OxyHbMeter-a novel bedside medical device for monitoring cell-free hemoglobin in the cerebrospinal fluid-proof of principle.

Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) occurs in up to one third of patients suffering from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Untreated, it leads to secondary cerebral infarctions and is frequently associated with death or severe disability. After aneurysm rupture, erythrocytes in the subarachnoid space lyse and liberate free hemoglobin (Hb), a key driver for the development of DCI.

Analysis of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) Parameters in Young Adults after SARS-CoV-2 Infection (COVID-19) Compared with Healthy Young Controls.

Purpose: To compare retinal changes in young adults with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection with healthy young controls using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods: This prospective single-center study was conducted at the University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Participants were imaged from May to November 2021 using the device (Visionix International SAS, Pont-de-l'Arche, France).

Persistence, prevalence, and polymorphism of sequelae after COVID-19 in unvaccinated, young adults of the Swiss Armed Forces: a longitudinal, cohort study (LoCoMo).

Background: Persistent COVID-19 sequelae could have global, public health ramifications. We therefore aimed to describe sequelae presenting more than 180 days after COVID-19-focussing on several organ systems, general health, and laboratory parameters-in non-hospitalised, unvaccinated, young adults.

Methods: We did a longitudinal cohort study of all army bases in Switzerland.

Illness tracking in SARS-CoV-2 tested persons using a smartphone app: a non-interventional, prospective, cohort study.

There are few data on the range and severity of symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection or the impact on life quality in infected, previously healthy, young adults such as Swiss Armed Forces personnel. It is also unclear if an app can be used to remotely monitor symptoms in persons who test positive. Using a smartphone app called ITITP (Illness Tracking in Tested Persons) and weekly pop-up questionnaires, we aimed to evaluate the spectrum, duration, and impact of symptoms reported after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test according to sex, age, location, and comorbidities, and to compare these to responses from persons who tested negative.

Predisposing and Precipitating Risk Factors for Delirium in Elderly Patients Admitted to a Cardiology Ward: An Observational Cohort Study in 1,042 Patients.

Although the risk factors for delirium in general medicine are well-established, their significance in cardiac diseases remains to be determined. Therefore, we evaluated the predisposing and precipitating risk factors in patients hospitalized with acute and chronic heart disease. In this observational cohort study, 1,042 elderly patients (≥65 years) admitted to cardiology wards, 167 with and 875 without delirium, were included.

Expected Costs of Primary Dental Treatments and Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for Odontogenic Sinusitis.

Objectives: Treatment of odontogenic sinusitis (ODS) due to apical periodontitis (AP) is highly successful when both dental treatment and endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) are performed. Variation exists in the literature with regard to types and timing of dental treatments and ESS when managing ODS. This study modeled expected costs of different primary dental and sinus surgical treatment pathways for ODS due to AP.

Economic Impact of Poststroke Delirium and Associated Risk Factors: Findings From a Prospective Cohort Study.

Background And Purpose: Delirium is a common severe complication of stroke. We aimed to determine the cost-of-illness and risk factors of poststroke delirium (PSD).

Methods: This prospective single-center study included n=567 patients with acute stroke from a hospital-wide delirium cohort study and the Swiss Stroke Registry in 2014.

Cerebrospinal fluid hemoglobin drives subarachnoid hemorrhage-related secondary brain injury.

Secondary brain injury after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH-SBI) contributes to poor outcomes in patients after rupture of an intracranial aneurysm. The lack of diagnostic biomarkers and novel drug targets represent an unmet need. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and pathophysiological association between cerebrospinal fluid hemoglobin (CSF-Hb) and SAH-SBI.

A Distinct Cytokine Profile and Stromal Vascular Fraction Metabolic Status without Significant Changes in the Lipid Composition Characterizes Lipedema.

Lipedema is an adipose tissue disorder characterized by the disproportionate increase of subcutaneous fat tissue in the lower and/or upper extremities. The underlying pathomechanism remains unclear and no molecular biomarkers to distinguish the disease exist, leading to a large number of undiagnosed and misdiagnosed patients. To unravel the distinct molecular characteristic of lipedema we performed lipidomic analysis of the adipose tissue and serum of lipedema versus anatomically- and body mass index (BMI)-matched control patients.

Titers of Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Are Independent of Symptoms of Non-Severe COVID-19 in Young Adults.

Neutralizing antibodies are an important part of the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2. It is currently unclear to what extent such antibodies are produced after non-severe disease or asymptomatic infection. We studied a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections among a homogeneous population of 332 predominantly male Swiss soldiers and determined the neutralizing antibody response with a serum neutralization assay using a recombinant SARS-CoV-2-GFP.

