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At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

X-ray imaging of the chest in Switzerland in 1998: a nationwide survey.

The use in Switzerland of three chest X-ray imaging modalities is studied. The frequency and dosimetric aspects associated with chest radiography, chest CT, and photofluorography are investigated and the Swiss figures are compared with those of other countries. The frequencies are established by means of a nationwide survey performed in 1998, whereas the doses are determined by modelling, based on the technical parameters of the examinations. The annual frequencies of chest radiography, chest CT, and photofluorography are 201, 7, and 7 per thousand population, respectively. The standard effective doses related to these three types of examinations are 0.057, 9, and 0.13 mSv, respectively. The collective dose associated with chest X-ray imaging amounts to 606 man.Sv, representing 8.5% of the total collective dose due to diagnostic and interventional radiology. The geographic and seasonal variations, as well as the distribution with the medical specialty and with the age of the patient, are established. The Swiss results compare well with the average data published in the literature for other countries of similar health care level. Chest radiography shows a significant decrease with time. It dropped by a factor of 2 in 20 years. The conformity of the indication of chest X-ray modalities with referral guidelines is also investigated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[Current strategies for macular hole surgery in Germany, Austria and Switzerland].

BACKGROUND: Main aim of this study was to determine how macular hole surgery is currently being performed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. METHODS: A questionnaire concerning the different aspects of surgery for stage 3 macular hole was developed and sent out to the 380 members of the German Retina Society. RESULTS: This analysis is based on 129 returned questionnaires from colleagues who perform macular hole surgery. A total of 95% (n=123) of the surgeons routinely perform vitrectomy with posterior vitreous detachment, peeling of epiretinal tissue and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. Some 86% (n=106) stain the ILM, with 80% of these (n=85) using indocyanine green (ICG) in concentrations ranging from 0.005% up to 10%. Fourteen percent of ICG users perform a fluid-air exchange before applying the dye. Platelet concentrate is used by 8% of the surgeons with 97% (n=125) performing a gas tamponade using SF6 (53%), C3F8 (22%), C2F6 (16%) or just air (5%) (multiple answers: 4%). Simultaneous cataract surgery is routinely performed by 8%; by 73% only if there is significant cataract. CONCLUSIONS: There is common consent on the basic surgical steps, but several surgical details, e.g. ILM staining, are performed in substantially different ways.

Austria↗
PubMed1997

F13B and CD4 allele frequencies in south west Switzerland.

Allele frequencies of the two short tandem repeat (STR) systems F13B and CD4 were determined in a population sample from South West Switzerland using PCR analysis. We found five alleles for both STRs in a population sample of 205 unrelated individuals. No significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed.

Alleles↗
PubMed2003

Chronic illness, life style and emotional health in adolescence: results of a cross-sectional survey on the health of 15-20-year-olds in Switzerland.

UNLABELLED: The objective was to evaluate the prevalence of chronic conditions (CC) in adolescents in Switzerland; to describe their behaviour (leisure, sexuality, risk taking behaviour) and to compare them to those in adolescents who do not have CC in order to evaluate the impact of those conditions on their well-being. The data were obtained from the Swiss Multicentre Adolescent Survey on Health, targeting a sample of 9268 in-school adolescents aged 15 to 20 years, who answered a self-administered questionnaire. Some 11.4% of girls and 9.6% of boys declared themselves carriers of a CC. Of girls suffering from a CC, 25% (versus 13% of non carriers; P=0.007) and 38% of boys (versus 25%; P=0.002) proclaimed not to wear a seatbelt whilst driving. Of CC girls, 6.3% (versus 2.7%; P=0.000) reported within the last 12 months to have driven whilst drunk. Of the girls, 43% (versus 36%; P=0.004) and 47% (versus 39%; P=0.001) were cigarette smokers. Over 32% of boys (versus 27%; P=0.02) reported having ever used cannabis and 17% of girls (versus 13%; P=0.013) and 43% of boys (versus 36%; P=0.002) admitted drinking alcohol. The burden of their illness had important psychological consequences: 7.7% of girls (versus 3.4%; P=0.000) and 4.9% of boys (versus 2.0%; P=0.000) had attempted suicide during the previous 12 months. CONCLUSION: experimental behaviours are not rarer in adolescents with a chronic condition and might be explained by a need to test their limits both in terms of consumption and behaviour. Prevention and specific attention from the health caring team is necessary.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Trends in antibiotic resistance of respiratory tract pathogens in children in Geneva, Switzerland.

