetes and 1,697 in type 2 diabetes. Incidence rates of DKA among patients with type 1 diabetes were highest during adolescence with 17.67 (girls) and 13.87 (boys) events per 100,000 person-years (incidence rate difference [IRD]: -3.80 [95% CI, -5.59 to -2.02]) and decreased with age in both sexes thereafter. Incidence rates of DKA in patients with type 2 diabetes were low up to an age of 40 years and rose to 5.26 (females) and 6.82 (males) per 100,000 person-years in adults aged 60-90 years. Diabetic ketoacidosis was associated with relevant health-care burden independent of age, sex, or type of diabetes. The population-based incidence rate of DKA increased over time from 7.22 per 100,000 person-years in 2010 to 9.49 per 100,000 person-years in 2018. CONCLUSIONS: In type 1 diabetes highest incidence rates of DKA hospitalizations were observed among adolescent females. In comparison, in patients with type 2 diabetes the risk for DKA steadily increased with age with higher rates in adult males. Over the 9 year study period, incidence rates of DKA were increasing irrespective of type of diabetes. DKA was associated with a high burden of disease reflected by high rates of intensive care unit admission, prolonged hospital stay and high mortality rates, especially in elderly.
    Tags: *Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/complications/epidemiology, *Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications/epidemiology, *Diabetic Ketoacidosis/epidemiology/etiology, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Caregiver Burden, Child, Cohort Studies, coma (diabetic), commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential, conflict of interest., Female, Humans, hyperglycemic crisis, ketoacidosis (DKA), Male, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D), type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  • Habegger, K., Brechbuhler, S., Vogt, K., Lienert, J. S., Engelhardt, B. M., Muller, M., Exadaktylos, A. K., and Brodmann Maeder, M. “Accidental Hypothermia In A Swiss Alpine Trauma Centre-Not An Alpine Problem”. Int J Environ Res Public Health 19, no. 17. doi:10.3390/ijerph191710735.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Research in accidental hypothermia focuses on trauma patients, patients exposed to cold environments or patients after drowning but rarely on hypothermia in combination with intoxications or on medical or neurological issues. The aim of this retrospective single-centre cohort study was to define the aetiologies, severity and relative incidences of accidental hypothermia, methods of measuring temperature and in-hospital mortality. METHODS: The study included patients >/=18 years with a documented body temperature </=35 degrees C who were admitted to the emergency department (ED) of the University Hospital in Bern between 2000 and 2019. RESULTS: 439 cases were included, corresponding to 0.32 per 1000 ED visits. Median age was 55 years (IQR 39-70). A total of 167 patients (38.0%) were female. Furthermore, 63.3% of the patients suffered from mild, 24.8% from moderate and 11.9% from severe hypothermia. Exposure as a single cause for accidental hypothermia accounted for 12 cases. The majority were combinations of hypothermia with trauma (32.6%), medical conditions (34.2%), neurological conditions (5.2%), intoxications (20.3%) or drowning (12.0%). Overall mortality was 22.3% and depended on the underlying causes, severity of hypothermia, age and sex.
    Tags: *Drowning, *Hypothermia/epidemiology/etiology, Cohort Studies, drowning, extracorporeal life support ECLS, Female, Humans, hypothermia, Male, Middle Aged, mortality, Retrospective Studies, Switzerland/epidemiology, temperature, trauma, Trauma Centers.
