An effect of the COVID-19 pandemic: Significantly more complicated appendicitis due to delayed presentation of patients!

Aims Of The Study: The novel coronavirus pandemic has affected emergency department consultations for surgical pathologies. The aim of our study was to compare the number of acute appendicitis cases and the proportion of complicated appendicitis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all data collected from a multi-center database of patients presenting to the emergency department for acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 12 to June 6, 2020, and compared these data with those from the same periods in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Neurogenic appendicopathy: an underestimated disease-systematic review of the literature.

Purpose: Appendectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgeries worldwide, but neurogenic appendicopathy (NA) remains a poorly understood disease with controversial clinical management. The aim of this review was to obtain a clear definition of the disease and summarize its management.

Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature on NA in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases from inception to 19/01/2021 according to PRISMA statement standards.

Removal of an osteointegrated broken uncemented femoral stem after hip arthroplasty-technical note.

Broken stems are particularly challenging in revision hip arthroplasty, as no standard extraction instruments fit anymore. Well-integrated uncemented stem remnants can be particularly arduous to remove. Stem fatigue failure is not rare with modular stems.

Application of the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey in three national languages in Switzerland: Exploratory factor analysis and Mokken scale analysis.

Vaccine hesitancy (VH) is a complex and context-specific phenomenon that is linked to under-immunization and poses challenges to immunization programs. The Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) is an instrument developed to measure VH. We translated the PACV into three languages (German, French and Italian) and administered it to 1388 Swiss parents.

Perforated Meckel's Diverticulitis in a Patient with Unknown Intestinal Malrotation: Clinical Pitfall.

Symptomatic Meckel's diverticulum is rare in adults. The most frequent complications are intestinal obstruction and diverticulitis. Diagnosis of Meckel's diverticulitis can be challenging due to nonspecific clinical manifestation of pain in the right lower abdominal quadrant, mimicking acute appendicitis.

Influence of ceftriaxone on human bone cell viability and in vitro mineralization potential is concentration- and time-dependent.

Aims: In orthopaedic and trauma surgery, implant-associated infections are increasingly treated with local application of antibiotics, which allows a high local drug concentration to be reached without eliciting systematic adverse effects. While ceftriaxone is a widely used antibiotic agent that has been shown to be effective against musculoskeletal infections, high local concentrations may harm the surrounding tissue. This study investigates the acute and subacute cytotoxicity of increasing ceftriaxone concentrations as well as their influence on the osteogenic differentiation of human bone progenitor cells.

Symptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis in the presence of a persistent primary hypoglossal artery.

Objectives: Anatomic variations of the extracranial carotid artery are rare. Persistent primitive hypoglossal artery appears with a reported incidence between 0.03% and 0.

The anatomy and function of a bilateral accessory flexor digitorum superficialis muscle: A case report and review of literature.

Anatomical variations of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) include variations of the muscle belly and/or tendon. We present a case of a bilateral accessory FDS muscle and tendon. Dissection was performed in a male specimen (56 years), where an unusual variation was found: a bilateral accessory FDS muscle and tendon.

Systematic review of pneumothoraces after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Aims Of The Study: Pneumothoraces after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are an uncommon but potentially lethal complication. Little evidence is available on their epidemiology, diagnosis and therapy. We aimed to evaluate current practices and provide recommendations.

Determinants of vaccine hesitancy in Switzerland: study protocol of a mixed-methods national research programme.

Introduction: Vaccine hesitancy is a complex public health issue referring to concerns about the safety, efficacy or need for vaccination. Relatively little is known about vaccine hesitancy in Switzerland. This ongoing study (2017-2021) focuses on biomedical and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers and their patients since healthcare professionals play important roles in vaccination decision-making.

Swiss Delphi study on iron deficiency.

Aims Of The Study: Iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) are important conditions affecting a large proportion of the general population, causing the patients physical and psychosomatic symptoms, particularly fatigue, and significantly affecting their quality of life. General practitioners (GPs) are frequently consulted with nonspecific symptoms due to the ID. However, little evidence is available to guide iron treatment.