UNLABELLED: Bacteria increasingly resistant to antibiotics are a major treatment concern of respiratory tract pathogens in children. The aim of this study was to assess the trends of resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis to several classes of antibiotics in children<16 years of age and to compare its prevalence with surrounding countries. We studied retrospectively the susceptibility of respiratory tract pathogens isolated from specimens collected from patients at the Geneva Children's Hospital between 1989 and 2004. The susceptibility of S. pneumoniae to penicillin decreased from 98% to 58% (P<0.001) within 16 years, mainly due to strains intermediately resistant (MICs 0.12-1.0 microg/ml). Also erythromycin-susceptible pneumococci decreased from 97% to 63% (P<0.001). The susceptibility of H. influenzae to amoxicillin also significantly declined (87% vs. 82%, P<0.001), and the susceptibility of M. catarrhalis to this drug almost disappeared (29% vs. 5%, P<0.001). However, in 2004 these two bacteria remained 100% susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, second and third generation cephalosporins. Invasive H. influenzae strains were significantly more resistant to ampicillin than non-invasive strains, but no susceptibility difference between invasive and non-invasive S. pneumoniae was determined. CONCLUSION: During the 16 years studied, the antibiotic resistance of respiratory tract pathogens steadily and significantly increased in children, especially S. pneumoniae. This situation in Geneva is similar to neighbouring France rather than to the rest of Switzerland. A permanent surveillance of microbial susceptibility to antibiotics is essential and a limitation of antibiotic prescription together with information of the judicious use may impede the actual resistance trend.

Child↗
PubMed2005

Cluster of Capillaria hepatica infections in non-commensal rodents from the canton of Geneva, Switzerland.

We trapped 664 rodents belonging to five non-commensal species in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, and found a significant cluster of Capillaria hepatica infections in three species in rural and urbanized areas of the northern part of the canton. C. hepatica infections were discovered in the yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis (n=99) with an overall prevalence (OP) of 7.0% and a clustered prevalence (CP) of 20%, in the bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus (n=58, OP 5.2%; CP 19%), and in the water vole Arvicola terrestris scherman (n=466; OP 0.2%; CP 4%). The estimated numbers of C. hepatica eggs isolated from infected livers ranged from 1,914 to 938,000 per animal.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Influence of saturation deficit and temperature on Ixodes ricinus tick questing activity in a Lyme borreliosis-endemic area (Switzerland).

Questing Ixodes ricinus ticks were sampled monthly in a periurban mixed forest at Neuchâtel, Switzerland, in 1996, 1997, and 1998. A total of 5,530 I. ricinus nymphs and 1,385 adults were collected. The emergence of questing tick populations in spring varied among years in relation to the air temperature. The monthly variation in questing nymph density was negatively correlated with the saturation deficit; there was a strong decrease in tick numbers in late spring and summer as soon as the saturation deficit increased. A variation in tick density in relation to the saturation deficit was also observed between years; the tick density was high when the saturation deficit was low during spring and summer (1997) and was low when the saturation deficit was high (1998). During the 3-year study period, marked climatic differences among years highlighted the influence of temperature and saturation deficit on the phenology of ticks.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Comparison of genetic groups determined by molecular and immunological analyses of Giardia isolated from animals and humans in Switzerland and Australia.