Reduced maximal aerobic capacity after COVID-19 in young adult recruits, Switzerland, May 2020.

In March 2020, we observed an outbreak of COVID-19 among a relatively homogenous group of 199 young (median age 21 years; 87% men) Swiss recruits. By comparing physical endurance before and in median 45 days after the outbreak, we found a significant decrease in predicted maximal aerobic capacity in COVID-19 convalescent but not in asymptomatically infected and SARS-CoV-2 naive recruits. This finding might be indicative of lung injury after apparently mild COVID-19 in young adults.

The prevalence rates and adversities of delirium: Too common and disadvantageous.

Objective: The prevalence rates and adversities of delirium have not yet been systematically evaluated and are based on selected populations, limited sample sizes, and pooled studies. Therefore, this study assesses the prevalence rates and outcome of and odds ratios for managing services for delirium.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) 5, the Delirium Observation Screening (DOS) scale, and the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) construct, 28,118 patients from 35 managing services were included, and the prevalence rates and adverse outcomes were determined by simple logistic regressions and their corresponding odds ratios (ORs).

Social Distancing Alters the Clinical Course of COVID-19 in Young Adults: A Comparative Cohort Study.

Background: Social distancing and stringent hygiene seem to be effective in reducing the number of transmitted virus particles, and therefore the infectivity, of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and could alter the mode of transmission of the disease. However, it is not known if such practices can change the clinical course in infected individuals.

Methods: We prospectively studied an outbreak of COVID-19 in Switzerland among a population of 508 predominantly male soldiers with a median age of 21 years.

Determining the Optimal Normalization Factor of Different Target Arteries for ex vivo Vascular Function Experiments: A New Standardized Procedure.

The standardization of resistance vessel preparation is crucial to compare physiologic vascular reactivity under different experimental conditions. Here, we describe a generalizable experimental setup for ex vivo vascular function experiments and their mathematical basis. Porcine basilar arteries and chicken common carotid arteries were isolated post mortem via standardized surgical approaches.

Serum lipidome analysis of healthy beagle dogs receiving different diets.

Introduction: Food and dietary ingredients have significant effects on metabolism and health.

Objective: To evaluate whether and how different diets affected the serum lipidomic profile of dogs.

Methods: Sixteen healthy beagles were fed a commercial dry diet for 3 months (control diet).

Predisposing and precipitating factors for delirium in neurology: a prospective cohort study of 1487 patients.

Introduction: Predisposing and precipitating factors for delirium are well known; however, their interaction and impact on delirium in neurological patients remains largely unknown. Therefore, those factors were evaluated in hospitalized patients with neurological disorders.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 1487 neurological patients were included, 356 patients with delirium and 1131 without delirium.

Haptoglobin administration into the subarachnoid space prevents hemoglobin-induced cerebral vasospasm.

Delayed ischemic neurological deficit (DIND) is a major driver of adverse outcomes in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), defining an unmet need for therapeutic development. Cell-free hemoglobin that is released from erythrocytes into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is suggested to cause vasoconstriction and neuronal toxicity, and correlates with the occurrence of DIND. Cell-free hemoglobin in the CSF of patients with aSAH disrupted dilatory NO signaling ex vivo in cerebral arteries, which shifted vascular tone balance from dilation to constriction.

The predisposing and precipitating risk factors for delirium in neurosurgery: a prospective cohort study of 949 patients.

Background: Delirium is the most common neuropsychiatric presentation during hospitalization. In neurosurgery, studies on predisposing and precipitating risk factors for the development of delirium are rare but required for the individual risk estimation.

Methods: Prospective cohort study in a tertiary university center.

Cell-Free Oxyhemoglobin in Cerebrospinal Fluid After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Biomarker and Potential Therapeutic Target.

Background: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is often complicated by the occurrence of delayed ischemic neurologic deficits (DIND), which impairs the clinical outcome of patients. The release of oxyhemoglobin (oxyHb) from lysing erythrocytes into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may critically contribute to the development of DIND.

Methods: Ventricular CSF of 18 high-grade (Fisher 3 and 4) aSAH patients was sampled daily from external ventricular drains between days 0 and 14 after bleeding.

Depletion of haptoglobin and hemopexin promote hemoglobin-mediated lipoprotein oxidation in sickle cell disease.

Intravascular sickling and lysis of red blood cells, a hallmark feature of sickle cell disease (SCD), releases hemoglobin (Hb) into the circulation. Increased cell-free Hb has been linked to vasculopathy and in vitro lipid oxidation. Scavenger plasma proteins haptoglobin (Hp) and hemopexin (Hpx) can attenuate cell-free Hb and total plasma heme lipid-oxidative capacity but are depleted in SCD.