Swiss medical weekly
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Swiss medical weekly · Apr 2010
Prehospital emergency physician activation of interventional cardiology team reduces door-to-balloon time in ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
To explore whether early activation of an interventional cardiology team, by prehospital emergency physicians, reduces door-to-balloon time (DTBT) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) diagnosed with prehospital ECG. ⋯ Catheterisation laboratory activation by a prehospital emergency physician markedly reduces DTBT in STEMI patients.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2010
Comparative StudyProficiency in cardiopulmonary resuscitation of medical students at graduation: a simulator-based comparison with general practitioners.
There are no data on the preparedness of medical students at the time of their graduation to handle a cardiac arrest. The aim of the present study was to compare the performance in cardiopulmonary resuscitation of medical students at the time of their graduation with that of experienced general practitioners. ⋯ When confronted with a cardiac arrest, medical students at the time of their graduation substantially delayed evidence-based life-saving measures like defibrillation and provided only half of the resuscitation support provided by experienced general practitioners. Future research should focus on how to best prepare medical students to handle medical emergencies.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2010
Comparative StudyPatient satisfaction and clinical outcome following outpatient radiofrequency catheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardia.
Catheter ablation is an effective and safe treatment for various arrhythmic disorders. Patients are frequently admitted for an overnight stay after the ablation procedure to monitor for possible postprocedural complications or recurrence of the arrhythmia. The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction in patients with supraventricular tachycardia following catheter ablation on an outpatient basis. ⋯ Overall patient satisfaction and self-reported clinical outcome are comparable for outpatient and inpatient catheter ablations. Patients undergoing outpatient procedures may return to work earlier. Therefore, outpatient ablation procedures may be considered for selected patients without significant comorbidities.
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Swiss medical weekly · Jan 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyFunctional multidisciplinary rehabilitation versus outpatient physiotherapy for non specific low back pain: randomized controlled trial.
In recent decades the treatment of non-specific low back pain has turned to active modalities, some of which were based on cognitive-behavioural principles. Non-randomised studies clearly favour functional multidisciplinary rehabilitation over outpatient physiotherapy. However, systematic reviews and meta-analysis provide contradictory evidence regarding the effects on return to work and functional status. The aim of the present randomised study was to compare long-term functional and work status after 3-week functional multidisciplinary rehabilitation or 18 supervised outpatient physiotherapy sessions. ⋯ Functional multidisciplinary rehabilitation was better than outpatient physiotherapy in improving functional and work status. From an economic point of view, these results should be backed up by a cost-effectiveness study.