Nine axenic isolates of Giardia originating from four different host species in Switzerland were subjected to genetic analysis using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify segments of genes encoding different trophozoite variant surface proteins (VSPs). Three genotypes were identified on the basis of product yield, size, and restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms (RFLPs). Five G. duodenalis isolates (O1, B1, B2, B3-1A1 and C1--from a sheep, three calves and a dog, respectively) were classified as belonging to genetic group I of Andrews et al. (1989). DNA amplified from the VSP genes tsp11, tsa417 and vsp1267 of these isolates was indistinguishable in size and restriction characteristics from that amplified from group-I Giardia isolated from humans in Australia. One human-derived Swiss isolate (H2-17A1), typed as belonging to genetic group II, yielded a vsp1267-specific PCR product that was indistinguishable by size or restriction sites from the equivalent 1.6-kb product amplified from human-derived Australian group-II organisms. This isolate also yielded 1.8-kb tsp11 and 0.52-kb tsa417/tsp11-like PCR products possessing RFLPs typical of group-II organisms. Three isolates (O2-4A1, O3 and H3-15K2--originating from two sheep and a human, respectively) represent a novel genotype that is closely related to genetic groups I and II. These three isolates exhibited identical RFLPs in their tsp11 PCR products and failed to yield a vsp1267 PCR product. An antiserum specific for the 90-kDa VSP of the sheep-derived clone O2-4A1 reacted strongly by immunofluorescence and on Western blots with surface proteins from the O2, O3 and H3 isolates only--consistent with the genetic classification determined above. The data provide no evidence for the occurrence of host-specific genotypes.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Isolation and characterization of Leishmania parasites imported into Switzerland--a retrospective study.

Cases of leishmaniasis imported into Switzerland were diagnosed by culture and/or Giemsa-stained smears. The cultures proved to be positive in 61 of 64 confirmed cases, whereas only 49% of Giemsa-stained smears were positive. Promastigotes were detected on average after 3.6 +/- 2.2 days. A total of 33 different isolates were characterized by isoenzyme analysis and typed as Leishmania infantum (10 cases, mainly from Europe), L. chagasi (1 case, Central America), L. major (12 cases, mainly from Africa), L. braziliensis (7 cases, South and Central America), and L. tropica (1 case, Near East). Two isolates could not be clearly classified. Correlations between species and origin or between species and type of biopsy were as expected.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Switzerland. A prospective 3-year study of 10,174 patients. Swiss Association of Laparoscopic and Thoracoscopic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: We set out to analyze the technical aspects, intraoperative complications, morbidity, and mortality of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a multi-institutional study representative of Switzerland. METHODS: Data were collected from 10,174 patients from 82 surgical services. A total of 353 different parameters per patient were included. RESULTS: We found intraoperative complications in 34.4% of patients and had a conversion rate of 8.2%. This rate was significantly increased in patients with complicated cholelithiasis and in those with previous upper-but not lower-abdominal surgery. In most cases, conversions to open procedures were required because of technical difficulties due to inflammatory changes and/or unclear anatomical findings at the time of operation. Bleeding was a common intraoperative complication, that significantly increased the risk of conversion. Patients with loss of gallstones in the peritoneal cavity had increased rates of abscesses. The rate of common bile duct injuries was 0.31%, but it decreased significantly as the laparoscopic experience of the surgeon increased. The rate of common bile duct injuries was not increased in patients with acute cholecystitis or in the 1.32% of patients undergoing laparoscopic common bile duct exploration. Intraoperative cholangiography did not reduce the risk of common bile duct injuries, but it allowed them to be diagnosed intraoperatively in 75% of patients. Local complications were recorded in 4.79% of patients, and systemic complications were seen in 5.59%. The mortality rate was 0.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Although laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe procedure, the rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy is still substantial. The conversion rate depends both on the indication and intraoperative complications. There is still a 10.38% morbidity associated with the procedure; however, the incidence of common bile duct injuries, which decreases with growing laparoscopic experience, was relatively low.

Cholangiography↗
PubMed2005

The upward shift in altitude of pine mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. austriacum) in Switzerland--the result of climate warming?

