Monitoring low-value care in medical patients from Swiss university hospitals using a Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) national data stream and patient and public involvement: LUCID study protocol.

Introduction: Healthcare practices providing minimal or no benefit to recipients have been estimated to represent 20% of healthcare costs. However, defining, measuring and monitoring low-value care (LVC) and its downstream consequences remain a major challenge. The purpose of the National Data Stream (LUCID NDS) is to identify and monitor LVC in medical inpatients using routinely collected hospital data.

Protocol for a multicentric, double-blind, randomised controlled trial of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) versus sham for treating vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) in sickle cell disease (SCD) in patients aged 8 years or older (HBOT-SCD study).

Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common genetic diseases in the world, annually affecting approximately 310 000 births and causing >100 000 deaths. Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is the most frequent complication of SCD, leading to bone pain, thoracic pain (acute chest syndrome) and/or abdominal spasms. It is the main cause of mortality in patients with SCD, reducing life expectancy.

[Prophylaxis with proton pump inhibitors in case of corticosteroid therapy: "less is more"].

It is common to routinely prescribe gastric ulcer prophylaxis with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) when administering high-dose glucocorticoids (GC) (> 30 mg/day of prednisone equivalent) or during prolonged time (> 15 days). This routine is due to a risk profile considered safe for PPIs in comparison to the possible severe consequences of developing a gastric ulcer. Given the numerous adverse effects associated with PPIs, it is preferable to question the risk-benefit balance when prescribing them.

Financial impact of medication reviews by clinical pharmacists to reduce in-hospital adverse drug events: a return-on-investment analysis.

Background: Adverse drug events contribute to rising health care costs. Clinical pharmacists can reduce their risks by identifying and solving drug-related problems (DRPs) through medication review.

Aim: To develop an economic model to determine whether medication reviews performed by clinical pharmacists could lead to a reduction in health care costs associated with the prevention of potential adverse drug events.

Validating the accuracy of deep learning for the diagnosis of pneumonia on chest x-ray against a robust multimodal reference diagnosis: a post hoc analysis of two prospective studies.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) seems promising in diagnosing pneumonia on chest x-rays (CXR), but deep learning (DL) algorithms have primarily been compared with radiologists, whose diagnosis can be not completely accurate. Therefore, we evaluated the accuracy of DL in diagnosing pneumonia on CXR using a more robust reference diagnosis.

Methods: We trained a DL convolutional neural network model to diagnose pneumonia and evaluated its accuracy in two prospective pneumonia cohorts including 430 patients, for whom the reference diagnosis was determined a posteriori by a multidisciplinary expert panel using multimodal data.

[Selected novelties for hospital based internal medicine].

In this selective overview of articles, we describe new concepts, therapeutic measures and pharmacological agents that may modify current practice in clinical internal medicine. Novelties for the management of cardiovascular disease, such as heart failure, hypoxemic respiratory failure, nosocomial pneumonia and certain allergies are discussed.

PANDORA dyadic project: hope, spiritual well-being and quality of life of dyads of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Switzerland - a multicentre longitudinal mixed-methods protocol study.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is responsible for 2.9 million deaths annually in Europe. Symptom burden and functional decline rise as patients reach advanced stages of the disease enhancing risk of vulnerability and dependency on informal caregivers (ICs).

Risks and benefits of urinary catheterisation during inpatient diuretic therapy for acute heart failure: a retrospective, non-inferiority, cohort study.

Objectives: Patients with acute congestive heart failure (HF) regularly undergo urinary catheterisation (UC) at hospital admission. We hypothesised that UC has no clinical benefits with regard to weight loss during inpatient diuretic therapy for acute congestive HF and increases the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI).

Design: Retrospective, non-inferiority study.

Validation of sham treatment in hyperbaric medicine: a randomised trial.

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the lowest possible atmospheric pressure in the 111-152 kPa (1.1-1.5 atmospheres absolute [atm abs]) range that would require the patients to equalise their ears, allowing an effective sham for a 203 kPa (2.

[Thiamin: Simply a vitamin?].

Vitamin B1 also known as thiamin is an essential vitamin assuring body functioning and comes exclusively from food. Vitamin B1 deficiency is an under-diagnosed disease because it is less frequently suspected in high income countries. However, its risk factors, like alcohol and malnutrition, are common in the general population.

Potential Role of Sphingolipidoses-Associated Lysosphingolipids in Cancer.

