AIM OF THE STUDY: While hospitals are adopting strategies designed to increase the overall efficiency of the healthcare system, physicians are facing expanding requirements. Such changes in work ...environment add new psychosocial and physical stressors. Building on a previous quantitative time-motion study, we conducted a qualitative study to better understand the work experience of internal medicine residents.
METHODS: The study used a qualitative description approach, and was based on focus group discussions with residents. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The study was conducted among all residents of the Internal Medicine division of a tertiary university hospital in Switzerland.
RESULTS: Time emerged as the major determinant of residents’ daily experience, which residents want to waste on no account. Shifts are perceived as a constraining succession of distinct periods, with little room for adjustments. Moreover, residents feel held back and distracted in their progression toward the end of the shift. Under time pressure, some essential professional activities, such as caring for patients and families, dealing with medical complications and talking with consultants, may be experienced as unexpected undesirable bumps on the road. Residents describe “running through” a structured day, scattered with obstacles, and resorting to “tricks of the trade” in an attempt to influence the course of the shift.
CONCLUSIONS: Time constraints are not new to medicine. However, our findings outline how time has become a constant preoccupation for internal medicine residents, permeating their daily work experience. This changing relationship with time carries the risk of undermining the foundations of clinical medicine and challenges the ability of hospitals to preserve the “sense of the profession”.
Studies showing that the management of dyslipidemia is suboptimal are hampered by their cross-sectional design or short follow-up. Using recent data from a population-based cohort with a 10-year ...follow-up, we assessed the use of statins, including their intensity. We used data from the CoLaus|PsyColaus study, involving 4,655 participants at baseline (2003 to 2006) and 3,587 at 10-year follow-up (2014 to 2017). We assessed the cardiovascular risk of participants according to established guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and from the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology and estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk using corresponding risk scores, Systemic Coronary Risk Evaluation risk prediction model and Pooled Cohort Equations. We first determined eligibility for statins and adherence to recommendations at 2 time periods. Additionally, we assessed the prevalence of statin users from 2014 to 2017 in persons without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at baseline and who developed it during the follow-up (secondary prevention). A total of 219 participants developed a first atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease during follow-up. Statin use in eligible subjects was 25.9% and 24.0% from 2003 to 2006 and 35.9% and 26.3% from 2014 to 2017, according to ESC and American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines, respectively. Per ESC guidelines, only 28.2% of treated persons achieved low-density lipoproteins cholesterol target levels from 2014 to 2017 (15.8% from 2003 to 2006), and women less frequently attained goals. Only 18% of subjects used high-intensity statins from 2014 to 2017, with women less often receiving them (14% vs 22%). In secondary prevention, only 74% of eligible subjects were using statins. In conclusion, based on contemporaneous data, management of dyslipidemia is suboptimal, including in secondary prevention, especially in women who are less frequently treated and, if treated, less frequently receive high-intensity treatment.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
BackgroundHigh blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Adequate treatment of high BP should reduce the risk of CVD, but this association has seldom been assessed ...in a general population setting.MethodsPopulation-based prospective study conducted in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a follow-up between 2003 and 2021. Participants were categorised as normal BP, untreated high BP, treated and uncontrolled BP and treated and controlled BP. Total and CVD mortality as well as any CVD event were assessed.Results5341 participants (65% normal, 17.4% untreated, 8.8% treated and uncontrolled and 8.8% treated and controlled) were included. After a median follow-up of 14 years (IQR: 11–15), 575 CVD events occurred. Relative to participants with normal BP, multivariable-adjusted HRs (and 95% CI) for total CVD were 1.38 (1.11 to 1.72) for untreated, 1.35 (1.04 to 1.76) for treated and uncontrolled and 1.50 (1.15 to 1.95) for treated and controlled. The corresponding HRs for CVD mortality (112 events) were 0.94 (0.52 to 1.70), 1.77 (1.00 to 3.12) and 2.52 (1.50 to 4.23), respectively. For total mortality (677 events), the HRs were 1.24 (1.01 to 1.52), 1.26 (0.99 to 1.60) and 1.27 (0.99 to 1.62), respectively. Sensitivity analysis using BP status during a 5-year period and categorising participants as always normal, always treated and uncontrolled, always treated and controlled and other led to similar findings.ConclusionOver a long follow-up period of 14 years, BP control was not associated with reduction of CVD events, CVD-related or total mortality. This finding should help define further studies on factors affecting CVD and mortality in people treated for hypertension in the general population.