Pine mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. austriacum) is common in natural Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests in the alpine Rhone Valley, Switzerland. This semi-parasite, which is regarded as an indicator species for temperature, increases the drought stress on trees and may contribute to the observed pine decline in the region. We recorded mistletoes on representative plots of the Swiss National Forest Inventory ranging from 450 to 1,550 m a.s.l. We found mistletoe on 37% of the trees and on 56% of all plots. Trees infested with mistletoe had a significantly higher mortality rate than non-infested trees. We compared the current mistletoe occurrence with records from a survey in 1910. The current upper limit, 1,250 m, is roughly 200 m above the limit of 1,000-1,100 m found in the earlier survey 100 years ago. Applying a spatial model to meteorological data we obtained monthly mean temperatures for all sites. In a logistic regression mean winter temperature, pine proportion and geographic exposition significantly explained mistletoe occurrence. Using mean monthly January and July temperatures for 1961-1990, we calculated Skre's plant respiration equivalent (RE) and regressed it against elevation to obtain the RE value at the current mistletoe elevation limit. We used this RE value and temperature from 1870-1899 in the regression and found the past elevation limit to be at 1,060 m, agreeing with the 1910 survey. For the predicted temperature rise by 2030, the limit for mistletoe would increase above 1,600 m altitude.

Altitude↗
PubMed2004

Seasonal variations in hospital admissions due to aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage in the state of Zurich, Switzerland.

INTRODUCTION: In clinical practice, the occurrence of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) often coincides with a particular season. Our objective was to examine seasonal variations in hospital admissions due to aneurysmal SAH. METHODS: The study population consisted of 489 patients with aneurysmal SAH who were admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland, between 1st of January 1996 and 31st of December 2002. Statistical significance of seasonal variation was determined by applying Roger's r test. RESULTS: Statistically significant seasonal variation was only found among patients younger than 60 years, showing a first peak in spring and second lower peak in autumn (Roger's r=6.89, p<0.05). A borderline significance was found in men younger than 60 years (Roger's r=5.96, p=0.051). A trend was observed in patients presenting with Fisher grade 1-2 (Roger's r=5.70, p=0.058). CONCLUSIONS: Previous studies from different countries have shown significant seasonal variations, with the peak period for aneurysmal SAH differing widely. There appears to be some link between aneurysmal SAH and the season of the year or variations in weather conditions. Further investigations are desirable to evaluate which weather or climatic parameters correlate well with SAH.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Epidemiology of meningococcal disease in Switzerland, 1999-2002.

In Switzerland, immunisation against serogroup C meningococcal disease is recommended for persons at increased risk but is not included in the national vaccination programme. The aim of this study was to present the nationwide surveillance data on invasive meningococcal disease collected from 1999 to 2002, emphasising the evolution in the absence of extended vaccination. The number of reported cases of meningococcal disease peaked at 178 cases in 2000 (incidence rate of 2.5/100,000 person-years), with 61% of all cases attributed to serogroup C meningococci (incidence rate, 1.5/100,000 person-years). Since 2001, a spontaneous decrease in the reported cases was observed, resulting in an overall incidence rate of 1.4/100,000 person-years in 2002 (serogroup C cases, 0.8/100,000 person-years). On the other hand, the case-fatality rate of serogroup C cases increased to 18% in 2002, leading to an increase in the overall case-fatality rate from 8% to 14% (P>0.05). The small sample size reduces the interpretability of this observation. However, when the introduction of a generalised vaccination against serogroup C meningococcal disease is discussed, the fluctuations in the number of vaccine-preventable deaths should receive greater attention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Risk factors for infections with Norovirus gastrointestinal illness in Switzerland.

Viral infections, particularly those caused by noroviruses (NV, genus Norovirus), are the most common cause of community-acquired gastroenteritis in Europe, with respect to both endemic and epidemic occurrence. For the first time, a general practitioner-based case-control study was performed between July 2001 and July 2003 in the German-speaking part of Switzerland in order to identify risk factors for sporadic NV infections. The consumption of different foodstuffs and of bottled mineral water did not show any significant association with the risk of NV gastroenteritis, nor was there any significant effect of individual ABO histo-blood group or household size on the incidence of NV gastroenteritis. The findings are consistent with person-to-person transmission as the most important route of transmission for community-acquired, sporadic NV infection, in that 39% of all patients reported they had had contact with ill persons before their illness. The fact that 33% reported contact with ill persons, mainly within family groups, after their own illness suggested that a substantial proportion of patients were part of family mini-outbreaks.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Economic impact of hyperhomocysteinemia in Switzerland.

