Swiss medical weekly
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Swiss medical weekly · Oct 2000
Case Reports[Endemic and imported severe leptospirosis (Weil's disease) in southern Switzerland].
We report on 4 cases of severe icteric leptospirosis. Three patients developed renal failure requiring haemodialysis and one required mechanic ventilation for 10 days. On entry all patients presented with severe myalgia, particularly in the calves, jaundice, oligo-anuria and severe thrombocytopenia. ⋯ Three out of 4 patients were infected in southern Switzerland. This observation underscores the importance of wild and domestic animals as a leptospira reservoir. Patients presenting with acute renal failure and jaundice, but only mild-to-moderate elevation of transaminases, are suspect for leptospirosis regardless of travel to a tropical or subtropical country.
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Swiss medical weekly · Oct 2000
First sexual intercourse and contraception: a cross-sectional survey on the sexuality of 16-20-year-olds in Switzerland.
The onset of sexual activity represents an important development stage with positive aspects, such as love, discovery, intimate relationships, plans for the future, but also with fears of pregnancy, of sexually transmitted diseases and of AIDS. ⋯ The use of condoms is high among Swiss adolescents, particularly at first sexual intercourse. By integrating the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and of unwanted pregnancies, preventive programmes would address adolescents' needs more effectively.
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Swiss medical weekly · Sep 2000
[Diagnosis and course of myocarditis: a survey in the medical clinics of Zurich University Hospital 1980 to 1998].
The clinical picture of myocarditis/myopericarditis is of importance in differential diagnosis, especially in younger patients with suspected myocardial infarction. Myocarditis/myopericarditis commonly presents with chest pain, and the diagnosis is usually established on clinical grounds. However, endomyocardial biopsy is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. ⋯ We believe that the apparent increase in myocarditis/myopericarditis in recent years is a result of better diagnostic tools, such as more specific cardiac enzyme tests, coronary angiography and endomyocardial biopsies. In most cases the therapy remains symptomatic. In elected, severe cases steroids and other immunosuppressive drugs are sometimes used.
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Swiss medical weekly · Aug 2000
[Frequency of HFE gene mutations and genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis in Switzerland].
Hereditary haemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic disorders affecting populations of European ancestry. Isolation of a strong candidate gene, the HFE gene, allows genetic diagnosis in a large number of cases. However, different mutation frequencies have been reported in hereditary haemochromatosis patient populations from various geographic regions. ⋯ However, the diagnosis is not ruled out by a negative genetic test. Furthermore, a broad phenotypic spectrum is associated with the homozygous C282Y mutation in Swiss hereditary haemochromatosis patients. The implications of these findings for planning of widespread genetic screening for hereditary haemochromatosis in the general population are discussed.
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Hearing loss is a frequent disease with an estimated incidence of 1:1000 in children. Hereditary hearing loss is characterised by enormous genetic heterogeneity, which makes diagnosis difficult. Approximately 50% of the Caucasian patients with autosomal recessive inherited hearing loss carry mutations in the connexin-26 gene on chromosome 13. ⋯ A genetic test is thus available which can be offered to probands in genetic counselling. We investigated 11 patients with hearing loss and found sequence aberrations in 7 patients, which is causative for the hearing loss in at least 5 patients. The first application of DHPLC in Switzerland is also documented.