Hepatitis C prevalence and cascade of care among patients in the decentralised opioid agonist therapy programme of the canton of St Gallen, Switzerland: a cross-sectional study
CONCLUSION: In the decentralised OAT setting of the canton of St Gallen, HCV Ab prevalence is high. Since HCV Ab and RNA screening uptake are markedly lower than in the centralised setting, potentially >40% of patients with chronic HCV are not diagnosed yet. HCV screening in the decentralised setting needs improvement, e.g. by increasing awareness and simplifying testing. High HCV treatment uptake and cure rates are possible in centralised and decentralised settings.PMID:38579293 | DOI:10.57187/s.3352 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Kerstin Wissel Pietro Vernazza Stefan Kuster Katharina Hensel-Koch Andrea Bregenzer Source Type: research
Lipoprotein(a) as a blood marker for large artery atherosclerosis stroke etiology: validation in a prospective cohort from a swiss stroke center
CONCLUSIONS: In a well-characterised cohort of patients with ischaemic stroke, we validated the association of higher Lp(a) levels with LAA stroke aetiology, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. These findings may inform randomised clinical trials investigating the effect of Lp(a) lowering agents on cardiovascular outcomes. The CoRisk (CoPeptin for Risk Stratification in Acute Patients) study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00878813.PMID:38579294 | DOI:10.57187/s.3633 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Salome Rudin Lilian Kriemler Tolga D Dittrich Annaelle Zietz Juliane Schweizer Markus Arnold Nils Peters Filip Barinka Simon Jung Marcel Arnold Urs Fischer Katharina Rentsch Mirjam Christ-Crain Mira Katan Gian Marco De Marchis Source Type: research
Perceptions and needs of an outpatient palliative care team regarding digital care conferences in palliative care: a mixed-method online survey
CONCLUSION: Digital care conferences are perceived as a feasible and useful tool by healthcare professionals in a local palliative care network in Switzerland. A pilot phase will be the next step towards systematic integration of this telemedicine modality into outpatient palliative care.PMID:38579295 | DOI:10.57187/s.3487 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Andreas Samuel Ebneter Maud Maessen Thomas C Sauter Georgette Jenelten Steffen Eychmueller Source Type: research
Successful treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related periaortitis
We report a 64-year-old patient with melanoma receiving ipilimumab and nivolumab therapy who presented with a periaortic soft tissue mass around the abdominal aorta on restaging fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging. Clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings resulted in a diagnosis of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related periaortitis. Periaortitis is a rare disease presenting with fibro-inflammatory tissue around the aorta and may lead to serious complications. Immune checkpoint inhibitors were discontinued, and the patient was treated with glucocorticoids, leading to a complete res...
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Elias D B ührer Ian L Alberts Lisa Christ Berna C Özdemir Source Type: research
The magnitude of the plasma hepcidin response to oral iron supplements depends on the iron dosage
CONCLUSION: We found a dose-dependent effect of iron supplementation on plasma hepcidin levels. Lower iron dosage results in a smaller increase in hepcidin and might thus lead to more efficient intestinal iron absorption and fewer side effects. The effectiveness and side effects of low-dose iron treatment in women with iron deficiency should be further investigated. This study was registered at the Swiss National Clinical Trials Portal (2021-00312) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04735848).PMID:38579297 | DOI:10.57187/s.3635 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Maximilian Karczewski Stana Simic Lanja Saleh Albina Nowak Morton G Schubert Diego Moretti Dorine W Swinkels Felix Beuschlein Paolo M Suter Pierre-Alexandre Krayenbuehl Source Type: research
Use of metamizole and other non-opioid analgesics in Switzerland between 2014 and 2019: an observational study using a large health insurance claims database
CONCLUSION: In Switzerland, metamizole was increasingly claimed between 2014 and 2019. Metamizole was most frequently claimed by older adults and patients with comedications suggestive of underlying conditions, which can be worsened or caused by use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The lack of studies regarding the effectiveness and safety of metamizole in this population warrants further investigation.PMID:38579298 | DOI:10.57187/s.3535 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Stephan Gut Marlene Rauch Manuel Haschke Carola A Huber Jan Gaertner Nadine Schur Christoph R Meier Julia Spoendlin Source Type: research
Post-transplant survival with pre-transplant durable continuous-flow mechanical circulatory support in a Swiss cohort of heart transplant recipients
CONCLUSION: This data indicates that the strategy of pre-transplant CF-MCS with subsequent orthotopic heart transplantation provides post-transplant outcomes not different to direct heart transplantation despite the fact that the duration of pre-transplant assist device treatment has progressively increased.PMID:38579299 | DOI:10.57187/s.3500 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Roger Hullin Tamila Abdurashidova Barbara Pitta-Gros Sara Schukraft Valentina Rancati Henri Lu Anouck Zurbuchen Carlo Marcucci Zied Ltaief Karl Lefol Christoph Huber Manuel Pascual Piergiorgio Tozzi Philippe Meyer Matthias Kirsch Source Type: research