Updated recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of plasma cell myeloma in Switzerland.

This update on plasma cell myeloma has been elaborated by a Swiss expert panel as a result of the plethora of new data on the treatment of plasma cell myeloma reported recently. It adds new insights to the more extensive review that was published 3 years ago and may help clinicians on decision making for their patients. The new recommendations for distinguishing plasma cell myeloma from smouldering myeloma are briefly presented, including a section on contemporary imaging studies with this respect.

Surfactants: Role in biofilm management and cellular behaviour.

Appropriate and effective wound cleaning represents an important process that is necessary for preparing the wound for improved wound healing and for helping to dislodge biofilms. Wound cleaning is of paramount importance to wound bed preparation for helping to enhance wound healing. Surfactant applications in wound care may represent an important area in the cleaning continuum.

study of new combinations for local antibiotic therapy with calcium sulphate - Near constant release of ceftriaxone offers new treatment options.

Introduction: Local application of antibiotics provides high concentrations at the site of interest, with minimal systemic toxicity. Carrier materials might help manage dead space. Calcium sulphate (CaSO) has a dissolution time that only slightly exceeds the usually recommended duration of systemic antibiotic treatments.

Prevalence and quantification of contamination of knitted cotton outer gloves during hip and knee arthroplasty surgery.

Introduction: Knitted cotton outer gloves offer protection against surgical glove perforation and provide improved grip on instruments. These gloves absorb blood and other fluids during surgery, and may therefore also accumulate contaminating bacteria. To date, there is no published data on microbial contamination of such gloves during surgery.

Tolerance of Biofilms to Antimicrobials and Significance to Antibiotic Resistance in Wounds.

A biofilm is a community of microorganisms that adhere to each other and to surfaces and secrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) encasing themselves in a matrix. Biofilms are a major healthcare concern, as they can form on medical devices leading to infection. Additionally, there is growing evidence to show their ability to form in chronic wounds, which leads to delayed wound healing and inflammation.

The role of FDG PET/CT in therapy control of aortic graft infection.

Purpose: F-FDG PET/CT (PET/CT) is a useful tool for the diagnosis of aortic graft infection (AGI), but has rarely been used to influence therapeutic decisions during follow-up. We aimed to study the role of PET/CT in the long-term monitoring of patients.

Methods: Participants of the prospective Vascular Graft Infection Cohort Study (VASGRA) were included if they had microbiologically proven AGI.

Mode of action of poloxamer-based surfactants in wound care and efficacy on biofilms.

Surfactants are widely used as detergents, emulsifiers, wetting agents, foaming agents, and dispersants in both the food and oil industry. Their use in a clinical setting is also common, particularly in wound care. Complicated or chronic wounds show clinical signs of delayed healing, persistent inflammation, and the production of non-viable tissue.

Role of anaerobes in polymicrobial communities and biofilms complicating diabetic foot ulcers.

Infected tissues in the feet of people with diabetes in the form of a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) present a complex pathology for clinicians to manage. This is partly attributed to the multi-factorial nature of the disease, which may include; altered foot architecture leading to excessive plantar pressures and frictional forces peripheral arterial disease and loss of protective sensation. In addition, to the above co-morbid variables, it is understood that a delayed wound healing state may be perpetuated by the presence of microorganisms residing in the wound tissue.

Correction to: Catheter retention as a consequence rather than a cause of unfavorable outcome in candidemia.

In the original publication the members of the FUNGINOS network were provided in such a way that they could not be indexed as collaborators on PubMed.

Surfactants and their role in wound cleansing and biofilm management.

Surfactants are widely used as detergents, emulsifiers, wetting agents, foaming agents and dispersants in the cosmetics, hygiene, food and oil industries. Their use in a clinical setting is also common, particularly within the field of wound care. Many wound cleansers contain surfactants and subsequently there is available data that shows the growing potential of these wound cleansers in the enhancement of wound closure.