  • Becker, C., Gross, S., Gamp, M., Beck, K., Amacher, S. A., Mueller, J., Bohren, C., et al. “Patients' Preference For Participation In Medical Decision-Making: Secondary Analysis Of The Bedside-Outside Trial”. J Gen Intern Med 38, no. 5: 1180-1189. doi:10.1007/s11606-022-07775-z.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Patients may prefer different levels of involvement in decision-making regarding their medical care which may influence their medical knowledge. OBJECTIVE: We investigated associations of patients' decisional control preference (DCP) with their medical knowledge, ward round performance measures (e.g., duration, occurrence of sensitive topics), and perceived quality of care measures (e.g., trust in the healthcare team, satisfaction with hospital stay). DESIGN: This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled multicenter trial conducted between 2017 and 2019 at 3 Swiss teaching hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients that were hospitalized for inpatient care. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was patients' subjective average knowledge of their medical care (rated on a visual analog scale from 0 to 100). We classified patients as active, collaborative, and passive according to the Control Preference Scale. Data collection was performed before, during, and after the ward round. KEY RESULTS: Among the 761 included patients, those with a passive DCP had a similar subjective average (mean +/- SD) knowledge (81.3 +/- 19.4 points) compared to patients with a collaborative DCP (78.7 +/- 20.3 points) and active DCP (81.3 +/- 21.5 points), p = 0.25. Regarding patients' trust in physicians and nurses, we found that patients with an active vs. passive DCP reported significantly less trust in physicians (adjusted difference, - 5.08 [95% CI, - 8.69 to - 1.48 points], p = 0.006) and in nurses (adjusted difference, - 3.41 [95% CI, - 6.51 to - 0.31 points], p = 0.031). Also, patients with an active vs. passive DCP were significantly less satisfied with their hospital stay (adjusted difference, - 7.17 [95% CI, - 11.01 to - 3.34 points], p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients with active DCP have lower trust in the healthcare team and lower overall satisfaction despite similar perceived medical knowledge. The knowledge of a patient's DCP may help to individualize patient-centered care. A personalized approach may improve the patient-physician relationship and increase patients' satisfaction with medical care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03210987).
    Tags: *Decision Making, *Patient Preference, Adult, Clinical Decision-Making, decision-making, decisional control preference, hospital medicine, Hospitals, Teaching, Humans, Patient Participation, Patient Satisfaction, quality of care, satisfaction.
  • Razban, M., Exadaktylos, A. K., Santa, V. D., and Heymann, E. P. “Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome And Cannabis Withdrawal Syndrome: A Review Of The Management Of Cannabis-Related Syndrome In The Emergency Department”. Int J Emerg Med 15, no. 1: 45. doi:10.1186/s12245-022-00446-0.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cannabis-related medical consultations are increasing worldwide, a non-negligible public health issue; patients presenting to acute care traditionally complain of abdominal pain and vomiting. Often recurrent, these frequent consultations add to the congestion of already chronically saturated emergency department(s) (ED). In order to curb this phenomenon, a specific approach for these patients is key, to enable appropriate treatment and long-term follow-up. OBJECTIVES: This study reviews cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) and cannabis withdrawal syndrome (CWS), in a bid to help promote better understanding and handling of pathologies associated with chronic cannabis use. Following a literature review, we present a novel therapeutic algorithm aimed at guiding clinicians, in a bid to improve long-term outcomes and prevent recurrences. METHODS: Using the keywords "Cannabis," "Hyperemesis," "Syndrome," "Withdrawal," and "Emergency Medicine," we completed a literature review of three different electronic databases (PubMed(R), Google scholar(R), and Cochrane(R)), up to November 2021. RESULTS: Although often presenting with similar symptoms such as abdominal pain and vomiting, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) and cannabis withdrawal syndrome (CWS) are the result of two differing pathophysiological processes. Distinguishing between these two syndromes is essential to provide appropriate symptomatic options. CONCLUSION: The correct identification of the underlying cannabis-related syndrome, and subsequent therapeutic choice, may help decrease ED presentations. Our study emphasizes the importance of both acute care and long-term outpatient follow-up, as key processes in cannabis-related disorder treatment.
    Tags: Cannabis, Hyperemesis, Syndrome, Treatments, Withdrawal.
  • Shrestha, S., Lopez-Ayala, P., Schaefer, I., Nardiello, S. S., Papachristou, A., Aliyeva, F., Simmen, C., et al. “Efficacy And Safety Of Digoxin In Acute Heart Failure Triggered By Tachyarrhythmia”. J Intern Med 292, no. 6: 969-972. doi:10.1111/joim.13565.
