Alumni, radiographers, clinical placement tutors and industry insights about current radiographers practice, competences and autonomy in western Switzerland.

Introduction: Radiographers' profession is constantly evolving, which demands adaptation of education and training programs to build up medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals (MIRTPs) that provide healthcare to improve patient experience and outcomes. This study aimed to map radiographers' practices, competences, and autonomy level in Western Switzerland.

Methods: Data was collected by 2 cross-sectional online surveys targeting Alumni, radiographers, clinical placement tutors and medical imaging equipment specialists from industry, with opened and closed-end questions.

Plain radiography has a role to play in current clinical practice in Western Switzerland.

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the current role of conventional radiography examinations in Western Switzerland and the main clinical indications required to justify the use of this imaging examination.

Methods: Ethical approval was obtained from Vaud Ethics committee (Ref 2020-00311). An online questionnaire was specifically designed and implemented on the data collection tool LimeSurvey composed of two parts: a) to characterise the participants' profile and their institutions and b) 169 projections for the different anatomical area (upper and lower limbs, pelvis, skull, spine, thorax, abdomen) were presented to collect data about the frequency and main clinical indications.

Strategies, challenges and enabling factors when imaging autistic individuals in Swiss medical imaging departments.

Introduction: Autistic individuals may require medical imaging but they can face barriers that are related to lack of adjustments in their care. This study aims to explore and understand strategies currently used by Swiss radiographers to image autistic patients and to propose recommendations for clinical practice.

Methods: The Swiss Ethics of the canton of Vaud committee approved the study.

Optimism bias and its relation to scenario valence, gender, sociality, and insecure attachment.

Optimism bias refers to the tendency to display unjustified high/low expectations of future positive/negative events. This study asked 202 participants to estimate the likelihood of 96 different events. We investigated optimism biases for both oneself and the general population, and how these biases are influenced by gender, valence of the event, sociality of the event, as well as attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance.

Acoustic to electric pitch comparisons in cochlear implant subjects with residual hearing.

The aim of this study was to assess the frequency-position function resulting from electric stimulation of electrodes in cochlear implant subjects with significant residual hearing in their nonimplanted ear. Six cochlear implant users compared the pitch of the auditory sensation produced by stimulation of an intracochlear electrode to the pitch of acoustic pure tones presented to their contralateral nonimplanted ear. Subjects were implanted with different Clarion electrode arrays, designed to lie close to the inner wall of the cochlea.

Non-invasive ventilation in the recovery room for postoperative respiratory failure: a feasibility study.

Background: Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has become a standard of care in acute respiratory failure. However, little data is available on its usefulness in recovery ward patients after general surgery. The present study aimed to document the feasibility of implementing NIV in this setting, and its impact on lung function.

Channel interactions with high-rate biphasic electrical stimulation in cochlear implant subjects.

Channel interactions were assessed using high-rate stimulation in cochlear implant subjects using the Ineraid electrode array. Stimulation currents were applied on one intracochlear electrode and their effects on psychophysical detection thresholds on an adjacent electrode were measured. Stimuli were trains of brief, biphasic, 50-micros/phase pulses presented at a rate of 2000 pulses per second per channel.

The information network of senior citizens in Geneva, Switzerland, and progress in flu vaccination coverage between 1991 and 2000.

Switzerland has lagged behind other industrialized countries in increasing vaccination coverage against flu in the elderly population. The information campaign "United against Flu", started in Geneva in 1993, gradually extended to other French and Italian speaking cantons in Switzerland and indirectly affected German-speaking cantons. Activities developed include the production of TV spots, press conferences, information forwarded to health professionals, an Internet site and information material such as leaflets and posters to risk groups.

Evolution of the anaesthetic workload--the French experience.

The use of anaesthesia has shown major growth during the period 1975-1985. Increases safety in anaesthesia safety have permitted its use in surgery and in other exploratory procedures involving older patients and those with more severe clinical conditions. A survey, designed by the French Society of Anaesthesiologists, collected and analysed data relating to anaesthesia performed in France in 1996 from a representative sample collected in all French hospitals and clinics; the results of this survey were compared with an earlier survey performed in 1980.

Effects of the acoustical dynamic range on speech recognition with cochlear implants.

The amplitude compression function in a speech processor for cochlear implants maps the wide acoustical dynamic range of sounds into the smaller electrical dynamic range available on the implanted electrodes. In this study, we examined the effects of systematic variations of the acoustical dynamic range of the compression function on speech recognition with cochlear implants. Statistical measures of the amplitude distribution of speech sounds were made in each channel of a research speech processor providing more than 50 dB of input signal-to-noise ratio.

Randomised controlled trial of three day versus 10 day intravenous antibiotics in acute pyelonephritis: effect on renal scarring.

Background: Acute pyelonephritis often leaves children with permanent renal scarring.

Aims: To compare the prevalence of scarring following initial treatment with antibiotics administered intravenously for 10 or three days.