Since more than 20 years elevated homocysteine plasma levels have been associated with an elevated cardiovascular risk. It can be assumed that approx. 5-7% of the Swiss population suffers from hyperhomocysteinemia. These people have an odds ratio of 1.7 (95% confidence interval: 1.5-1.9) to develop a myocardial infarction and an odds ratio of 2.5 (95% confidence interval 2-3) of developing a stroke. These significant cardiovascular endpoints have monetary implications and lead to a loss in life years. The cost consequences and total life years lost were determined with an incidence-based epidemiological model utilizing a Swiss third party payer perspective. We could demonstrate that hyperhomocysteinemia-related sequelae (myocardial infarction and stroke) amount to 41.1-110.2 million CHF. In addition it can be estimated that 6'941-18'478 life years may be lost. Comparing these data with the total costs for cardiovascular disease in Switzerland of CHF 987 million, we estimate the share of the economic burden of hyperhomocysteinemia at approximately 10%. Preventive measures could thus yield a positive impact on total health care expenditure in the Swiss healthcare system and warrants further research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Randomized controlled clinical trial of Blood Glucose Awareness Training (BGAT III) in Switzerland and Germany.

Although both diabetes and the efficacy of medical management are international issues, psycho-educational interventions might be culturally bound. Blood Glucose Awareness Training (BGAT) is a psycho-educational program for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. It is focused on improving recognition and management of extreme blood glucose levels, and is the best documented American psycho-educational program for this purpose. A randomized controlled clinical trial of BGAT's long-term benefits in a non-American setting has been lacking. One hundred and eleven adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus from Switzerland and Germany participated. After a 6 months baseline assessment, subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 2 months of BGAT (n = 56) or a physician-guided self-help control intervention (n = 55). BGAT improved recognition of low (p = 0.008), high (p = .03), and overall blood glucose (p = 0.001), and reduced frequency of severe hypoglycemia (p = 0.04), without compromising metabolic control. BGAT reduced both the external locus of control (p < 0.02) and fear of hypoglycemia (p < 0.02). BGAT was efficacious in reducing adverse clinical events and achieving clinically desirable goals in a European, as well as American setting.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2001

Nocardial brain abscess: observation of treatment strategies and outcome in Switzerland from 1992 to 1999.

BACKGROUND: Brain abscesses caused by Nocardia spp. are rare, but life-threatening infections that are notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat and which occur mainly in immunocompromised patients. Standard treatment guidelines are not available. METHODS: A systematic search for nocardial brain abscesses from 1992 to 1999 was conducted in Switzerland for the comparison of clinical presentation, treatment strategies and outcome. RESULTS: Seven cases were found, for which data of six were available. In 4/6 patients antimicrobial therapy led to a decrease in the size of abscesses. Four of six patients died. The cause of death was likely due to underlying co-morbidities, rather than the nocardial infection. CONCLUSION: The finding that treatment was different in each case underscores the lack of therapeutic guidelines.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis among HIV-infected persons in Switzerland: a countrywide 9-year cohort study. Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

We investigated tuberculosis transmission during a nine-year period (1988-1996) in a countrywide community-based cohort of HIV-infected persons in Switzerland (the Swiss HIV Cohort Study [SHCS]). We estimated the proportion of tuberculosis cases due to reinfection and relapse, and assessed factors which may increase the risk of tuberculosis transmission. HIV-infected persons were followed prospectively and molecular fingerprinting with insertion sequence (IS) 6110, 36-bp direct repeat, and IS6110-PCR was used to determine M. tuberculosis case clustering. Out of 7999 SHCS participants, 267 persons developed tuberculosis. 158 M. tuberculosis isolates from 138 patients were available for study. Molecular analysis identified 33 (24%) episodes of tuberculosis associated with 12 clusters including 2 to 8 patients. Two patients experienced reinfection, and nine had a relapse. Detailed contact investigation identified definite or possible epidemiological links between 21 of 33 cluster patients (64%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis did not identify any risk marker significantly associated with clustering. During a nine-year period, one fourth of tuberculosis cases were grouped in clusters within a selection of 138 HIV-infected patients. This may represent the lowest estimation of recently acquired tuberculosis infection. There were no large institutional or community outbreaks among HIV-infected participants of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