Non-invasive diagnosis of liver steatosis: ready for primetime?

The formal diagnosis of hepatic steatosis relies on liver histology based on a liver biopsy, which is an invasive procedure that is not required in the majority of cases. Due to the high prevalence of liver steatosis, in particular in the context of an increase in NAFLD incidence, there has been renewed interest in use of non-invasive tools to assess the presence of liver disease.

Estimation of treatment allocation in a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial

The internal validity of double-blinding in randomised placebo-controlled trials (RCT) has become a target of criticism. In several studies, the accuracy of patients’ and physicians’ guesses as to the assigned treament was striking.

Antimicrobial resistance trends in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis urinary isolates from Switzerland: retrospective analysis of data from a national surveillance network over an 8-year period (2009–2016)

Guidelines on urinary tract infection (UTI) now recommend nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin as first-line options for lower UTI in women and discourage the use of quinolones because of the potential collateral damage in terms of the selection of drug-resistant organisms.

Extra-abdominal desmoid tumours – further evidence for the watchful waiting policy

Extra-abdominal desmoid tumours are benign and rare, and lead to a persistent treatment dilemma because of their high recurrence rate and their heterogeneous behaviour.

Emergency department presentations related to abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs in Switzerland: time trends, sex and age distribution

The European Drug Emergencies Network (Euro-DEN) Plus project has been collecting data on acute intoxications with recreational substances (illicit and prescription/OTC drugs) and emergency presentations across Europe since 2013.

Advanced carotid atherosclerosis in middle-aged subjects: comparison with PROCAM and SCORE risk categories, the potential for reclassification and cost-efficiency of carotid ultrasound in the setting of primary care

This study compared use of carotid ultrasound for risk classification with PROCAM and SCORE risk categories, and investigated the potential for reclassification and cost-efficiency in the setting of primary care.

Dysphagia in the intensive care unit in Switzerland (DICE) – results of a national survey on the current standard of care

In critically ill patients, oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is often observed, persists in most affected patients throughout their hospital stay, and negatively impacts on clinical outcomes.

Behçet’s syndrome: clinical presentation and prevalence in Switzerland

Behçet’s syndrome is a rare systemic autoimmune/autoinflammatory disease. In Switzerland there are no published data regarding the prevalence of Behçet’s syndrome, its manifestations or its management.