Little is known regarding intuitive eating (IE), diet quality and adherence. We investigated the associations between IE, diet quality and metabolic health after gestational diabetes (GDM), who have ...an increased diabetes risk. Data from 179 women with GDM from MySweetheart trial (NCT02872974) were analyzed. IE was assessed using the eating for physical rather than emotional reasons (EPR) and reliance on hunger and satiety cues (RHSC) subscales of the French Intuitive Eating Scale-2. Metabolic outcomes included weight, central body fat and insulin resistance. Diet quality was calculated using the Alternative Health Eating Index (AHEI) and compliance with national recommendations was evaluated. Both IE subscales were associated with lower BMI and fat mass (BIA) at 1-year postpartum (all p ≤ 0.034). The EPR subscale inversely correlated with fat mass (DXA) and visceral adipose tissue (both p ≤ 0.028), whereas RHSC with higher insulin sensitivity (Matsuda, p = 0.034). RHSC during pregnancy predicted increased AHEI (p = 0.043) at 1-year postpartum, whilst EPR predicted lower fat mass and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (all p ≤ 0.04). In longitudinal analyses, both subscales were associated with increased adherence to dairy and fiber intake recommendations (both p ≤ 0.023). These data suggest IE may be an interesting approach to improve diet quality and metabolic outcomes in women with GDM.
Despite the high prevalence of multimorbidity, we lack detailed descriptive data on the most prevalent combinations of chronic comorbidities in Switzerland. We aimed to describe and quantify the most ...prevalent combinations of comorbidities in internal medicine multimorbid inpatients.
We conducted a multicentre retrospective cohort study including all consecutive adults (n = 42,739) discharged from the general internal medicine department of three Swiss tertiary teaching hospitals in 2010-2011. We used the Chronic Condition Indicator and the Clinical Classification Software to classify International Classification of Diseases diagnosis codes into chronic or acute diseases, into body system categories and into categories of chronic comorbidities. We defined multimorbidity as ≥2 chronic diseases. We described the most prevalent combinations of comorbidities and their prevalence.
Seventy-nine percent (n = 33,871) of the patients were multimorbid, with a median of four chronic diseases. Chronic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, solid malignancy and substance-related disorders were the most prevalent comorbidities, with a prevalence of more than 10% for each. All these comorbidities were frequently found in combination with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiectasis, pulmonary heart disease, and peripheral and visceral atherosclerosis. Chronic heart disease was identified in 80% of the most prevalent combinations. Half of the combinations occurred more often than it would have been expected if they were independent.
The vast majority of patients fulfilled the criteria for multimorbidity. Chronic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, solid malignancy and substance-related disorders were each present in at least one tenth of the patients. This in-depth description of the most frequent comorbidities and of their frequent associations in a multicentre population may advise healthcare providers to improve preventive care and develop appropriate guidelines for multimorbid patients.  .
Reduced lung function predicts increased mortality, but its prevalence may vary depending on definition considered, use of bronchodilation and applied reference values. We aimed to assess lung ...function abnormalities in Lausanne, Switzerland, and their association with clinical history.
In a general population sample, spirometry was performed and bronchodilation applied if the ratio forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) / forced vital capacity (FVC) or the FVC was below the lower limit of normal (LLN) according to Global Lung Function Initiative 2012 references. Results for FEV1/FVC according to the LLN were compared to the 0.7 fixed ratio. Respiratory risk factors, symptoms and self-reported respiratory diagnoses were recorded through a questionnaire.
