The Effect of Albumin Administration in Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Single-Center Analysis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the development of albumin administration in patients admitted to the adult ICU. In addition, we assessed the impact of albumin administration on serum hemoglobin concentration.

Design: We conducted a retrospective single-center study including all patients who were admitted to the ICU from January 2013 to December 2021 and stayed at least 24 hours.

Multilingual RECIST classification of radiology reports using supervised learning.

Objectives: The objective of this study is the exploration of Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing techniques to support the automatic assignment of the four Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) scales based on radiology reports. We also aim at evaluating how languages and institutional specificities of Swiss teaching hospitals are likely to affect the quality of the classification in French and German languages.

Methods: In our approach, 7 machine learning methods were evaluated to establish a strong baseline.

Enhancement of the haemostatic effect of platelets in the presence of high normal concentrations of von Willebrand factor for critically ill patients needing platelet transfusion-a protocol for the will-plate randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: von Willebrand Factor (vWF) is a key protein mediating platelet adhesion on the surface of damaged endothelia. To the best of our knowledge, no trial exists that investigated the effect of platelet transfusion in combination with the administration of balanced vWF in severe blood loss, despite being widely used in clinical practice. The Basel Will-Plate study will investigate the impact of the timely administration of balanced vWF (1:1 vWF and FVIII) in addition to platelet transfusion on the need for blood and coagulation factor transfusion in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) who suffer from severe bleeding.

Performance of a deep learning tool to detect missed aortic dilatation in a large chest CT cohort.

Purpose: Thoracic aortic (TA) dilatation (TAD) is a risk factor for acute aortic syndrome and must therefore be reported in every CT report. However, the complex anatomy of the thoracic aorta impedes TAD detection. We investigated the performance of a deep learning (DL) prototype as a secondary reading tool built to measure TA diameters in a large-scale cohort.

Structure-based prediction of BRAF mutation classes using machine-learning approaches.

The BRAF kinase is attracting a lot of attention in oncology as alterations of its amino acid sequence can constitutively activate the MAP kinase signaling pathway, potentially contributing to the malignant transformation of the cell but at the same time rendering it sensitive to targeted therapy. Several pathologic BRAF variants were grouped in three different classes (I, II and III) based on their effects on the protein activity and pathway. Discerning the class of a BRAF mutation permits to adapt the treatment proposed to the patient.

Does the age of packed red blood cells, donor sex or sex mismatch affect the sublingual microcirculation in critically ill intensive care unit patients? A secondary interpretation of a retrospective analysis.

In vitro studies have thoroughly documented age-dependent impact of storage lesions in packed red blood cells (pRBC) on erythrocyte oxygen carrying capacity. While studies have examined the effect of pRBC age on patient outcome only few data exist on the microcirculation as their primary site of action. In this secondary analysis we examined the relationship between age of pRBC and changes of microcirculatory flow (MCF) in 54 patients based on data from the Basel Bedside assessment Microcirculation Transfusion Limit study (BaMiTraL) on effects of pRBC on sublingual MCF.

Atri-U: assisted image analysis in routine cardiovascular magnetic resonance volumetry of the left atrium.

Background: Artificial intelligence can assist in cardiac image interpretation. Here, we achieved a substantial reduction in time required to read a cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) study to estimate left atrial volume without compromising accuracy or reliability. Rather than deploying a fully automatic black-box, we propose to incorporate the automated LA volumetry into a human-centric interactive image-analysis process.

Fully automated guideline-compliant diameter measurements of the thoracic aorta on ECG-gated CT angiography using deep learning.

Background: Manually performed diameter measurements on ECG-gated CT-angiography (CTA) represent the gold standard for diagnosis of thoracic aortic dilatation. However, they are time-consuming and show high inter-reader variability. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the accuracy of measurements of a deep learning-(DL)-algorithm in comparison to those of radiologists and evaluated measurement times (MT).

Impact of Hyponatremia after Renal Transplantation on Decline of Renal Function, Graft Loss and Patient Survival: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Hyponatremia is one of the most common electrolyte disorders observed in hospitalized and ambulatory patients. Hyponatremia is associated with increased falls, fractures, prolonged hospitalisation and mortality. The clinical importance of hyponatremia in the renal transplant field is not well established, so the aim of this study was to determine the relationships between hyponatremia and mortality as main outcome and renal function decline and graft loss as secondary outcome among a prospective cohort of renal transplant recipients.

Demographic, psychosocial and health disparities between living and deceased renal allograft recipients in Switzerland.

Background: Living donor renal transplantation is widely performed in Switzerland with a superior long-term outcome and lower waiting time compared with deceased renal transplantation. However the chances of receiving a living donor kidney transplant are not the same for all transplant candidates. The current study aimed to identify psychosocial and demographic characteristics that predict lower access to living kidney donation in Switzerland.

Dialysis after graft loss: a Swiss experience.

Background: Patients returning to dialysis after graft loss have high early morbidity and mortality.

Methods: We used data from the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study to describe the current practice and outcomes in Switzerland. All patients who received a renal allograft between May 2008 and December 2014 were included.

Impact of Aneurysm Multiplicity on Treatment and Outcome After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background: One-third of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) have multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIA).

Objective: To determine the predictors of outcome in aSAH patients with MIA compared to aSAH patients with a single intracranial aneurysm (SIA).

Methods: The Swiss Study of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage dataset 2009-2014 was used to evaluate outcome in aSAH patients with MIA compared to patients with SIA with the aid of descriptive and multivariate regression analysis.

Low 5-year cumulative incidence of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders after solid organ transplantation in Switzerland.