    Tags: (FF20079). Tobias Breidthardt received speaker or advisory fees from AstraZeneca,, *Digoxin/adverse effects, *Heart Failure/complications/drug therapy, acute heart failure, and consulting honoraria from Roche, outside the submitted work. Pedro, Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Idorsia, Novartis, Osler, Roche, and, Basel, and the University Hospital Basel, outside of the submitted work. All, Daiichi-Sankyo, Roche, and Vifor. These payments were made directly to the, digoxin, Foundation, the Swiss Heart Foundation, the KTI, the European Union, the, grants from FAPESP (Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo, Brazil), Humans, Idorsia, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Quidel, Roche, Siemens, Singulex, and, Lopez-Ayala has received research support from the Swiss Heart Foundation, other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest with this study., Puelacher reports research funding from Roche Diagnostics, the University of, Sanofi outside of the submitted work. Danielle M. Gualandro received research, Sphingotec as well as speaker honoraria/consulting honoraria from Acon, Amgen,, tachyarrhythmia, Tachycardia/chemically induced/drug therapy, University Hospital Basel and no personal payments were received. Christian, University of Basel, the University Hospital Basel, Abbott, Beckman Coulter,.
  • Sendi, P., Branca, M., Buchi, A. E., Widmer, N., Tande, A. J., Gowland, P., and Poli, C. O. V. study. “The Disease Burden Of Delta And Omicron Variants Of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 In A Predominantly Vaccinated And Healthy Cohort”. Clin Microbiol Infect 28, no. 12: 1659-1661. doi:10.1016/j.cmi.2022.08.019.
    Tags: *COVID-19/epidemiology/prevention & control, *SARS-CoV-2, Cohort Studies, Cost of Illness, Humans.
  • Jakob, D. A., Lewis, M., Benjamin, E. R., Haltmeier, T., Schnuriger, B., Exadaktylos, A. K., and Demetriades, D. “Pre-Injury Stimulant Use In Isolated Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Effect On Outcomes”. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 49, no. 4: 1683-1691. doi:10.1007/s00068-022-02095-7.
    Abstract: PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of pre-injury stimulant use (amphetamine, cocaine, methamphetamine and/or ecstasy) on outcomes after isolated severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: Retrospective 2017 TQIP study, including adult trauma patients (>/=16 years old) who underwent drug and alcohol screening on admission and sustained an isolated severe TBI (head AIS >/=3). Patients with significant extracranial trauma (AIS >/=3) were excluded. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics, procedures and outcome variables were collected. Patients with isolated stimulant use were matched 1:1 for age, gender, mechanism of injury, head AIS and overall comorbidities, with patients with negative toxicology and alcohol screen. Outcomes in the two groups were compared with univariable and multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS: 681 patients with isolated TBI and stimulant use were matched with 681 patients with negative toxicology and alcohol screen. The incidence of hypotension and CGS <9 was similar in the two groups. In multivariable regression analysis, stimulant use was not independently associated with mortality (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.61-1.49). However, stimulant use was associated with longer hospital length of stay (HLOS) (RC 1.13, 95%CI 1.03-1.24). CONCLUSION: Pre-injury stimulant use is common in patients admitted for severe TBI, but was not independently associated with mortality when compared to patients with negative toxicology. However, stimulant use was associated with a significant longer HLOS.
    Tags: *Brain Injuries, Traumatic, *Methamphetamine/adverse effects, Adolescent, Adult, Amphetamine, Cocaine, Cocaine/adverse effects, Ecstasy, Ethanol, Head, Humans, Length of Stay, Methamphetamine, Retrospective Studies, Trauma.
