Swiss medical weekly
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2014
First results from a Swiss level I trauma centre participating in the UK Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN): prospective cohort study.
Patient characteristics and risk factors for death of Swiss trauma patients in the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN). ⋯ Characteristics of Swiss trauma patients derived from TARN were described for the first time, providing a detailed overview of the institutional trauma population. Based on these results, patient management and hospital resources (e.g. triage of patients, time to CT, staffing during night shifts) could be evaluated as a further step.
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Most physiological processes in our body oscillate in a daily fashion. These include cerebral activity (sleep-wake cycles), metabolism and energy homeostasis, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, renal activity, and hormone as well as cytokine secretion. The daily rhythms in behaviour and physiology are not just acute responses to timing cues provided by the environment, but are driven by an endogenous circadian timing system. ⋯ The SCN consists of two tiny clusters of ~100,000 neurones in humans, each harbouring a self-sustained, cell-autonomous molecular oscillator. Research conducted during the past years has shown, however, that virtually all of our thirty-five trillion body cells possess their own clocks and that these are indistinguishable from those operative in SCN neurones. Here we give an overview on the molecular and cellular architecture of the mammalian circadian timing system and provide some thoughts on its medical and social impact.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2014
Clinical TrialEffects of different modes of ventilation and head position on the size of the vena jugularis interna.
Right internal jugular vein (RIJV) catheterisation is a common procedure in patients undergoing surgery. We aimed to compare diameters and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the RIJV when the head is in a neutral or 30-degree rotated position during mechanical ventilation in various modes and spontaneous ventilation. ⋯ We conclude that both pressure-controlled and volume-controlled mechanical ventilation have similar effects on the CSA and diameters of the RIJV. Positioning of the head with a 30-degree rotation laterally has different effects on CSA depending on the ventilation mode used. A neutral position should be preferred with spontaneous ventilation whereas 30 degree rotation should be preferred in patients under pressure-controlled and volume-controlled ventilation.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2014
ReviewNovel concepts in the epidemiology, diagnosis and prevention of childhood tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind, yet it is the second leading cause of death from an infection worldwide today. In the absence of epidemiological data, TB in children was not considered significant and research efforts did not prioritise this group. ⋯ This review discusses the most relevant advances in the understanding of epidemiology, diagnosis and prevention of children with TB. It also highlights challenges and research priorities in childhood TB, which include better diagnostic tests, accurate correlates of protection and an improved vaccine.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2014
Case ReportsGastrointestinal bleeding associated with rivaroxaban administration in a treated patient infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
The use of rivaroxaban in fixed dosing regimens without need for routine coagulation monitoring may lead to the misconception that there is a minimal risk of drug-drug interactions. We describe the case of a patient infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on salvage therapy who developed gastrointestinal bleeding while receiving the standard dose of rivaroxaban for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after surgery. This case clearly sends a warning that protease inhibitors should not be co-administered with rivaroxaban. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of clinicians' caution about potential drug-drug interactions.