Publications by authors named "Gerber F"

Parsonage-Turner syndrome following monkeypox infection is a rare form of peripheral neuropathy seen in orthopaedic practice and described only once in the literature. We present the case of a man in his 30s with severe shoulder pain and subsequent amyotrophy 2 weeks after monkeypox infection. Our report encompasses the initial findings, radiographic examinations and follow-up over a 6-month period.

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Article Synopsis
  • Miyoshi myopathy (MM) is a rare genetic disorder due to mutations in the dysferlin gene, linked to muscle degeneration and recognized as the same disease as Lower Girdle Muscular Dystrophy R2 (LGMD2B).
  • A 44-year-old male patient started experiencing symptoms at 19, including difficulties with stairs and toe-standing, leading to observable muscle atrophy and walking issues over the years.
  • The diagnosis was confirmed through genetic testing, revealing a mutation in the DYSF gene, and highlights the critical role of genetic diagnostics and the need for further research in muscular dystrophies.*
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Improving access to essential health services requires the development of innovative health service delivery models and their scientific assessment in often large-scale pragmatic trials. In many low- and middle-income countries, lay Community Health Workers (CHWs) play an important role in delivering essential health services. As trusted members of their communities with basic medical training, they may also contribute to health data collection.

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In Lesotho, the hypertension and diabetes care cascades are unknown. We measured awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension and diabetes among adults ≥18 years and identified factors associated with each step of the cascade, based on data from a population-based, cross-sectional survey in 120 randomly sampled clusters in the districts of Butha-Buthe and Mokhotlong from 1st November 2021 to 31st August 2022. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess associations.

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Objectives: Trials within Cohorts (TwiCs) is a pragmatic design approach that may overcome frequent challenges of traditional randomized trials such as slow recruitment, burdensome consent procedures, or limited external validity. This scoping review aims to identify all randomized controlled trials using the TwiCs design and to summarize their design characteristics, ways to obtain informed consent, output, reported challenges and mitigation strategies.

Study Design And Setting: Systematic search of Medline, Embase, Cochrane, trial registries and citation tracking up to December 2022.

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Background: Arterial hypertension (aHT) is a major cause for premature morbidity and mortality. Control rates remain poor, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Task-shifting to lay village health workers (VHWs) and the use of digital clinical decision support systems may help to overcome the current aHT care cascade gaps.

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Objectives: To evaluate the clinical 10 year outcome of patients treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fractures and to determine the incidence of new fractures in this time interval, as well as the mortality of the patients who underwent this procedure.

Methods: All patients undergoing vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fractures between May 2007 until July 2008 were prospectively followed up at 10 years postoperatively. Patients were assessed for radiologic outcome and self-reported outcome parameters (PROs).

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Background: In absence of contraindications, same-day initiation (SDI) of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended for people testing HIV-positive who are ready to start treatment. Until 2021, World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines considered the presence of TB symptoms (presumptive TB) a contraindication to SDI due to the risk of TB-immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS). To reduce TB-IRIS risk, ART initiation was recommended to be postponed until results of TB investigations were available, and TB treatment initiated if active TB was confirmed.

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Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) poses a growing public health burden, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Task-shifting to lay village health workers (VHWs) and the use of digital clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are promising approaches to tackle the current T2D care gap in LMICs. However, evidence on the effectiveness of lay worker-led T2D care models, in which VHWs initiate and monitor drug treatment in addition to community-based screening and referral services, is lacking.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVDRFs) in Lesotho, where recent data was lacking, by conducting a cross-sectional survey among over 6,000 adults aged 18 and older across multiple districts.
  • - Results showed significant rates of CVDRFs: 39.9% were overweight, 5.3% had diabetes, 21.6% faced elevated blood pressure, and 24.9% used tobacco, with women more likely to have multiple risk factors.
  • - The findings highlight the high prevalence of CVDRFs in Lesotho, emphasizing the urgent need for improved prevention and care programs in the region.
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Background: Avoiding patella baja or alta after the Krackow suture technique for distal avulsion fractures of the patella can be challenging. We aim to introduce a simple and reproducible technique using a 30-degree radiolucent triangle involving the contralateral knee to ensure the correct positioning of the patella intraoperatively.

Method: The radiolucent triangle is positioned under the contralateral knee before operating the injured knee.

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Fracture-related infection is a feared complication of trauma surgery with potentially major repercussions on quality of life and healthcare systems. Its management is based on two pillars: a radical surgical debridement along with a targeted long-term antibiotic therapy based on multiple deep tissue samples obtained during the chosen surgical procedure. Multidisciplinary management and early diagnosis are essential for treatment success.

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Background: Acute appendicitis is the most frequent surgical emergency in the paediatric population. Complicated appendicitis accounts for 30% of cases and is inextricably linked to postoperative infectious complications. A study at our institution showed that amoxicillin-clavulanate resistant Escherichia coli in complicated appendicitis was significantly linked to postoperative infectious complications.

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Background: Arterial hypertension (aHT) is the leading cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor in sub-Saharan Africa; it remains, however, underdiagnosed, and undertreated. Community-based care services could potentially expand access to aHT diagnosis and treatment in underserved communities. In this scoping review, we catalogued, described, and appraised community-based care models for aHT in sub-Saharan Africa, considering their acceptability, engagement in care and clinical outcomes.

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The brown tumour (osteitis fibrosa cystica) is a rare, non-neoplastic, expansively growing lesion containing giant cells. Hyperparathyroidism (hyperparathyroidism [HPT]) leads to the development of a brown tumour in 2 to 3 percent of cases. This can manifest itself in any part of the skeleton.

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Background: In Côte d'Ivoire, just as in the majority of developing countries, rabies cases are underestimated. The official data are based on passive surveillance studies which cannot provide true estimates. Therefore, the economic and health burden of rabies is underestimated.

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Polypharmacy and inappropriate prescription are frequent in vulnerable and multi-morbid populations. Adults with intellectual disability (ID) are at risk of being polymedicated because they often present with multiple comorbidities and challenging behaviors. The objective of this study was thus to evaluate the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) and polypharmacy in a hospital unit dedicated to adults with ID.

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Aims: The management of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is challenging. The correct antibiotic management remains elusive due to differences in epidemiology and resistance between countries, and reports in the literature. Before the efficacy of surgical treatment is investigated, it is crucial to analyze the bacterial strains causing PJI, especially for patients in whom no organisms are grown.

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Social vulnerability refers to the ways in which an individual is at risk of being victimised. The Test of Interpersonal Competences and Personal Vulnerability [TICPV] is an Australian assessment tool designed for adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) [Wilson et al. (1996).

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Background: There are a number of factors that influence blood loss during and after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and revision TKA (rTKA). The purpose of this study was to provide a factorial assessment that would aid surgeons in managing expected blood loss in rTKA, when compared to TKA. The first question asked was the blood loss and transfusions between TKA and rTKA and the second question was risk factors for blood loss after rTKA.

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Objectives: Adults with an intellectual disability (AWID) are often polymedicated because of somatic and psychiatric health problems. Besides, they may display challenging behaviours, leading to off-label prescription of psychotropic drugs, without efficacy and with numerous adverse effects. In this context, a prescription/deprescription tool (Tool for Optimising Prescription in Intellectual Disability/TOP-ID) was developed to improve the care of AWID.

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Rabies affects more than 150 countries worldwide. Côte d'Ivoire is one of the rabies-endemic countries that has recorded deaths every year since 2006. The evolution of these deaths is almost constant with an average of 18 annual deaths (annual incidence = 0.

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