Methods: In a prospective two centre trial, 220 patients aged 3 months to 16 years with positive urine culture and acute renal lesions on initial DMSA scintigraphy, were randomly assigned to receive intravenous ceftriaxone (50 mg/kg once daily) for 10 or three days, followed by oral cefixime (4 mg/kg twice daily) to complete a 15 day course.

Within-patient longitudinal speech reception measures with continuous interleaved sampling processors for ineraid implanted subjects.

Objective: To assess within-subject changes in speech reception over time in a group of Ineraid subjects fitted with continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) wearable processors fabricated in Geneva. To compare asymptotic performance between CIS and Ineraid processors for the same subjects.

Design: Twelve patients, all users of the 4-channel Ineraid cochlear implant system for several years and with no previous experience of CIS processors in daily life, were equipped with Geneva Wearable Processors programmed to implement a high-rate CIS sound processing strategy using four to six channels.

Wilms' tumor in the adult--report of a case and review of the literature.

Wilms' tumor is rare in adults. Its histology, grading and staging are identical to those in children. Investigators agree on a combined modality approach in the treatment of adult Wilms' tumor (AWT), but differ on how aggressive it should be.

Recombinant human erythropoietin as adjuvant treatment for autologous blood donation in elective surgery with large blood needs (> or = 5 units): a randomized study.

Background: Autologous blood transfusion presents no infectious or immunologic side effects. The aim of this randomized study was to determine the impact of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) on the donation of 5 units of autologous blood by nonanemic patients who were candidates for elective surgery with transfusion requirements of > or = 5 units.

Study Design And Methods: Starting on Day -35, 420 mL of blood was taken weekly.

Are younger children at highest risk of renal sequelae after pyelonephritis?

Background: The general belief about the relation between risk of renal sequelae after pyelonephritis and age is that infants are at highest risk and children older than 5 years at lower risk. This assumption has led to differences in treatment based on age. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the occurrence of renal lesions in children aged 0-16 years.

Should a pilot suffering from Ménière's disease be grounded or lifted off to the moon?

Recently, a pilot suffering from Ménière's disease was referred to our department. The decision concerning his ability to fly was made after an open discussion with him and his employer. He was allowed to fly during a period of remission.

Corticosteroid therapy for the treatment of acute attacks of crystal-induced arthritis: an effective alternative to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.

To evaluate glucocorticoids as an alternative to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs in patients with crystal-induced arthritis, a study was conducted in 27 patients with acute attacks of gout or chondrocalcinosis. Patients with contraindications to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug therapy were given either a single intramuscular injection of 7 mg betamethasone (group B, n = 10) or, if they were receiving anticoagulant therapy, a single intravenous injection of 125 mg methylprednisolone (group C, n = 7). The remaining patients (group A, n = 10) were given diclofenac in a dosage of 150 mg per day for three days then 75 mg per day for three days.

Ossiculoplasty by interposition of a minor columella between the tympanic membrane and stapes head.

This study analyzes short- and long-term results of 436 ossiculoplasties accomplished by a minor columella sculptured in the remnants of the incus and placed between the tympanic membrane and stapes head. Most cases were operated on by a transcanal approach through an ear speculum, under local anesthesia. Cases in which an associated mastoidectomy was performed to remove diseased tissue are excluded.

Operative injury to the hepatic artery. Consequences of a biliary-enteric anastomosis and principles for rational management.

Although the interruption of the hepatic arterial flow usually is well tolerated, this is not always the case, and it is important to predict in which circumstances complications are likely to occur. The main determinants that should guide the surgeon confronted with this problem are (1) whether the portal circulation is normal, (2) whether structures carrying collateral blood supply have been interrupted, and (3) whether some form of biliary reconstruction is needed. We present our experience with three patients in whom the hepatic artery was damaged at operation as examples of how this injury can be dealt with in practice and discuss the measures to prevent or treat the complications that developed.

The sandwich epicranial flaps.

Sandwich epicranial flaps are prefabricated composite flaps that have multiple uses in reconstructing the middle and the lower facial region. Sandwich epicranial flaps always comprise the galea and a full-thickness skin graft; they may, in addition, include the temporal muscle and a fragment of parietal bone. According to their composition, four types of sandwich epicranial flaps are described.

Speech recognition with a CIS strategy for the ineraid multichannel cochlear implant.

Wilson et al. proposed a new sound-processing strategy for multichannel cochlear implants, the Continuous Interleaved Sampling (CIS) strategy. Their study was performed on seven American patients, selected for their excellent performance with the Ineraid multichannel cochlear implant, and involved refined testing of several parameter modifications of the CIS strategy during a 1-week period.

First field trials with a portable CIS processor for the Ineraid multichannel cochlear implant.

The continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) strategy is a promising sound processing strategy for multichannel cochlear implants which provides immediate improvements in speech recognition when tested on Ineraid users: patients with only a few hours of experience (in laboratory testing) with the CIS strategy score better than with the Ineraid prosthesis they used since they, were implanted. The goal of this study was to evaluate the benefits that can be gained by the use of the new strategy in every day life. Two patients, implanted with the Ineraid multichannel cochlear implant, were equipped with a portable numerical processor programmed to implement a high rate CIS strategy.