[Sex workers: when taboos get in the way of care in the emergency department].

In Switzerland, sex work has been legal under certain conditions since 1942, and the number of sex workers in 2011 was estimated at between 14'000 and 20'000 throughout the country, 96% of whom were migrants. These people are exposed to a wide range of vulnerabilities, both because of their profession and because of structural and institutional shortcomings. The complexity of their care has led over time to the creation of specialised structures and units, which are often unknown to healthcare professionals.

[Teaching health equity in the French-speaking part of Switzerland : inventory in 2023].

The theme of health equity was for a long time absent or little addressed in the pre- and postgraduate teaching programs of universities and training university hospitals in Switzerland. This gap has gradually been filled by the development and provision of structured teaching on health equity, adapted to the needs of their target audiences. This article aims to highlight a selection of teachings that have emerged in recent years in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.

[Health equity: an often misused concept].

The use of the concept "health equity" is more and more widespread. It is often considered as a major objective in health policies aimed at improving healthcare for populations in a vulnerable situation. However, the understanding of "health equity" is often subject to confusion and it can be misinterpreted with the concept of "health equality".

[Management of human papillomavirus at the doctor's office : what to do for men ?].

In primary care medicine, doctors may be facing with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related questions regarding prevention, screening or treatment, more so with women than with men. Through three clinical vignettes, this article aims to offer some clinical management recommendations in a primary care setting when HPV-related questions are raised by the male population.

Qualitative evaluation of primary care providers' experiences caring for frequent users of the emergency department.

Objectives: Many interventions have been developed over the years to offer frequent users of the emergency department (FUEDs) better access to quality coordinated healthcare. Despite recognising the role primary care physicians (PCPs) play in FUEDs' care, to date their perceptions of case management, the most studied intervention, have rarely been assessed. Furthermore, a gap regarding PCPs' experience of caring for FUEDs persists.

[Compassion fatigue: an inevitable reality in the context of a pandemic crisis ?].

The pandemic attributed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been responsible since 2019 for the extreme strains put on health and social assistance services across the globe. While factors such as the contagiousness of the virus, the lack of immunity in the general population and the uncertain trajectory of the pandemic contribute to the rise of general anxiety among these professionals, the morbidity and mortality attributed to the virus, the scarcity of material and personnel resources are at high risk of leading to their exhaustion, both physically and mentally. The admirable surge of solidarity, resilience and self-sacrifice shown on a daily basis by these professionals and many others should not obscure the awareness of the mental «cost» of caring.

Epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in Switzerland: a local, exploratory, cross-sectional study.

Female sex workers are often considered highly vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, data on STI epidemiology in female sex workers are lacking in Switzerland. Our main goal was to evaluate the prevalence of six STIs (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and syphilis) among local female sex workers in Lausanne.

[Management of emergency department frequent users].

For decades, emergency departments of hospitals in industrialized countries have been dealing with the challenges of a group of patients responsible for a disproportionate number of emergency room visits : the emergency department frequent users. Although they represent only a minority of all emergency department patients, their healthcare can often be complex if not difficult due to their health vulnerability (e. g.

Implementing a case management intervention for frequent users of the emergency department (I-CaM): an effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial study protocol.

Background: ED overcrowding represents a significant public health problem in developed countries. Frequent users of the emergency departments (FUEDs; reporting 5 or more ED visits in the past year) are often affected by medical, psychological, social, and substance use problems and account for a disproportionately high number of ED visits. Past research indicates that case management (CM) interventions are a promising way to reduce ED overcrowding and improve FUEDs' quality of life.

[It's never too late to be infected with mumps].

Mumps, although rare since the introduction of a systematic vaccination of children in 1981 in Switzerland, occurs principally in children and is uncommon in adults. Nevertheless, it should be considered in adult patients with a typical clinical presentation or with an atypical presentation suggesting the disease. The diagnosis is established based on the clinical presentation and the treatment is symptomatic.

[2016 literature findings in internal general medicine].

Treatment with diclofenac appears to be more effective compared to other NSAIDs in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the large joints. Opioids do not diminish significantly the pain in chronic lower back pain. Degenerative tears of the meniscus, without signs of osteoarthritis, should be treated conservatively.

Characteristics and predictors of mortality among frequent users of an Emergency Department in Switzerland.

Objectives: Frequent Emergency Department (ED) users have an elevated mortality, yet little is known about risk factors. Our aim was to characterize deceased frequent ED users and determine predictors of mortality.

Methods: This is a post-hoc analysis of all-cause mortality among frequent ED users participating in a randomized clinical trial on case management at the Lausanne University Hospital (Switzerland).

Case Management may Reduce Emergency Department Frequent use in a Universal Health Coverage System: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Frequent emergency department (ED) users account for a disproportionately high number of ED visits. Studies on case management (CM) interventions to reduce frequent ED use have shown mixed results, and few studies have been conducted within a universal health coverage system.

Objective: To determine whether a CM intervention-compared to standard emergency care-reduces ED attendance.

Screening of mental health and substance users in frequent users of a general Swiss emergency department.

Background: The objectives of this study were to determine the proportions of psychiatric and substance use disorders suffered by emergency departments' (EDs') frequent users compared to the mainstream ED population, to evaluate how effectively these disorders were diagnosed in both groups of patients by ED physicians, and to determine if these disorders were predictive of a frequent use of ED services.

Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study with concurrent and retrospective data collection. Between November 2009 and June 2010, patients' mental health and substance use disorders were identified prospectively in face-to-face research interviews using a screening questionnaire (i.

[2014 literature findings in internal general medicine].

The usual treatment of venous ulcers may be associated with statins intake. Antibiotics have only marginal utility in acute bronchitis. The prescription of paracetamol seems to have no benefit in the treatment of acute lower back pain.

[Patients forgoing health care for economic reasons: how to identify this in a primary care setting?].

Although the performance of the Swiss health system is high, one out of ten patients in general practitioner's (GP) office declares having foregone care in the previous twelve months for economic reasons. Reasons for foregoing care are several and include a lack of knowledge of existing social aids in getting health insurance, unavailability of GPs and long waiting lists for various types of care. Although long term knowledge of patients or a psychosocial history of deprivation or poverty may help identify individuals at risk of foregoing care, many may remain undetected.

[2013 literature findings in internal general medicine].

The prescribing of antibiotics for uncomplicated skin abscesses and diverticulitis has no benefit. Some antibiotics are more at risk of causing a Clostridium difficile infection. The tests used to exclude a history of a penicillin allergy are safe.