Background: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a potentially life-threatening complication of transplantation occurring in the setting of immunosuppression and oncogenic viral infections. However, little is known about the cumulative incidence, histological subtypes, risk determinants and outcome of PTLD in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients in Switzerland.

Methods: This retrospective observational study investigated adult SOT recipients from two sequential cohorts, the pre-SCTS (Swiss Transplant Cohort Study) series, with data collected from January 1986 to April 2008, and the STCS series, with data collected from May 2008 to December 2014 in Switzerland.

Factors associated with clinical and radiological status on admission in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Grading scales yield objective measure of the severity of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and serve as to guide treatment decisions and for prognostication. The purpose of this cohort study was to determine what factors govern a patient's disease-specific admission scores in a representative Central European cohort. The Swiss Study of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage includes anonymized data from all tertiary referral centers serving subarachnoid hemorrhage patients in Switzerland.

Predictors of Occurrence and Anatomic Distribution of Multiple Aneurysms in Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background: The literature on multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIA) in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) focuses largely on risk factor analysis and consists essentially of retrospective cohort studies of limited sample size, or studies in populations outside Europe and North America. The purpose of this cohort study was to identify predictors for aneurysm multiplicity and to investigate the anatomic distribution of MIA in a representative Western cohort of patients with aSAH.

Methods: The Swiss Study of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SOS) database includes anonymized data from all tertiary neurovascular facilities in Switzerland.

GABA metabolism and its role in gamma-band oscillatory activity during auditory processing: An MRS and EEG study.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate are believed to have inhibitory and exhibitory neuromodulatory effects that regulate the brain's response to sensory perception. Furthermore, frequency-specific synchronization of neuronal excitability within the gamma band (30-80 Hz) is attributable to a homeostatic balance between excitation and inhibition. However, our understanding of the physiological mechanism underlying gamma rhythms is based on animal models.

Surveillance of Physicians Causing Potential Drug-Drug Interactions in Ambulatory Care: A Pilot Study in Switzerland.

Objectives: We analysed potential drug-drug interactions (DDI) in ambulatory care in Switzerland based on claims data from three large health insurers in 2010 to identify physicians with peculiar prescription behaviour differing from peers of the same specialty.

Methods: We analysed contraindicated or potentially contraindicated DDI from the national drug formulary and calculated for each physician the ratios of the number of patients with a potential DDI divided by the number of patients at risk and used a zero inflated binomial distribution to correct for the inflated number of observations with no DDI. We then calculated the probability that the number of caused potential DDI of physicians was unlikely (p-value < 0.

Cancer-related therapies at the end of life in hospitalized cancer patients from four Swiss cantons: SAKK 89/09.

The use of cancer-related therapies in cancer patients hospitalized at the end of life has increased in many countries over time. Given the scarcity of published Swiss data, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of hospital type and other factors on the delivery of health care during the last month before death. Claims data were used to assess health care utilization of cancer patients (identified by cancer registry data of four participating Swiss cantons) who deceased between 2006 and 2008.

Delivery of health care at the end of life in cancer patients of four swiss cantons: a retrospective database study (SAKK 89/09).

Background: The use of cancer related therapy in cancer patients at the end-of-life has increased over time in many countries. Given a lack of published Swiss data, the objective of this study was to describe delivery of health care during the last month before death of cancer patients.

Methods: Claims data were used to assess health care utilization of cancer patients (identified by cancer registry data of four participating cantons), deceased between 2006-2008.

In touch but not up-to-date: ambulatory visits and vaccination status in a cohort of young Swiss children.

Objective: Incomplete and delayed vaccination is a barrier to individual and population protection from vaccine-preventable diseases. We aimed to assess visit frequency and pattern in relation to vaccination status in a Swiss cohort of 2-year-old children in order to review opportunities for completion of scheduled immunizations.

Method: A retrospective dynamic cohort study design involving children insured with a single health insurer in Switzerland was chosen.

[Iron substitution in outpatients in Switzerland: Increase of costs associated with intravenous administration].

Iron anaemia and iron-deficient erythropoiesis are treated with oral iron supplements. For chronic haemodialysis or in the case of therapy failure or intolerance to oral iron therapy, intravenous supplements are administered. The costs of iron supplements borne by statutory health care insurance had strongly increased during the observation period from 2006 to 2010.

2D motion analysis of rabbits after Achilles tendon rupture repair and histological analysis of extracted tendons: can the number of animals be reduced by operating both hind legs simultaneously?

Background: Considering the 3Rs principle in animal experiments, there is a demand to perform research experiments with the fewest number of animals possible while warranting the welfare of the animals. Orthopaedic experimental studies involving operations on the hind legs of rabbits are either performed on one hind leg with the second hind leg serving as control or on both hind legs simultaneously (control: rabbits with no operations at all).

Methods: The Achilles tendon of rabbits was transected and sutured, and the two-dimensional motion pattern of animals having only one leg operated was compared to rabbits having both hind legs operated (control: non-treated animals).

A shift from oral to intravenous iron supplementation therapy is observed over time in a large swiss cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: In 2007, leading international experts in the field of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) recommended intravenous (IV) iron supplements over oral (PO) ones because of superior effectiveness and better tolerance. We aimed to determine the percentage of patients with IBD undergoing iron therapy and to assess the dynamics of iron prescription habits (IV versus PO).

Methods: We analyzed anonymized data on patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis extracted from the Helsana database.

Timing of measles immunization and effective population vaccine coverage.

Objective: To describe measles vaccination patterns in a cohort of Swiss children aged up to 3 years insured with a single health insurer.

Methods: A dynamic cohort study evaluating measles immunizations patterns in children born between 2006 and 2008 was conducted. Time-to-event analysis was used to describe timing of measles immunization.