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Introduction: Our objective was to assess non-inferiority of the unique approach used in our institution of combined 10 IU IM (intramyometrial) and 10 IU IV (intravenous) oxytocin to carbetocin IV in preventing severe postpartum blood loss in elective cesarean sections. The design was a prospective controlled phase IV non-inferiority interventional trial. The setting was a tertiary center at University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland., Material and Methods: The population consisted of 550 women undergoing elective cesarean section after 36 completed weeks of gestation at low risk for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Participants were assigned to either combined oxytocin regimen (10 IU IM and 10 IU IV) or carbetocin (100 μg IV). Non-inferiority for oxytocin for severe PPH was assessed with a 0.05 margin using the Newcombe-Wilson score method. The main outcome measures were severe postpartum blood loss defined as delta hemoglobin (∆Hb, Hb prepartum-Hb postpartum) ≥30 g/L., Results: Non-inferiority of combined oxytocin (IM/IV) in preventing severe postpartum blood loss was not shown (17 women in the oxytocin group vs. 7 in the carbetocin group). The number needed to treat when using carbetocin was 28. The risk difference for ∆Hb ≥30 g/L was 0.04 (oxytocin 0.06 vs. 0.03), 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.00-0.08). No significant difference was observed for ∆Hb (median 12 [IQR 7.0-19.0] vs. 11 [5.0-17.0], p = 0.07), estimated blood loss (median 500 [IQR 400-600] vs. 500 [400-575], p = 0.38), or the PPH rate defined as estimated blood loss ≥1000 mL (12[4.5] vs. 5 [2.0], risk difference 0.03, 95% CI (-0.01 to 0.06), p = 0.16). More additional uterotonics were administered in the oxytocin group compared to the carbetocin group (15.2% vs. 5.9%, p = 0.001). Total case costs were non-significantly different in the oxytocin group (US $ 10 146 vs. 9621, mean difference 471.4, CI (-476.5 to 1419.3), p = 0.33)., Conclusions: Combined (IM/IV) oxytocin is not non-inferior to carbetocin regarding severe postpartum blood loss defined as postpartum Hb decrease ≥30 g/L in elective cesarean sections. We recommend carbetocin for use in clinical practice for elective cesarean sections., (© 2024 The Author(s). Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NFOG).)

In pursuing novel therapeutic solutions, drug discovery and development rely on efficiently utilising existing knowledge and resources. Repurposing know-how, a strategy that capitalises on previously acquired information and expertise, has emerged as a powerful approach to accelerate drug discovery and development processes, often at a fraction of the costs of de novo developments. For 80 years, collaborating within a network of partnerships, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) has been working along a value chain from innovation to validation and application to combat poverty-related diseases. This article presents an overview of selected know-how repurposing initiatives conducted at Swiss TPH with a particular emphasis on the exploration of drug development pathways in the context of neglected tropical diseases and other infectious diseases of poverty, such as schistosomiasis, malaria and human African trypanosomiasis., (Copyright 2023 Lukas Meier, Marina Antillon, Christian Burri, Nakul Chitnis, Yvette Endriss, Jennifer Keiser, Sarah Moore, Pie Müller, Melissa Penny, Till S. Voss, Pascal Mäser, Jürg Utzinger. License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.)

In this paper we present first findings of the Digi-Care project, a multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder research project investigating the impacts of digitization on nursing work practices and in particular the transmission of patient care information within and beyond nursing work practices. We completed the initial data collection of the funded 3-year research project and report on a plethora of significant and critical IT-related events. Some of them can be attributed to usability issues.

In order to be successful in global health today, all the long-established European tropical research institutes had to undergo a transition which can be described as "hunter-gatherer" and descriptive approaches during colonial and postcolonial times to a deeper understanding of infection biology and finally to public health interventions from which populations at large can benefit. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Swiss Tropical Institute (today: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Swiss TPH) based in Basel too has changed its focus from individual medicine to a public health context. This article does not present new scientific data but takes a historical perspective. Its aim is to highlight the above-mentioned transformation by focusing on selected malaria research-cum-action interventions during the crucial period of the 1990s, which were tailored to the social-ecological settings where the disease was endemic. In order for this transformation to be successful, we intend to emphasise the importance of (i) having a fundamental understanding of local transmission; (ii) building and nurturing relationships with partner institutions; and (iii) developing a coherent research portfolio as key elements for researching and applying evidence in malaria control and elimination as part of national malaria control programmes., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Compared internationally, the history of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) is unusual. Founded in 1944, at a time of utmost isolation, it was a response to specific needs of the government of Switzerland during the Second World War. In 1943, the Swiss Federal Council approached universities in Switzerland and asked them to submit project proposal that had the potential to mitigate possible post-war unemployment and threatening economic isolation. Members of the University of Basel proposed to establish a Swiss Tropical Institute (today: Swiss TPH). With its harbour at the River Rhine, Basel was an important international transport hub. The city was and still is the headquarters of important pharmaceutical companies, such as Novartis Pharma AG and F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, which were looking for new markets overseas. Last but not least, scientific expeditions to Africa were rather common in the 19 th and the beginning of the 20 th century for members of Basel's bourgeoisie. Initially, Swiss TPH focused primarily on basic research into diseases of poverty, but over the years it has developed into an important player in public, international and global health. This article sees the development of the institute as a reflection of the visions of its directors from the founder Professor Rudolf Geigy to Professor Jürg Utzinger, who is the current Swiss TPH director. It includes interviews with the four latest of them, discussing their experiences and attempts to adapt the institute to an ever changing global environment. From these lessons learnt we hope to gain insights that could be relevant for today's leaders of scientific institutes; foster public-private partnerships and contribute to solve some of the most pressing global health challenges., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Principles: To ensure a high quality of care in surgery, many surgical departments in Switzerland are members of the working group for quality assurance in surgery (AQC). The purpose of this study was to assess the value of the AQC database as a tool for quality assurance and a source for scientific studies. We had two hypotheses. Firstly that the percentage of laparoscopic appendectomies would have increased over time without an increase in the complication rate and secondly that these procedures would primarily have been performed by residents., Methods: All appendectomies performed at the Kantonsspital Olten between 2001 and 2006 were prospectively recorded in the AQC database., Results: 684 appendectomies were performed. We recorded a clear increase in the use of laparoscopic interventions from 51 to 81%. Ninety three percent of these appendectomies were performed by residents or junior faculty members. The main complication were surgical site infection in 3.6% of the open procedures as compared to none in laparoscopic procedures (p <0.001). Intra-abdominal abscess formation was recorded in 2.7% of laparoscopic procedures as compared to 1.8% in open surgery (p = 0.608). The overall complication rate in the study was 5.4% with no statistical difference between open (6.5%) and laparoscopic (4.7%) surgery (p = 0.305)., Conclusions: The study clearly shows that the AQC-database offers a wide variety of possibilities for quality assurance and scientific analyses. Our data demonstrate that laparoscopic procedures clearly increased from 2001 to 2006. Appendectomies were mainly performed by residents and junior faculty members. Laparoscopic appendectomy is a safe procedure with a low complication rate and should be applied as a teaching operation during the surgical training.

A large group of school-children 6-10 years of age were checked for their immunization status and by questionnaire for their parent's attitude to vaccinations. Children of higher socio-economic status have better immunization protection. In spite of pretended high motivation, people from Southern countries have a significantly smaller percentage of immunized children than Swiss people. This is probably caused by insufficient information.