[Dysphonia and dysphagia after anterior cervical spine surgery]. / Dysphonie und Dysphagie nach anterioren Zugängen zur Halswirbelsäule.

BACKGROUND: Anterior cervical spine surgery is a common procedure for fusions and/or discectomies. Postoperative dysphonia and dysphagia are known complications. In this study, we examined the frequency and outcomes of these complications in this patient population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients planned to receive anterior cervical spine surgery between 01.03.2010 and 28.02.2011 at the Department of Neurosurgery, St. Gallen were prospectively included. Patients were evaluated using laryngoscopy, fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), voice field measurements and validated questionnaires. RESULTS: From the 53 patients included in the study, 40 had at least one complete follow-up examination. The frequency of postoperative dysphonia due to recurrent nerve palsy was 4/40 (10 %), although this was temporary in 3 patients. FEES revealed a pathological result in 18.9 % of patients. Postoperative Swallowing Quality of Life Questionnaire (Swal-QoL) scores were significantly lower. CONCLUSION: At a frequency of 10 %, dysphonia due to recurrent nerve palsy is a relevant complication in cervical spine surgery, albeit temporary in most cases. Postoperative dysphagia is common and should be evaluated and treated during follow-up.

[Transition of molecular medicine from research to practice: tasks of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMW)]. / Ubergang der molekularen Medizin von der Forschung in die Praxis: Aufgaben der SAMW.

During the symposium discussions were held in workshops on how the SAMS can support the transition of "molecular medicine" from research into practice. This transition is currently happening in prenatal diagnostics. With the help of molecular medicine doctors are at an early stage able to diagnose a variety of diseases, preliminary stages and dispositions of diseases--even with the unborn. Gene-diagnostics stands as a promising method of investigation, with no therapeutic equivalent yet. Here the SAMS should as soon as possible develop guidelines for the responsible use of gene-diagnostic methods; besides, the Academy should work towards connecting the use of gene-diagnostic methods to certain professional requirements. Furthermore, the SAMS is expected to ensure good basic and further training in the field of "molecular medicine" and to support "evidence-based medicine".

[Measles, mumps and rubella: vaccination rate and seroprevalence in 8th grade students of 8 different sites in Switzerland 1995/96]. / Masern, Mumps und Röteln: Durchimpfungsrate und Seroprävalenz bei 8.-Klässlern in acht verschiedenen Orten der Schweiz 1995/96.

In 1987, the Swiss Federal Health Office (BAG) and the Swiss cantons launched the MMR-vaccination campaign. Within the frame of the SCARPOL Study, the vaccination status of 649, 8th class students was registered and serum samples were collected. The measles, mumps and rubella specific antibody levels were determined. The vaccination rate was 84% for measles, 74% for mumps, and 62% for rubella, 55% of these children had been vaccinated with the combined vaccine MMR. The vaccination rate for the different study areas varied from 70% to 95% for measles, 42% to 94% for mumps and 18% to 89% for rubella, 92% of the children tested seropositive for measles specific antibodies, 87% for mumps and 84% for rubella. The seroprevalence for measles, mumps and rubella was significantly higher for vaccinated than for unvaccinated children. Non-Swiss children had, without exception, a higher seroprevalence rate than Swiss children. Undergoing the disease did not influence the seroprevalence for measles, but it did so for mumps and rubella, for vaccinated and unvaccinated children alike. By analysis according to study site, we observed that sites with higher vaccination rates (e.g. Grabs in Rheintal) sometimes showed a lower seroprevalence than sites with lower vaccination rates (e.g. Langnau). This was the case for all three vaccines. This, together with other observations, shows that a booster is necessary for an adequate immunisation--as a wild virus infection or as a second vaccination.

[Body image, weight and eating behavior in adolescents]. / Körperbild, Gewicht und Essverhalten bei Jugendlichen.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of abnormal eating behaviour in relation to age, sex, and body awareness as well as to find potential access to the prevention of eating disorders. The study population was taken from 203 female and 153 male college students aged 14 to 19 years. The method chosen was a self-report questionnaire asking for assessment of current body image and ideal body image by body size silhouettes, dietary habits, methods of weight control and symptoms of eating disorder. Measurements of height and weight were also included. RESULTS: Among girls, 63% are satisfied with their body shape, in contrast to 93% of the boys. The current body shape matches the ideal body image in 49% of the girls and in 69% of the boys. In two thirds of the female students the ideal body image corresponds to a slightly underweight silhouette, whereas in four fifth of the male students it corresponds to a normal-weight silhouette. A majority of girls (53% vs. 13% boys) is afraid of gaining weight. Four times as many girls use a variety of methods to lose weight. There were no sex differences concerning the regularity of meal intake. Only 13% of all students took all three main meals daily. Eating habits were significantly worse with higher body-mass index. A high risk for the presence of an eating disorder was seen exclusively in girls (4%), whereas the majority of boys (99%) are represented in the low-risk group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

["Take it"--a musical by adolescents for adolescents as a new form of AIDS education]. / "Take it"--ein Musical von Jugendlichen für Jugendliche als neue Form der AIDS-Aufklärung.

In the spring of 1992, young actors, actresses and musicians presented in Basel for their schoolmates of the 8th and 9th school year a musical on the subject of AIDS. The information content of AIDS prevention was communicated by means of feelings, that means, in an emotional way (and no longer in a mainly cognitive way such as the conventional explanations in the classroom). The performance by youngsters of the same age made what was shown on the stage more credible, and at the same time, contributed to the "otherness" by means of this instruction: not as usual from superiors to inferiors, but on an equal level. This project of a workteam from the Basel Board of Education and the AIDS assistance had a pilot character for the rest of Switzerland and because of this could not draw from experience of similar presentations. Accordingly, there are both several positive as well as negative aspects to the present realisation of the project.

[Ball or chair as seating arrangement in the classroom. A prospective study]. / Sitzball oder Stuhl im Klassenzimmer. Eine prospektive Studie.

False posture is believed to be connected with sitting habits in school: the child who used to play and run now has to sit in one place. The aim of our study was to determine the value of a new type of seating accommodation--a large plastic ball. During one school year a group of 162 children (ages 8 and 12) used this ball as the only seating accommodation, while another similar group of 148 used normal chairs. At the beginning and the end of the study both groups were examined (muscle testing, modified Matthiass test and balance test). The results suggest a possible effect of the new seating accommodation on the back and abdominal muscles, but on the whole we found little improvement due to the ball alone. When incorporating movement into the classroom context the ball may be helpful. We recommend basic training and supervision of the teachers involved.