  • Ehrler, F., Rochat, J., Siebert, J. N., Guessous, I., Lovis, C., and Spechbach, H. “Use Of A Semiautomatic Text Message System To Improve Satisfaction With Wait Time In The Adult Emergency Department: Cross-Sectional Survey Study”. Jmir Med Inform 10, no. 9: e34488. doi:10.2196/34488.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Many factors influence patient satisfaction during an emergency department (ED) visit, but the perception of wait time plays a central role. A long wait time in the waiting room increases the risk of hospital-acquired infection, as well as the risk of a patient leaving before being seen by a physician, particularly those with a lower level of urgency who may have to wait for a longer time. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to improve the perception of wait time through the implementation of a semiautomatic SMS text message system that allows patients to wait outside the hospital and facilitates the recall of patients closer to the scheduled time of meeting with the physician. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional survey to evaluate the system using a tailored questionnaire to assess the patient perspective and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology questionnaire for the caregiver perspective. We also monitored the frequency of system use with logs. RESULTS: A total of 110 usable responses were collected (100 patients and 10 caregivers). Findings revealed that 97 of 100 (97%) patients were satisfied, with most patients waiting outside the ED but inside the hospital. The caregiver evaluation showed that it was very easy to use, but the adoption of the system was more problematic because of the perceived additional workload associated with its use. CONCLUSIONS: Although not suitable for all patients, our system allows those who have a low-severity condition to wait outside the waiting room and to be recalled according to the dedicated time defined in the Swiss Emergency Triage Scale. It not only has the potential to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infection but also can enhance the patient experience; additionally, it was perceived as a real improvement. Further automation of the system needs to be explored to reduce caregiver workload and increase its use.
    Tags: commercialization. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., emergency, emergency department, health service, patient satisfaction, quality of care, rights on the SMS text message recall system and, as employees of Geneva, service-oriented health care, University Hospitals, might receive indirect institutional reward in case of.
  • Haidinger, M., Ravioli, S., and Lindner, G. “Equality In Recipients Of Nephrology Awards From International Societies”. Kidney Med 4, no. 8: 100505. doi:10.1016/j.xkme.2022.100505.
  • Montorfani-Janett, V. M. L., Montorfani, G. E., Lavagno, C., Gualco, G., Bianchetti, M. G., Milani, G. P., Lava, S. A. G., and Cristallo Lacalamita, M. “External Male Genitalia In Henoch-Schonlein Syndrome: A Systematic Review”. Children (Basel) 9, no. 8. doi:10.3390/children9081154.
    Abstract: The external genitalia are notoriously implicated in every fifth male with Henoch-Schonlein syndrome. Nonetheless, the underlying conditions are poorly categorized. To characterize the involvement of the external male genitalia in this vasculitis, we performed a systematic review of the literature. For the final analysis, we selected 85 reports published between 1972 and 2022, which reported on 114 Henoch-Schonlein cases (</= 18 years, N = 104) with a penile (N = 18), a scrotal (N = 77), or both a penile and a scrotal (N = 19) involvement. The genital involvement mostly appeared concurrently with or after the cutaneous features of Henoch-Schonlein syndrome, while it preceded the presentation of Henoch-Schonlein syndrome in 10 cases. Patients with penile involvement (N = 37) presented with swelling (N = 26), erythema (N = 23), and purpuric rash (N = 15). Most patients were otherwise asymptomatic except for transient micturition disorders (N = 2) or priapism (N = 2). Patients with scrotal involvement (N = 96) presented with pain (N = 85), swelling (N = 79), erythema (N = 42), or scrotal purpura (N = 22). The following scrotal structures were often involved: scrotal skin (N = 83), epididymis (N = 49), and testes (N = 39). An ischemic testicular damage was noted in nine patients (four with torsion and five without). The scrotal skin involvement was mostly bilateral, while that of the epididymis and testis were mostly (p < 0.0001) unilateral (with a significant predilection for the left side). In conclusion, this analysis allows for better categorization of the involvement of external male genitalia in Henoch-Schonlein vasculitis. Scrotal involvement can result from skin inflammation, epididymitis, orchitis, or testicular ischemia.
    Tags: external genitalia, Henoch-Schonlein syndrome, immunoglobulin a purpura, penis, scrotum, vasculitis.
