Swiss medical weekly
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2015
Comparative StudyEfficacy of continuous catheter analgesia of the sciatic nerve after total knee arthroplasty.
This study investigated and compared the outcomes after continuous femoral nerve block alone, continuous femoral nerve analgesia combined with single-shot sciatic nerve analgesia, and continuous femoral and sciatic nerve analgesia in patients with total knee replacement. ⋯ On the basis of these results, which correspond well to other studies of a topic that is under discussion in the literature, we adapted our postoperative pain regimen to continuous sciatic and femoral nerve analgesia for at least 24 hours after hemi- and total knee replacement.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2015
ReviewSmarter medicine: do physicians need political pressure to eliminate useless interventions?
Echoing the "less is more" and "choosing wisely" campaigns in the USA, the "smarter medicine" campaign launched in 2014 by the Swiss Society of General Internal Medicine listed five tests or treatments that are often prescribed in ambulatory general internal medicine, but that may not provide any meaningful benefit and may carry the risk of generating harms and costs. In the United Kingdom, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) supported the National Health Services in identifying "low value" activities that should be stopped. ⋯ To obtain significant changes and promote the paradigm of reducing unnecessary waste of medical resources, opinion leaders and leading scientific or academic institutions, as well as medical societies, can make a difference, together with consumer associations and the lay press. Politicians can undoubtedly contribute to the success of these strategies, but rather than putting physicians alone under pressure and setting up stringent regulatory measures, they should network with all stakeholders and put emphasis on a broader agenda, the one of improving healthcare quality and efficiency.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2015
The role of Clinical Trial Units in investigator- and industry-initiated research projects.
Six multidisciplinary competence centres (Clinical Trial Units, CTUs) in Basel, Berne, Geneva, Lausanne, St. Gallen and Zurich provide professional support to clinical researchers in the planning, implementation, conduct and evaluation of clinical studies. ⋯ Taking the CTU Basel as an example, we show that a considerable number (25%) of the studies submitted for regulatory approval in 2013 were supported by the CTU, decreasing the number of findings in ethics reviews by about one-third. We conclude that these achievements, together with a Swiss national funding model for clinical research, and improved national coordination, will be critical factors to successfully position Swiss clinical research at the international forefront.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2015
Increasing prehospital emergency medical service interventions for nursing home residents.
In the ageing European population, the proportion of interventions by the emergency medical services (EMS) for elderly patients is increasing, but little is known about the recent trend of EMS interventions in nursing homes. The aim of this analysis was to describe the evolution of the incidence of requests for prehospital EMS interventions for nursing home residents aged 65 years and over between 2004 and 2013. ⋯ Our results confirmed an important increase in the incidence of EMS interventions in nursing homes during the last decade, far exceeding the actual increase of the nursing home population during the same period. This evolution represents an important opportunity to reconsider the EMS missions in the context of an ageing society.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2015
Observational StudyA low observed-to-expected postoperative mortality ratio in a Swiss high-standard peri-operative care environment - an observational study.
The objective was to assess observed-to-expected in-hospital postoperative 30-day mortality and to identify associated risks. ⋯ The postoperative observed-to-expected mortality ratio was favourable. Independent postoperative risk factors for mortality were well-established factors such as age, ASA PS, non elective surgery but also duration of PACU-IMC stay which was considered as a surrogate of postoperative complications.