Survey of Biobanks at a Swiss University Hospital

Human biobanks are a valuable source of biospecimens and personal data to be used for research. Little is known of how many biobanks exist at a given Swiss University Hospital. The purpose of this survey conducted at the CHUV hospital ( >40'000 patients hospitalized per year) and the faculty of biology and medicine (FBM) at the University in Lausanne, Switzerland was a) to provide an overview of the number of biobanks, b) to assess their purpose and size, c) to determine the kinds of biospecimens collected and d) to analyse the extent to which the biobanks follow the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) guidelines on biobank

Combined treatment with captopril, hydrochlorothiazide and pravastatin in dyslipidemic hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVES: Hypertension and hypercholesterolemia frequently coexist, necessitating concurrent treatments for both disorders. The present study aimed at evaluating the efficacy, the safety, and the toleration of captopril, an ACE inhibitor, hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic, and pravastatin, a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor co-administered in hypertensive patients in general practice. DESIGN: The patients were followed for 16 weeks and asked to comply with a lipid lowering diet for the whole period. Captopril, 50 mg/once daily, was administered alone for the first 4 weeks. Hydrochlorothiazide, 25 mg/day, was added after 4 weeks if required. Pravastatin treatment (20 mg/day) was started at the 8th week of the study and its dose was doubled 4 weeks later if needed. PATIENTS: A total of 603 patients with hypertension (diastolic blood pressure > or = 95 mmHg) and dyslipidemia (total cholesterol > 6.5 mmol/l) were included. SETTING: The study was performed in general practice by 230 physicians. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Determination of blood pressure, circulating levels of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, and blood chemistry for safety monitoring. RESULTS: At the end of the trial 75.1% of patients had their diastolic blood pressure < or = 90 mmHg and 43.5% a total cholesterol level < 6.5 mmol/l. The overall incidence of adverse events was 21.7%, leading to withdrawal in 10.9% of the total number of patients. The combined treatments had no deleterious effect on safety variables. CONCLUSIONS: Captopril, hydrochlorothiazide and pravastatin are effective and well tolerated medications to treat dyslipidemic hypertensive patients

Business Planning in Biobanking: How to Implement a Tool for Sustainability

Worldwide, the sustainability of public health systems is challenged by the increasing number and cost of personalized therapies. Quality biological samples stored in biobanks are essential for the provision of appropriate health services and also act as a reservoir for the development of precision medicine and biotechnological innovation. Economic sustainability is a crucial factor in the maintenance of biobanking activities. Traditionally, management of biobanking is performed by health researchers and/or clinicians whose knowledge of economic issues is inadequate. On the other hand, familiarity with financial instruments used by economists is not often accompanied by a consolidated understanding of biobanking features. This article aims to be a guide for the implementation of business plans in biobanking and proposes models for the facilitation of their preparation, thus contributing to recognition of the importance of efficient management of resources of public health services

Der akute Myokardinfarkt in der Schweiz: Resultate aus dem PIMICS-Herzinfarkt-Register. PIMICS-Projekt (Prospective Ischemia Myocardial Infarction Captopril Survey). [Acute myocardial infarct in Switzerland: results from the PIMICS Heart Infarct Register. PIMICS Project (Prospective Ischemia Myocardial Infarction Captopril Survey)]

The aim of the PIMICS project was to create, for the first time in Switzerland, a registry of data concerning epidemiology and therapy in patients hospitalised for acute myocardial infarction covering all regions of the country. During 1995/96 73 Swiss hospitals of all categories took part in the PIMICS project. The ratio between males and females in the 3877 registered patients was 2.6:1 (2791 men vs. 1086 women). Female patients were significantly older than males (70.4 +/- 12.0 years vs. 63.4 +/- 12.6 years; p < 0.0001). The prevalence of risk factors differed between men and women: significantly more women had hypertension or diabetes, whereas smoking was more prevalent in males. The median delay between onset of symptoms and arrival at the hospital was 5.5 hours. Thrombolysis and primary angioplasty were more frequently performed in men (40.4% vs. 31.2% in women, p < 0.0001, and 5.7% in men vs. 3.5% in women, p = 0.005 respectively). During the acute phase males were treated more frequently with betablockers. The overall in-hospital mortality was 9.1%. It was significantly higher in female patients (13.5% vs. 7.4% in men; p < 0.0001) and in patients with reinfarction (14.5% vs. 7.1%; p < 0.0001). The mean hospital stay was 12.6 +/- 5.3 days. Only 7.7% of all patients with acute myocardial infarction were discharged within 6 days. At discharge, 51.7% were treated with betablockers and 69.3% with aspirin; 44.8% received ACE-inhibitors and only 13.8% lipid-lowering drugs. Follow-up measures such as coronary angiography and/or angioplasty or bypass surgery were performed significantly more often in males (45.0% vs. 32.9%; p < 0.0001). Likewise, men were more frequently assigned to a rehabilitation program than women (38.2% vs. 32.9%; p = 0.0004). The pre-hospital delay in patients with acute myocardial infarction remains too long. Primary and secondary prevention should be intensified in high risk groups, particularly in females. Thrombolysis and primary angioplasty as mainstays of treatment in acute myocardial infarction are generally used too sparingly, especially in women. With such measures the hospital stay could be shortened further