  • Atila, C., Monnerat, S., Bingisser, R., Siegemund, M., Lampart, M., Rueegg, M., Zellweger, N., et al. “Inverse Relationship Between Il-6 And Sodium Levels In Patients With Covid-19 And Other Respiratory Tract Infections: Data From The Coviva Study”. Endocr Connect 11, no. 10. doi:10.1530/EC-22-0171.
    Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Hyponatremia in COVID-19 is often due to the syndrome of inadequate antidiuresis (SIAD), possibly mediated by interleukin-6 (IL-6)-induced non-osmotic arginine vasopressin (AVP) secretion. We hypothesized an inverse association between IL-6 and plasma sodium concentration, stronger in COVID-19 compared to other respiratory infections. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study including patients with COVID-19 suspicion admitted to the Emergency Department, University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland, between March and July 2020. METHODS: We included patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 and patients with similar symptoms, further subclassified into bacterial and other viral respiratory infections. The primary objective was to investigate the association between plasma sodium and IL-6 levels. RESULTS: A total of 500 patients were included, 184 (37%) with COVID-19, 92 (18%) with bacterial respiratory infections, and 224 (45%) with other viral respiratory infections. In all groups, median (IQR) IL-6 levels were significantly higher in hyponatremic compared to normonatremic patients (COVID-19: 43.4 (28.4, 59.8) vs 9.2 (2.8, 32.7) pg/mL, P < 0.001; bacterial: 122.1 (63.0, 282.0) vs 67.1 (24.9, 252.0) pg/mL, P < 0.05; viral: 14.1 (6.9, 84.7) vs 4.3 (2.1, 14.4) pg/mL, P < 0.05). IL-6 levels were negatively correlated with plasma sodium levels in COVID-19, whereas the correlation in bacterial and other viral infections was weaker (COVID-19: R = -0.48, P < 0.001; bacterial: R = -0.25, P = 0.05, viral: R = -0.27, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IL-6 levels were inversely correlated with plasma sodium levels, with a stronger correlation in COVID-19 compared to bacterial and other viral infections. IL-6 might stimulate AVP secretion and lead to higher rates of hyponatremia due to the SIAD in these patients.
    Tags: Covid-19, Crp, hyponatremia, interleukin-6, Pct.
  • Michel, J., Rehsmann, J., Mettler, A., Starvaggi, C., Travaglini, N., Aebi, C., Keitel, K., and Sauter, T. C. “Public Health Communication: Attitudes, Experiences, And Lessons Learned From Users Of A Covid-19 Digital Triage Tool For Children”. Front Public Health 10: 901125. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.901125.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: The pandemic has made public health communication even more daunting because acceptance and implementation of official guidelines and recommendations hinge on this. The situation becomes even more precarious when children are involved. Our child-specific COVID-19 online forward triage tool (OFTT) revealed some of the public health communication challenges. We aimed to explore attitudes, experiences, and challenges faced by OFTT users and their families, in regard to public health recommendations. METHODS: We selected key informants (n = 20) from a population of parents, teachers, guardians, as well as doctors who had used the child-specific COVID-19 OFTT and had consented to a further study. Videos rather than face-face interviews were held. Convenience and quota sampling were performed to include a variety of key informants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes. RESULTS: Several themes emerged, namely; (1) definition and expectations of high-risk persons, (2) quarantine instructions and challenges, (3) blurred division of responsibility between authorities and parents, (4) a novel condition and the evolution of knowledge, (5) definition and implications of socioeconomic status, (6) new normal and societal divisions, and (7) the interconnectedness of these factors-systems thinking. CONCLUSION: As the virus is evolving and circumstances are changing rapidly, the communication of public health to the different interest groups becomes, both an art and science, even more so when using a new technological communication channel: an OFTT. A myriad of interconnected factors seems to influence attitudes toward public health recommendations, which calls for systems thinking in public health communication.
