Swiss medical weekly最新文献

{"title":"Evolution of thyroid surgery: unravelling complications from the 1930s to the modern era - a retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Aline Amsler, Mirjam Meier, Gaspare Foderà, Karl Krüsi, Peter Nussberger, Fahim Ebrahimi, Alexander Kutz, Gabor Szinnai, Emanuel Christ","doi":"10.57187/4390","DOIUrl":"10.57187/4390","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Study aims: </strong>At the beginning of the 20th century, iodine deficiency was prevalent and goitre was a frequent indication for thyroid surgery. At that time, the hospital in Riehen (Switzerland) was an established centre for thyroid surgery. This study investigates the specific complications associated with thyroid surgery over time.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An analysis of thyroidectomy data from two retrospective cohorts of the Riehen hospital was performed for two decades: 1930-1939 (shortly after the start of salt iodination in Switzerland) and 1970-1979 (salt iodination well established). Demographics, clinical and surgical characteristics, and postoperative complications were compared. The primary endpoint included the rate of mortality, Chvostek tetany and recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries. We also compared last-century data with modern-era data consisting of Swiss diagnosis-related group (DRG) data on thyroidectomies for the years 2011-2015 and EUROCRINE registry data for the year 2024 (including data of endocrine surgical interventions from the five largest Swiss surgical centres).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 3280 thyroidectomies analysed (1826 for 1930-1939 and 1454 for 1970-1979), the 1930s cohort was younger (mean age: 37.3 years, standard deviation (SD): 11.1 years vs 49.9 years, SD: 13.2 years; p <0.01) and more predominantly female (85.5% vs 83.1%; p <0.01). Compared to the 1930s, in the 1970s the weight of the resected thyroid gland had decreased (mean thyroid weight: 141.2 g, SD: 99.9 g vs 107 g, SD: 89.3 g; p <0.01) and there were lower rates of recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries (16% vs 4.2%; p <0.01) and Chvostek tetanies (6.1% vs 1%; p = 0.01). Modern-era data indicate a lower thyroidectomy mortality rate than in the 1970s.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The reduction in complications following thyroidectomy over time seems to be multifactorial. While iodine supplementation and a decrease in goitre size played a role in the Riehen cohorts, advancements in surgical skills and perioperative management may also have contributed to the even more favourable outcomes in the modern era.</p>","PeriodicalId":22111,"journal":{"name":"Swiss medical weekly","volume":"156 ","pages":"4390"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147654922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Incidence and sociodemographic factors of mechanical restraints in the emergency department: a retrospective single-centre Swiss cohort.","authors":"Basil Ryser, Nadine Hollenstein, Simone Blunier, Susanne Eichenberger, Aristomenis Exadaktylos, Monika Brodmann Maeder, Sebastian Walther, Anja Carolyn Gysin-Maillart, Martin Müller","doi":"10.57187/4566","DOIUrl":"10.57187/4566","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;STUDY AIMS: To determine the incidence of mechanical restraint in the emergency department (ED) of the University Hospital of Bern, Switzerland; To assess differences in restraint frequency and practice across patient groups (sex, age, alcohol involvement); To characterise triggers of aggression or agitation and restraint-related interventions including medication use; To examine temporal patterns, particularly the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown and pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We included patients presenting at our institution between 1 January 2018 and 30 September 2022 who were subjected to mechanical restraint. Patients were identified through a keyword search followed by a comprehensive full-text review of the hospital database. Demographic and consultation characteristics, data about restraining circumstances and characteristics, as well as referral or discharge procedure were collected. Group comparisons were performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test, as appropriate. Categorical variables were compared using the chi-squared test. Incidence rate ratios across the three COVID-19 mitigation phases (pre, during, post) were estimated using Poisson regression.