All clinical trials

This study will examine speech intelligibility of early parkinson's disease (PD) patients, early PD patients and first degree relatives. The investigators hypothesis that advanced PD patients will present decreased speech intelligibility more than early PD patients. Speech intelligibility of first degree relatives will be normal.

The objective of this study is to document the residual burden of acute upper respiratory infections (AURIs), acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs), otitis media (OMs) and auditory functional and anatomical abnormalities in children under the age of 5 years in Nunavik who will be exposed to PHiD-CV in combination with PCV-7 or PCV-13. The comparison groups will be the cohorts of children who received no PCV vaccine (those born in 1994-1996) and those exposed to PCV-7 exclusively (those born in 2003-2007).

To determine the incidence, prevalence and long-term outcome of patients with SFTP in the German spoken part of Switzerland. To define the role of immunohistochemical and molecular techniques, such as immunostaining, FISH and mutational analysis regarding their ability to predict malignant behavior in terms of prediction of overall survival and disease-free survival.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (acute respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS) fatality rate can be as high as 20% -41%, once progress is severe of ARDS, mortality rose to 90%, the main cause of death was refractory hypoxemia. Mechanical ventilation as the main measure to improve hypoxemia cannot correct all hypoxemia and relating complications of mechanical ventilation, mechanical ventilation in the treatment of severe ARDS has gradually been challenged. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation（ECMO) technology matures, so that clinicians have more choices in the face of hypoxemia, and with the deepening understanding of ECMO, ECMO may become severe ARDS first-line treatment. Currently, ECMO therapy has been recognized by the majority of medical workers. Therefore, we assume that accurately grasping the ECMO indications and standardizing the implementation of treatment can significantly improve the prognosis, shorter hospital stays, lower hospitalization costs.

The primary purpose of the present study is to investigate the usefulness of Procalcitonin as a supplement to the Streptococcal antigen test and Centor criteria in the differential diagnose making between Streptococcal and non-Streptococcal acute tonsillitis. Furthermore, the investigators aim to examine Procalcitonin as a diagnostic marker in acute tonsillitis due to Fusobacterium Necrophorum.

Study Design Multinodular Goiter (MNG) patients requiring surgery were referred to the Endocrine Surgery Unit. Indirect laryngoscopy was routinely performed preoperatively to assess normal motility in vocal folds (VF). Ultrasounds (US) study was performed the month previous to surgery to evaluate thyroid volume. Eligible patients met the following criteria: to have MNG, age between 18 and 80 and consent to be included in the study. Exclusion criteria included previous neck surgery, vocal fold impairment, permanent or transitory NSAID or analgesic treatment, coagulation disorders and any cognitive impairment. Eligible patients were proposed to enter a randomized study with 2 arms in which we compared the use of two harmonic scalpel devices: ACE14S and Harmonic Focus (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, OH, USA). The main endpoint was operative time. Secondary endpoints were total and relative (%) time of use of the device along thyroidectomy, recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury and hypocalcaemia (both persistent or temporary), number of ligatures, length of skin incision, postoperative pain according to a visual scale of pain, QOL after thyroidectomy (EuroQOL) and budget impact analysis. All patients were operated on by 2 surgeons, one senior (responsible for the Endocrine Surgery Unit) and one junior under supervision. Randomization Randomization was performed the same day of surgery at the OR by using a closed envelope. Patients were randomized to Group I (ACE14S) or Group II (HF) and allocated in a 1:1 proportion; they reminded blinded until the end of the study about the device used. The haemostasis device was communicated to the surgeon previous to start surgery. Medical staff of the Endocrine Surgery Unit collected clinical data. Surgical Technique Total thyroidectomy (TT), defined as total bilateral extracapsular lobectomy 9, was performed using HF or ACE14S for vessel division. Monopolar and bipolar forceps for cutting and coagulation were routinely used. Ties were used under surgeon's criteria according to size of the vessels and/or the need to obtain haemostasis in the vicinity of the RLN when bipolar forceps were not considered safe enough.

The purpose of this study is to assese esophageal motor function by simplified transnasal endoscopy compared with esophageal manometry.

Aims: Prospective evaluation of the applicability of acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI) imaging to assess liver fibrosis in patients after orthotopic liver transplantation. Material and methods: We prospectively assess the performance of ARFI imaging in planned 100 patients after orthotopic liver transplantation. We evaluate shear wave velocity of the left and right liver lobe with the convex array (6C1HD)ultrasound transducer and compare the results with clinical data and B-mode criteria. ARFI elastometry is an increasingly popular non-invasive method for the assessment of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. To date, ARFI technology has not been applied systematically in patients after orthotopic liver transplantation. Therefore we want to establish standard values in this population.

Preconceptional use of low molecular weight heparin (enoxaparin) and aspirin in patient with recurrent miscarriages with positive anti phospholipid antibodies increase the implantation rate and the duration of pregnancy with low complications to the mother and the baby.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) with its two clinical manifestations deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening disease that is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. The incidence of VTE increases with age and it - as the third most common cardiovascular disease after ischemic heart disease and stroke - represents an important public health problem in industrialized countries with several aspects in need to be addressed. VTEval Project includes three long-term prospective observational studies to evaluate and improve VTE diagnostics and management, treatment and outcome. The aims of the project include a systematic assessment of VTE, i.e. disease status (symptoms, clinical and subclinical aspects) and risk profiles (classic, psychosocial and environmental factors), using a system-oriented approach. VTEval collects three large prospective cohorts of patients with suspected and incident VTE consisting of individuals with a clinical suspicion of acute PE, individuals with a clinical suspicion of acute DVT, and individuals with incidental diagnosis of VTE). The standardized and harmonized data acquisition of the study establishes a sustainable resource for comprehensive research on VTE, thus providing the basis for both short- and long-term analysis.