    Tags: *covid-19, *Health Communication, absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a, Attitude, childcare, children, Covid-19, digital triage, Humans, of Bern, Switzerland. The funder, Touring Club Switzerland, has no influence on, potential conflict of interest., Public Health, public health communication, publish. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the, quarantine, testing, the research performed, the content of any manuscript, or any decision to, Triage.
  • Consuegra, A., Lutz, K., Exadaktylos, A. K., Z'Graggen, W. J., and Hasler, R. M. “Traumatic Brain Injury In The Elderly After A Skiing Accident: A Retrospective Cohort Study In A Level 1 Emergency Department In Switzerland”. Plos One 17, no. 8: e0273168. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0273168.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Skiing is a very popular sport worldwide, with increasing trends over the past decades. This study aimed to evaluate the importance of traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially in the elderly, after a ski accident, and to describe its short-term repercussions. METHODOLOGY: Patients were analyzed who were admitted to our neurotrauma center from 2012-2018 after a head trauma while skiing. Three different age groups were differentiated and analyzed for the severity of TBI depending on the initial Glasgow Coma Scale as the primary outcome and as secondary outcomes need and type of surgery, Glasgow Outcome Score, preexisting use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs, time to presentation, and pattern of brain injury. TBI severity was adjusted to the time to initial medical consultation. RESULTS: No significant difference in TBI severity was found when comparing the middle (>29-54) and older (>/=54) age groups to the reference group <30 years (OR:0.45, p = 0.127; OR:0.46, p = 0.17). Acute subdural hemorrhage was present in 21.2% of the >/=55 group and 14.5% of the 30-54 age group, compared to 12.8% of the youngest group (p = <0.001). Overall, 39.4% of the patients in the >/=55 group and 8.1% of the 30-54 age group presented with chronic subdural hemorrhage, whereas none of the youngest patients did (p = <0.001). CONCLUSION: No differences were observed in terms of TBI severity between age groups after acute trauma. Nonetheless, a different pattern of head injury after TBI in older patients was demonstrated. Accordingly, the management differs for these TBIs compared to those of younger patients.
    Tags: *Brain Injuries, Traumatic/epidemiology, *Craniocerebral Trauma, *Skiing, Accidents, Adult, Aged, Emergency Service, Hospital, Glasgow Coma Scale, Hematoma, Subdural, Humans, Retrospective Studies, Switzerland/epidemiology.
  • Blatter, R., Amacher, S. A., Bohren, C., Becker, C., Beck, K., Gross, S., Tisljar, K., Sutter, R., Marsch, S., and Hunziker, S. “Comparison Of Different Clinical Risk Scores To Predict Long-Term Survival And Neurological Outcome In Adults After Cardiac Arrest: Results From A Prospective Cohort Study”. Ann Intensive Care 12, no. 1: 77. doi:10.1186/s13613-022-01048-y.
    Abstract: BACKGROUND: Several scoring systems have been used to predict short-term outcome in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), including the disease-specific OHCA and CAHP (Cardiac Arrest Hospital Prognosis) scores, as well as the general severity-of-illness scores Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II). This study aimed to assess the prognostic performance of these four scores to predict long-term outcomes (>/= 2 years) in adult cardiac arrest patients. METHODS: This is a prospective single-centre cohort study including consecutive cardiac arrest patients admitted to intensive care in a Swiss tertiary academic medical centre. The primary endpoint was 2-year mortality. Secondary endpoints were neurological outcome at 2 years post-arrest assessed by Cerebral Performance Category with CPC 1-2 defined as good and CPC 3-5 as poor neurological outcome, and 6-year mortality. RESULTS: In 415 patients admitted to intensive care, the 2-year mortality was 58.1%, with 96.7% of survivors showing good neurological outcome. The 6-year mortality was 82.5%. All four scores showed good discriminatory performance for 2-year mortality, with areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) of 0.82, 0.87, 0.83 and 0.81 for the OHCA, CAHP, APACHE II and SAPS II scores. The results were similar for poor neurological outcome at 2 years and 6-year mortality. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that two established cardiac arrest-specific scores and two severity-of-illness scores provide good prognostic value to predict long-term outcome after cardiac arrest and thus may help in early goals-of-care discussions.