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;We identified 285 patients who were subjected to mechanical restraint, corresponding to an incidence of 1.22 (95% CI: 1.08-1.37) per 1000 ED consultations during the study period. Men were overrepresented with 67.4% and the median age was 30 years (IQR: 23-41). Alcohol intoxication was the primary trigger of aggression in 35.4% of cases, with mixed intoxication present in 24.2%. The largest subgroup consisted of young men (≤40 years) under the influence of alcohol (31.6%). Compared to men, women were generally younger (28 vs 32 years, p &lt;0.001) and had a higher prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities (43.0% vs 20.3%, p &lt;0.001). Older patients were more likely to be intoxicated with alcohol (52.8% vs 29.6%, p &lt;0.001), whereas younger patients had a higher rate of mixed intoxication (28.2% vs 12.5%, p = 0.007) and psychiatric disorders (31.9% vs 15.3%, p = 0.006). Mechanical restraint involving alcohol was more common in men (74.7%, p = 0.001), associated with risk of harm to others (69.8%, p &lt;0.001) and addiction problems (76.4%, p &lt;0.001). Pharmacological coercive measures were primarily administered using benzodiazepines (78.2%, typically intravenous and/or nasal application) and haloperidol (47.4% intravenous and/or intramuscular). The median duration of mechanical restraint was 258 minutes (IQR: 160-400). Alcohol-involved presentations were significantly associated with young men, non-Swiss nationality, acute risk of harm to others, night shift, addiction and longer restraint times (all p ≤0.001). The number of mechanical restraints increased until mid-2020, stabilising during the COVID-19 mitigation period, with a higher incidence of mechanical restraints during the pandemic (1.43 vs 1.02 per 1000 consultations","PeriodicalId":22111,"journal":{"name":"Swiss medical weekly","volume":"156 ","pages":"4566"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147654970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hypokalaemia in the emergency department: aetiology, diagnosis, and management.","authors":"Susanne Oswald, Svenja Ravioli, Christoph Schwarz, Gregor Lindner","doi":"10.57187/4767","DOIUrl":"10.57187/4767","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hypokalaemia is an electrolyte imbalance frequently encountered among patients in the emergency department (ED), often resulting from acute medical conditions or medication side effects. Given its potential to significantly impact morbidity and mortality, timely recognition, accurate diagnosis, and individualised management are essential, especially in ED settings. Common aetiologies of hypokalaemia include diuretic therapy and gastrointestinal losses, such as vomiting and diarrhoea. Management strategies, including the choice of potassium supplementation, should be guided by the severity of hypokalaemia and the presence of associated adverse effects. This article aims to equip ED physicians with a comprehensive understanding of hypokalaemia management, facilitating informed, patient-specific decisions in the dynamic environment of emergency care.</p>","PeriodicalId":22111,"journal":{"name":"Swiss medical weekly","volume":"156 ","pages":"4767"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147654962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prognostic impact of systolic blood pressure trajectory among patients hospitalised in an acute heart failure setting: insights from a real-world multinational cohort.","authors":"Marc Carminati, Tamila Abdurashidova, Nisha Soborun, Guillaume Stauffacher, Barbara Pitta-Gros, Sara Schukraft, Ioannis Skalidis, Georgios Tzimas, Panagiotis Antiochos, Pierre Monney, Hicham Skali, Roger Hullin, Henri Lu","doi":"10.57187/4956","DOIUrl":"10.57187/4956","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Systolic blood pressure is a prognostic marker in acute heart failure, but the prognostic implications of in-hospital changes in systolic blood pressure are unclear. We assessed the association between in-hospital systolic blood pressure changes and outcomes in a real-world, multinational cohort of acute heart failure patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analysed consecutive patients hospitalised for acute heart failure between 2005 and 2020 at two tertiary-care centres (CHUV, Switzerland; NCCIM, Kyrgyzstan) with available systolic blood pressure measurements at admission and discharge. Patients were classified into four systolic blood pressure trajectory categories: stable normal/low (systolic blood pressure consistently <140 mm Hg or minor increase, Δ<10), increasing (systolic blood pressure rose ≥10 mm Hg from <140 to ≥140 mm Hg), decreasing (systolic blood pressure dropped ≥10 mm Hg from ≥140 to <140 mm Hg), stable elevated (systolic blood pressure consistently ≥140 mm Hg or minor decrease, Δ<10). The primary outcome of the study was a composite of first heart failure hospitalisation or all-cause mortality, assessed over a 1-year follow-up period. The association between categories and the primary outcome was assessed with Cox models, adjusted for relevant covariates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 1490 patients (80% Swiss, 56% male, age 75 ± 13 years), 621 experienced the primary outcome at 1 year. Compared to those with stable normal/low systolic blood pressure, patients with decreasing systolic blood pressure had a significantly lower risk of the primary outcome (adjusted HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.66-0.99; p = 0.040), with no significant differences for the other systolic blood pressure trajectories. Results remained consistent regardless of sex, age and left ventricular ejection fraction (Pinteraction for all >0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this real-world, multinational cohort of 1490 acute heart failure patients, in-hospital decline in systolic blood pressure was independently associated with improved outcomes in those with an elevated systolic blood pressure at admission.