Sphingolipids play a key structural role in cellular membranes and/or act as signaling molecules. Inherited defects of their catabolism lead to lysosomal storage diseases called sphingolipidoses. Although progress has been made toward a better understanding of their pathophysiology, several issues still remain unsolved.

Abdominal pain patterns during COVID-19: an observational study.

Abdominal pain and liver injury have been frequently reported during coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Our aim was to investigate characteristics of abdominal pain in COVID-19 patients and their association with disease severity and liver injury.Data of all COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the first wave in one hospital were retrieved.

Impact of interactive computerised decision support for hospital antibiotic use (COMPASS): an open-label, cluster-randomised trial in three Swiss hospitals.

Background: Computerised decision-support systems (CDSSs) for antibiotic stewardship could help to assist physicians in the appropriate prescribing of antibiotics. However, high-quality evidence for their effect on the quantity and quality of antibiotic use remains scarce. The aim of our study was to assess whether a computerised decision support for antimicrobial stewardship combined with feedback on prescribing indicators can reduce antimicrobial prescriptions for adults admitted to hospital.

Kinetics of inflammatory biomarkers to predict one-year mortality in older patients hospitalized for pneumonia: a multivariable analysis.

Objectives: Long-term mortality is increased in older patients with pneumonia. We aimed to test whether residual inflammation is predictive of one-year mortality after pneumonia.

Methods: Inflammation biomarkers (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, serum amyloid A, neopterin, myeloperoxidase, anti-apolipoprotein A-1, and anti-phosphorylcholine IgM) were measured at admission and discharge in older patients hospitalized for pneumonia in a prospective study.

Therapeutic drug monitoring and clinical outcomes in severely ill patients receiving amoxicillin: a single-centre prospective cohort study.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of β-lactam antibiotics is increasingly used to overcome rising antimicrobial resistance and improve antibiotic exposure. However, there is little guidance on target amoxicillin plasma concentrations. We aimed to define these by evaluating associations between amoxicillin concentrations and clinical outcomes.

LOw-dose CT Or Lung UltraSonography versus standard of care based-strategies for the diagnosis of pneumonia in the elderly: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial (OCTOPLUS).

Introduction: Pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality and a common indication for antibiotic in elderly patients. However, its diagnosis is often inaccurate. We aim to compare the diagnostic accuracy, the clinical and cost outcomes and the use of antibiotics associated with three imaging strategies in patients >65 years old with suspected pneumonia in the emergency room (ER): chest X-ray (CXR, standard of care), low-dose CT scan (LDCT) or lung ultrasonography (LUS).

Accuracy of a score predicting the presence of an atypical pathogen in hospitalized patients with moderately severe community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: Atypical pathogens (AP), present in some patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), are intrinsically resistant to betalactam drugs, the mainstay of empirical antibiotic treatment. Adding antibiotic coverage for AP increases the risk of adverse effects and antimicrobial selection pressure, while withholding such coverage may worsen the prognosis if an AP is causative. A clinical model predicting the presence of AP would allow targeting atypical coverage for patients most likely to benefit.

Improving safety of unfractionated heparin: a retrospective, quasi-experimental, observational study of the impact of a pocket card and a computerised prescription aid tool in the University Hospitals of Geneva.

Background: Despite the rapid rise of direct oral anticoagulants, unfractionated heparin (UFH) remains the mainstay anticoagulant in specific situations such as severe renal failure, perioperative setting or in critical care units. However, its titration is often challenging.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of a pocket card and a computerised prescription aid tool (CPAT) on the quality of UFH anticoagulation.

Eight versus 28-point lung ultrasonography in moderate acute heart failure: a prospective comparative study.

Lung ultrasonography (LUS) is an accurate method of estimating lung congestion but there is ongoing debate on the optimal number of scanning points. The aim of the present study was to compare the reproducibility (i.e.

[Latest progress in internal medicine].

Internal medicine continues de evolve as a result of further insight and evidence for the efficacy of given interventions. Although numerous studies have addressed issues concerning the SARS-COV-2 epidemic, multiple novelties concerning other frequent pathologies have also been presented. Management strategies of cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases and venous thromboembolism are particularly concerned.

Role of Clinical Characteristics and Biomarkers at Admission to Predict One-Year Mortality in Elderly Patients with Pneumonia.

Background: A hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia results in a decrease in long-term survival in elderly patients. We assessed biomarkers at admission to predict one-year mortality in a cohort of elderly patients with pneumonia.

Methods: A prospective observational study included patients >65 years hospitalized with pneumonia.