    Tags: Apache ii, Cahp, Cardiac arrest, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Long-term survival, Ohca, Saps ii.
  • Ten Bosch, Q., Andrianaivoarimanana, V., Ramasindrazana, B., Mikaty, G., Rakotonanahary, R. J. L., Nikolay, B., Rahajandraibe, S., et al. “Analytical Framework To Evaluate And Optimize The Use Of Imperfect Diagnostics To Inform Outbreak Response: Application To The 2017 Plague Epidemic In Madagascar”. Plos Biol 20, no. 8: e3001736. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3001736.
    Abstract: During outbreaks, the lack of diagnostic "gold standard" can mask the true burden of infection in the population and hamper the allocation of resources required for control. Here, we present an analytical framework to evaluate and optimize the use of diagnostics when multiple yet imperfect diagnostic tests are available. We apply it to laboratory results of 2,136 samples, analyzed with 3 diagnostic tests (based on up to 7 diagnostic outcomes), collected during the 2017 pneumonic (PP) and bubonic plague (BP) outbreak in Madagascar, which was unprecedented both in the number of notified cases, clinical presentation, and spatial distribution. The extent of these outbreaks has however remained unclear due to nonoptimal assays. Using latent class methods, we estimate that 7% to 15% of notified cases were Yersinia pestis-infected. Overreporting was highest during the peak of the outbreak and lowest in the rural settings endemic to Y. pestis. Molecular biology methods offered the best compromise between sensitivity and specificity. The specificity of the rapid diagnostic test was relatively low (PP: 82%, BP: 85%), particularly for use in contexts with large quantities of misclassified cases. Comparison with data from a subsequent seasonal Y. pestis outbreak in 2018 reveal better test performance (BP: specificity 99%, sensitivity: 91%), indicating that factors related to the response to a large, explosive outbreak may well have affected test performance. We used our framework to optimize the case classification and derive consolidated epidemic trends. Our approach may help reduce uncertainties in other outbreaks where diagnostics are imperfect.
    Tags: *Epidemics, *Plague/diagnosis/epidemiology, *Yersinia pestis, Disease Outbreaks, Humans, Madagascar/epidemiology.
  • Ziaka, M., and Exadaktylos, A. “Ards Associated Acute Brain Injury: From The Lung To The Brain”. Eur J Med Res 27, no. 1: 150. doi:10.1186/s40001-022-00780-2.
    Abstract: A complex interrelation between lung and brain in patients with acute lung injury (ALI) has been established by experimental and clinical studies during the last decades. Although, acute brain injury represents one of the most common insufficiencies in patients with ALI and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the underlying pathophysiology of the observed crosstalk remains poorly understood due to its complexity. Specifically, it involves numerous pathophysiological parameters such as hypoxemia, neurological adverse events of lung protective ventilation, hypotension, disruption of the BBB, and neuroinflammation in such a manner that the brain of ARDS patients-especially hippocampus-becomes very vulnerable to develop secondary lung-mediated acute brain injury. A protective ventilator strategy could reduce or even minimize further systemic release of inflammatory mediators and thus maintain brain homeostasis. On the other hand, mechanical ventilation with low tidal volumes may lead to self-inflicted lung injury, hypercapnia and subsequent cerebral vasodilatation, increased cerebral blood flow, and intracranial hypertension. Therefore, by describing the pathophysiology of ARDS-associated acute brain injury we aim to highlight and discuss the possible influence of mechanical ventilation on ALI-associated acute brain injury.
    Tags: *Acute Lung Injury/etiology, *Brain Injuries/complications, *Respiratory Distress Syndrome/etiology/therapy, Acute brain injury, Acute lung injury, Acute respiratory distress syndrome, Blood-brain barrier disruption, Brain, Brain-lung interactions, Humans, Hypoxemia, Inflammation, Lung, Mechanical ventilation, Tidal Volume.
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