</p>","PeriodicalId":22111,"journal":{"name":"Swiss medical weekly","volume":"156 ","pages":"4956"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147655066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical resuscitation management of non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) in Swiss emergency centres: a survey study.","authors":"Luisa Steiner, Sabrina Lanz, Manuela Iten, Beat Lehmann, Aristomenis K Exadaktylos, Martin Müller","doi":"10.57187/4645","DOIUrl":"10.57187/4645","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Optimising cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) management is crucial for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival but requires a clear understanding of the entire chain of survival. However, detailed OHCA management data from Swiss emergency centres (EC) are limited.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted among Level 1 and 2 ECs affiliated with the Swiss Society of Emergency and Rescue Medicine (SGNOR). The questionnaire covered key aspects of CPR management, including EC characteristics, team composition, resuscitation protocols and challenges pertaining to the year 2022. Analyses were performed using descriptive methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Response rates were 94% (15/16) from Level 1 and 28% (10/36) from Level 2 ECs. CPR training is widely implemented with 90% of centres conducting emergency bay simulations. ACLS certification is mandated in 73% of Level 1 but only 20% of Level 2 centres. Team composition and debriefing practices vary with a structured debriefing absent in 67%/60% of Level 1/2 ECs. Mechanical chest compression devices are used in 80%/30% of ECs, while extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is available in 73%/10% ECs. Standard operating procedures are widely implemented, but 40%/60% of ECs lack structured OHCA databases. Challenges differ by Level, with Level 1 centres reporting variability in expertise due to frequently rotating staff and Level 2 centres highlighting staff shortages especially during night shifts. Decision-making challenges include termination of resuscitation, interdisciplinary coordination and post-resuscitation care. Research engagement is limited to 20% of Level 1 centres, but 93% of Level 1 and 50% of Level 2 ECs report willingness to engage in research projects under specific conditions, such as minimal time commitment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Significant variability in CPR management, training and data collection exists across Swiss ECs. Standardised protocols, structured training and improved interdisciplinarity coordination are needed. Enhancing data registration and aligning practices with international guidelines could optimise patient outcomes, emphasising the need for further research and national standardisation efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":22111,"journal":{"name":"Swiss medical weekly","volume":"156 ","pages":"4645"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147654969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of implementing measures to reduce resource utilisation in medical wards (CopAIN project): a single-centre interrupted time-series analysis.","authors":"Andreas Steck, Eva Hefti, Philipp Schuetz, Christoph Fux, Katja Jung, Daniel Sigrist, Alexander Kutz, Tristan Struja","doi":"10.57187/4539","DOIUrl":"10.57187/4539","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Initiatives like \"Choosing Wisely\" promote efficient and high-quality healthcare by reducing overuse. The interdisciplinary copAIN project aims to reduce resource utilisation in medical ward patients by providing specific guidelines to internal medicine residents.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study was conducted in the Cantonal Hospital Aarau, a 500-bed tertiary care and academic facility.After implementing the copAIN project for medical inpatients on 1 June 2023, we conducted an interrupted time-series (ITS) cohort study and analysed it using a mixed-effects regression model for comparison. Neurological patients not involved in copAIN served as the control group. The primary outcome was resource utilisation defined by the measurement frequency of five vital signs and laboratory orders. The secondary, safety outcome was in-hospital mortality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 51,396 admissions between 1 September 2022 and 31 May 2024, 8344 cases were eligible for analysis. While there were no differences in measurement frequencies in the control group, we found a significant reduction in the intervention group for the frequency of measurements of blood pressure (0.28 measures per day per length of stay [dLOS]), heart rate (0.26 measures per dLOS), oxygen saturation (0.28 measures per dLOS) and temperature (0.27 measures per dLOS). However, this effect was temporary, and adjusted analyses showed no significant difference between pre- and post-intervention periods. There was no change in mortality between study periods in both groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>An intervention focusing on the reduction of routine parameters within the hospital settingresulted in a temporary decrease in resource use without increasing in-hospital mortality. This data supports recent initiatives aimed at improving resource efficiency in medicine without compromising quality. The absence of a sustained impact highlights the need for ongoing strategies to maintain and reinforce improvements.