An in-hospital intervention to reduce the proportion of misused inhalers at hospital discharge among patients with COPD: a non-randomised intervention study
CONCLUSIONS: An in-hospital intervention was associated with a reduction in the proportion of misused inhalers at hospital discharge. This intervention should be considered for hospitalised patients with COPD. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05207631).PMID:38579300 | DOI:10.57187/s.3394 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Gael Grandmaison Thomas Grob éty Philippe Dumont Julien Vaucher Daniel Hayoz Philipp Suter Source Type: research
Transdisciplinary sarcoma care: a model for sustainable healthcare transformation
Swiss Med Wkly. 2024 Apr 4;154:3473. doi: 10.57187/s.3473.NO ABSTRACTPMID:38579301 | DOI:10.57187/s.3473 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Bruno Fuchs Beata Bode Philip Heesen Barbara Kopf Christian Michelitsch Manfred Odermatt Pietro Giovanoli Stefan Breitenstein Paul Schneider Guido Sch üpfer Stefan Boes Gabriela Studer Source Type: research
Use of complementary medicine and its association with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal cohort study
CONCLUSION: While complementary medicine is increasingly used, it is rarely discussed with primary care physicians. Complementary medicine use, especially for COVID-19 prevention, is associated with COVID-19 vaccination status. Communication between physicians, patients, and complementary medicine therapists is encouraged to facilitate a truly holistic approach to making a shared decision based on the best available information.PMID:38579302 | DOI:10.57187/s.3505 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Mayssam Nehme Olivia Braillard Pierre-Yves Rodondi Idris Guessous Source Type: research
Prognostic impact of carotid plaque imaging using total plaque area added to SCORE2 in middle-aged subjects: the ARteris Cardiovascular Outcome (ARCO) cohort study
CONCLUSIONS: Integration of TPA post-test risk into SCORE2 adds prognostic information, supporting the use of carotid ultrasound when assessing ASCVD risk in subjects aged 40-65 years.PMID:38579303 | DOI:10.57187/s.3735 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Michel Romanens Ansgar Adams Michel Wenger Walter Warmuth Isabella Sudano Source Type: research
Glycaemic outcomes in adults with type 1 diabetes transitioning towards advanced automated insulin delivery systems - a real-world analysis at a Swiss tertiary centre
CONCLUSIONS: Glucose levels significantly improved when transitioning from a (P)LGS to a hybrid-closed loop. Glucose levels improved further when switching from a hybrid-closed loop to an advanced hybrid-closed loop. However, the added benefit of an advanced hybrid-closed loop was comparably smaller. This pattern was also reflected in the subgroup analysis.PMID:38579305 | DOI:10.57187/s.3501 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Vera Lehmann Franco Noti Markus Laimer Christoph Stettler Thomas Z üger Source Type: research
Historic characteristics and mortality of patients in the Swiss Amyloidosis Registry
CONCLUSION: During registry set-up, a more comprehensive work-up of our patients suffering mainly from light-chain amyloidosis and transthyretin amyloidosis was implemented. Survival rates were remarkably high and similar between light-chain amyloidosis and transthyretin amyloidosis, a finding which was noted in similar historic registries of international centres. However, further studies are needed to depict morbidity and mortality as the amyloidosis landscape is changing rapidly.PMID:38579306 | DOI:10.57187/s.3485 (Source: Swiss Medical Weekly)
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Sofie Brouwers Raphael Heimgartner Natallia Laptseva Adriano Aguzzi Niklas F Ehl Thomas Fehr Felicitas Hitz Hans H Jung Joel K älin Markus G Manz Beat M üllhaupt Frank Ruschitzka Harald Seeger Georg Stussi Markus Zweier Andreas J Flammer Bernhard Gerber Source Type: research
Palliative sedation - revised recommendations
Swiss Med Wkly. 2024 Feb 15;154:3590. doi: 10.57187/s.3590.ABSTRACTPalliative sedation is defined as the monitored use of medications intended to induce a state of decreased or absent awareness (unconsciousness) to relieve the burden of otherwise intractable suffering in a manner ethically acceptable to the patient, their family, and healthcare providers. In Switzerland, the prevalence of continuous deep sedation until death increased from 4.7% in 2001 to 17.5% of all deceased in 2013, depending on the research method used and on regional variations. Yet, these numbers may be overestimated due to a lack of understanding of...
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Michel Beauverd Marta Mazzoli Josiane Pralong Martyna Tomczyk Steffen Eychm üller Jan Gaertner Source Type: research
An economic evaluation of an early palliative care intervention among patients with advanced cancer
CONCLUSION: Although early palliative care is often presented as a cost-reducing care service, we could not show a significant effect of the SENS intervention on health care utilisation and costs in the last month of life. However, it may be that the intervention was not intensive enough, the timeframe too short or the study population too small for measurable effects. Patients appreciated the intervention. Single-structured early palliative care interventions are easy to implement in clinical practice and present low treatment costs. Further research about the economic impact of early palliative care should focus on extra...
Source: Swiss Medical Weekly - April 5, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Maud Maessen Monica C Fliedner Brigitta Gahl Marina Maier Daniel M Aebersold Susanne Zwahlen Steffen Eychm üller Source Type: research
