PedAMINES: a disruptive mHealth app to tackle paediatric medication errors

Review article: Biomedical intelligence
Ehrler F, Siebert JN
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20335

Medication errors are among the most common medical adverse events and an important cause of patient morbidity and mortality, affecting millions of people worldwide each year. This problem is especially acute in paediatric settings, where most drugs given intravenously to children are provided in vials prepared for the adult population.

Adequacy of stress ulcer prophylaxis prescription in the intensive care unit: an observational study

Original article
Franchitti M, Piubellini J, Sadeghipour F, Eckert P, Voirol P, Schneider AG
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20322

The adequacy of stress ulcer prophylaxis in the ICU is low. In addition, the prescription is frequently continued after ICU and many patients are even discharged home with inadequate acid-suppressive therapy.

Management of hepatitis C in opioid agonist therapy patients of the Swiss canton Aargau within and outside the cohort study

Original article
Schürch S, Fux CA, Dehler S, Conen A, Knuchel J, Friedl A, Eigenmann F, Roser P, Ackle P, Bregenzer A
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20317

Bayesian networks to identify potential high-risk multimorbidity and intervention clusters in inpatients: an explorative data mining study

Original article
Roth JA, Sakoparnig T, Gerber M, Hug BL
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20299

Bayesian network analysis may be used as a tool to mine large healthcare databases in order to explore intervention targets for quality improvement programmes. However, the resulting associations should be substantiated in consecutive investigations using specific causal models.

Examinations and assessments in patients with a newly acquired spinal cord injury – retrospective chart analysis as part of a quality improvement project

Original article
Scheel-Sailer A, Sailer CO, Lampart P, Baumberger M, Berger M, Mueller G, Sigrist-Nix D, Schmitt K, Siepmann T, Pannek J
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20291

The data presented here suggest a relevant gap between recommendations and clinical routine for time to some assessments after spinal cord injury. Within the framework of a quality improvement project, the next steps should be to build a national and international consensus on specific time frames for examinations and assessments in patients with a newly acquired spinal cord injury and thereafter, to develop an institutional implementation strategy.

Association between levator ani muscle avulsions and technique of vacuum extraction – a prospective exploratory study

Original article
Kimmich N, Birri J, Zimmermann R, Kreft M
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20280

Trauma of the levator ani muscle in the form of partial or complete avulsions is common after vaginal births, especially after vaginal-operative births. There is little information available regarding associations between the technique of vaginal-operative births and levator ani muscle trauma.

Supporting health professionals after an adverse event in Swiss hospitals: a cross-sectional study

Original article
Reiser Crelier F, Schwappach D, Schwendimann R
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20278

In Swiss hospitals, second victim support is generally prevalent, but often in an unstructured way. This lack of methodology increases the risk that, following adverse events, both the quantity and quality of support provided to health professionals will be insufficient. A firm commitment on the part of institutional leaders to implement related policies could foster the adoption of high-quality second victim guidelines in Swiss hospitals.

What interventions do general practitioners recommend avoiding? A nationwide survey from Switzerland

Original article
Neuner-Jehle S, Grischott T, Markun S, Rosemann T, Senn O, Maeder M
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20283

Most suggestions from GPs were concordant with previously published recommendations of interventions to avoid, independently of GPs knowledge of these and reflecting their high clinical relevance. In addition, our study revealed some more relevant topics and may help to develop future “Choosing Wisely” recommendations, with the final goal to reduce low-value care.

Statin treatment and LDL target value achievement in Swiss general practice – a retrospective observational study

Original article
Rachamin Y, Meier R, Rosemann T, Langenegger S, Markun S
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20244

Results from this study suggest that current treatment may warrant reconsideration in a large proportion of patients treated with statins in Swiss general practice.

Roadmap for the treatment of heart failure patients after hospital discharge: an interdisciplinary consensus paper

Review article: Biomedical intelligence
Mueller C, Bally K, Buser M, Flammer AJ, Gaspoz JM, Mach F, Moschovitis G, Paul M, Zeller A, Heitlinger E, Fay B, Rosemann T
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20159

Prescheduled follow-up visits, adherence to therapy and up-titration of heart failure medication are important aspects of reducing the mortality risk during the transition phase after hospital discharge.