</p>","PeriodicalId":22111,"journal":{"name":"Swiss medical weekly","volume":"156 ","pages":"4539"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147654924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geriatric palliative care: clinical imperatives, ethical challenges and public health opportunities.","authors":"Claudia Gamondi, Patrizia D'Amelio","doi":"10.57187/5101","DOIUrl":"10.57187/5101","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Population ageing is accelerating globally, creating complex clinical, ethical and organisational challenges for health systems. Older adults frequently experience multimorbidity, frailty and cognitive impairment, leading to unpredictable illness trajectories and high palliative care needs. Geriatric palliative care (GPC) has emerged as an integrative approach uniting geriatric, palliative and rehabilitative principles to address these multidimensional needs. Recent European recommendations emphasise needs‑based assessment, interdisciplinary collaboration, caregiver support, culturally sensitive communication and integration across care settings. In Switzerland, persistent barriers - including fragmented care pathways, limited workforce training, variable access in nursing homes, low uptake of advance care planning and inequities affecting socioeconomically and culturally diverse populations - underscore the urgency of implementing coordinated GPC models. Strengthening home‑ and nursing home‑based palliative care, embedding GPC competencies in undergraduate and postgraduate curricula, establishing shared‑care frameworks and aligning national strategies with international ageing agendas represent key priorities. Investment in GPC is essential to ensure equitable, person‑centred and sustainable care for a rapidly growing population of frail older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":22111,"journal":{"name":"Swiss medical weekly","volume":"156 ","pages":"5101"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147654952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recommendations for early mobilisation at Swiss Stroke Centres and Stroke Units: a practice guide and discussion paper.","authors":"Martina Betschart, Lucie Sahli, Katrien Van den Keybus Déglon, Jens Wuschke","doi":"10.57187/4921","DOIUrl":"10.57187/4921","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present recommendation document proposes a non-binding practical guide intended to support the standardised implementation of early mobilisation at Swiss Stroke Centres and Stroke Units, with application planned to begin in January 2026. It was developed by the \"Early Mobilisation Working Group\", established in November 2023, to promote a consistent, evidence-based approach to mobilising stroke survivors in the (hyper)acute phase at Swiss Stroke Centres and Stroke Units. The group originated from the \"Stroke Therapy Network\" committee of the Swiss Stroke Society and developed into a collaboration with the \"Stroke Nursing Network\" committee of the Swiss Stroke Society. The current literature does not provide sufficient evidence to define all aspects of the dose and intensity of early mobilisation of stroke survivors. Therefore, this guide also draws upon clinical expertise and considers the structural and organisational conditions specific to Swiss Stroke Centres and Stroke Units. Some aspects of early mobilisation remain insufficiently defined and require ongoing discussion and research. The authors explicitly invite stakeholders and readers to provide feedback to support the continued development and improvement of this guide.</p>","PeriodicalId":22111,"journal":{"name":"Swiss medical weekly","volume":"156 ","pages":"4921"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147655034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-standing thrombocytosis and thrombotic events preceding recognition of polycythaemia vera: a single-centre retrospective study.","authors":"Evgenia Laspa, Francesco Grandoni, Lorenzo Alberio, Grégoire Stalder","doi":"10.57187/4669","DOIUrl":"10.57187/4669","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Patients with polycythaemia vera are at a higher risk for thrombotic events, which may occur at any time before diagnosis, at diagnosis or later during the disease. Besides an increased haematocrit, thrombocytosis may be an early marker of polycythaemia vera. Our study aimed to analyse the frequency of thromboembolic events and the presence of thrombocytosis/erythrocytosis preceding the diagnosis of polycythaemia vera.