Out of the 3342 included subjects, 3.8% had chronic obstruction and 2.5% reversible obstruction when using the LLN; possible lung restriction alone was present in 1.8%, and associated with chronic obstruction in 0.4%. Ever smokers had a higher prevalence of abnormal spirometry, chronic obstruction and reversible obstruction; there was no difference with regard to possible restriction. Overall, chronic airway obstruction was found in 8.9% of current smokers, 4.6% of former smokers and 1.5% of never smokers. Only one third of participants with chronic obstruction were aware of a respiratory disease.
Prevalence of abnormal lung function in the population of Lausanne is low. This may be due to a low rate of ever-smokers, the application of a full bronchodilation dose, but also to inherent characteristics of this population.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
Outpatient appendectomy for acute appendicitis is a feasible, yet not widely performed procedure, as there are no universally accepted criteria for patient selection. The aim of this study ...was to assess preoperative clinical factors associated with successful short-stay appendectomy (SSA) and establish a predictive score to help with patient selection.
Methods
All consecutive laparoscopic appendectomies performed in our institution between January 2013 and June 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Several preoperative clinical and biological variables were compared between patients with SSA, defined as a postoperative stay <24 h, and those needing inpatient care. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables independently associated with SSA, and these variables were then used to create a predictive score.
Results
A total of 578 patients were included, 303 (53%) in the SSA group and 275 (48%) in the long-stay appendectomy (LSA) group. In multivariate analysis, male gender (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.12–2.31,
p
= 0.010), ASA class I–II (OR 9.52, 95% CI 1.65–180.69,
p
= 0.037), absence of generalized guarding (OR 3.55, 95% CI 1.30–11.41,
p
= 0.019), C-reactive protein <100 mg/dl (OR 3.09, 95% CI 1.81–5.42,
p
< 0.001) and leukocyte count <20 g/l (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.02–4.30,
p
= 0.046) were independently associated with SSA. These five parameters were used to construct a predictive score, whereby ≥17 (range 0–21) was defined as the optimal threshold to predict SSA with a high sensitivity (95.6%) and negative predictive value (82.2%).
Conclusions
A purely clinical predictive score based on five widely used preoperative parameters can be used to identify eligible patients for short-stay appendectomy.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Context: The link between C-reactive protein (CRP) and adiposity deserves to be further explored, considering the controversial diabetogenic role of CRP.
Objective: We explored the potential causal ...role of CRP on measures of adiposity.
Design: We used a Mendelian randomization approach with the CRP and LEPR genes as instrumental variables in a cross-sectional Caucasian population-based study comprising 2526 men and 2836 women. Adiposity was measured using body mass index (BMI), fat and lean mass estimated by bioelectrical impedance, and waist circumference.
Results: Log-transformed CRP explained by the rs7553007 single-nucleotide polymorphism tagging the CRP gene was significantly associated with BMI regression coefficient: 1.22 (0.18; 2.25), P = 0.02 and fat mass 2.67 (0.65; 4.68), P = 0.01 but not with lean mass in women, whereas no association was found in men. Log-transformed CRP explained by the rs1805096 LEPR single-nucleotide polymorphism was also positively associated, although not significantly, with BMI or fat mass. The combined CRP-LEPR instrument explained 2.24 and 0.77% of CRP variance in women and men, respectively. Log-transformed CRP explained by this combined instrument was significantly associated with BMI 0.98 (0.32; 1.63), P = 0.004, fat mass 2.07 (0.79; 3.34), P = 0.001, and waist 2.09 (0.39; 3.78), P = 0.01 in women but not men.
Conclusion: Our data suggest that CRP is causally and positively related to BMI in women and that this is mainly due to fat mass. Results on the combined CRP-LEPR instrument suggest that leptin may play a role in the causal association between CRP and adiposity in women. Results in men were not significant.
Results in this study suggest that C-reactive protein is causally related to body mass index in women, and that this is mainly due to fat mass.
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