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This monocentric, retrospective study included patients diagnosed with polycythaemia vera, aged 18 years or over, seen at our institution between January 2008 and December 2018. Baseline demographics, polycythaemia vera diagnosis information, comorbidities, presence and type of thromboembolic events, and blood counts before thromboembolic events and polycythaemia vera diagnosis were analysed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 79 eligible patients were included. There was a slight male predominance (57%) with a median age at polycythaemia vera diagnosis of 69 years. Fifty-two patients (66%) had a thromboembolic event (24 before or concomitant with polycythaemia vera diagnosis, 11 after polycythaemia vera diagnosis and 17 both before and after polycythaemia vera diagnosis). Overall, 40 patients experienced arterial thrombotic events and 31 experienced venous thrombotic events. For the 41 patients with thromboembolic events before or concomitant to the polycythaemia vera diagnosis, the median platelet count at the time of the thromboembolic event was 365×109/l before and 479×109/l at polycythaemia vera diagnosis; the median leukocyte count was 11.2×109/l and 11.5×109/l, respectively; haemoglobin (haematocrit) level was 168 g/l (50%) and 179 g/l (53%), respectively. We had access to 90 blood counts performed before polycythaemia vera diagnosis in 17 patients with a thromboembolic event prior or concomitant with the polycythaemia vera diagnosis. For these patients, the median time from the first blood count showing platelets &gt;350×109/l or &gt;450×109/l to the diagnosis of polycythaemia vera was 36 months and 24 months, respectively. Four patients had a thromboembolic event prior to polycythaemia vera diagnosis with a normal platelet count. In these four patients, the median delay between the thromboembolic event and the polycythaemia vera diagnosis was 32 months. For the remaining 13 patients, the median time from the first blood count with platelets &gt;350×109/l or &gt;450×109/l and the thromboembolic event was 46 months and 10 months, respectively. The median time from the earliest available blood count showing Hb &gt;16.5 g/dl (Hct &gt;49%) for men or Hb &gt;16.0 g/dl (Hct &gt;48%) for women to the diagnosis of polycythaemia vera was 25 months and 24 months, respectively, and to the thromboembolic event was 12 months and 13 months, respectively.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Our study shows that both thrombocytosis and/or erythrocytosis are frequently present months and even y","PeriodicalId":22111,"journal":{"name":"Swiss medical weekly","volume":"156 ","pages":"4669"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147654960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of drones in delivering emergency medical and surgical support in conflict zones.","authors":"Ata Mohajer-Bastami, Samuel Chon Sum Ong, Aebhric OKelly, Darius Kaufmann, Sarah Moin, Barbara Fyntanidou, Wolf E Hautz, Vincent Ribordy, Aristomenis K Exadaktylos, Lorenzo Brigato, Stavroula Mougiakakou, Rebecca Hoffmann, Suhaib Ahmad","doi":"10.57187/4954","DOIUrl":"10.57187/4954","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Armed conflicts such as those in Gaza and Ukraine highlight the urgent need for innovative solutions to deliver emergency medical and surgical support in inaccessible and high-risk environments. Traditional supply chains often fail in war zones due to blockades, damaged infrastructure and safety concerns for healthcare personnel. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), commonly referred to as drones, have emerged as a promising tool to bridge these critical gaps. This narrative review explores the role of drones in delivering medical supplies, supporting casualty triage and enhancing emergency response in conflict settings. A structured literature search of MEDLINE and Embase (2000-2025) identified relevant studies assessing drone applications in healthcare, with particular focus on their deployment in war and disaster zones. Evidence demonstrates drones can significantly reduce delivery times for blood products, automated external defibrillators and essential medicines, while providing reconnaissance to locate casualties and assess hazards. Advantages include improved timeliness, reduced risk to rescuers and enhanced situational awareness. However, challenges remain, including limited payload and range, vulnerability to adverse weather and electronic interference, regulatory and legal barriers, and civilian mistrust linked to military drone use. Future integration of artificial intelligence, secure communication systems and harmonised regulatory frameworks may expand drone utility, ultimately transforming emergency medical care in conflict zones.</p>","PeriodicalId":22111,"journal":{"name":"Swiss medical weekly","volume":"156 ","pages":"4954"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147655024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}