Salvage strategy for long-term central venous catheter-associated Staphylococcus aureus infections in children: a multi-centre retrospective study in France.

OBJECTIVES: Catheter removal is recommended in adults with Staphylococcus aureus central-line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) but is controversial in children with long-term central venous catheters (LTCVC). We evaluated the occurrence of catheter salvage strategy (CSS) in children with S. aureus LTCVC-associated CLABSI and assessed determinants of CSS failure. METHODS: We retrospectively included children (<18 years) with an LTCVC and hospitalized with S. aureus CLABSI in eight French tertiary-care hospitals (2010-2018). CSS was defined as an LTCVC left in place ≥72 h after initiating empiric antibiotic treatment for suspected bacteraemia. Characteristics of patients were reviewed, and multi-variable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with CSS failure (i.e., persistence, recurrence or complications of bacteraemia). RESULTS: We included 273 episodes of S. aureus LTCVC-associated CLABSI. CSS was chosen in 194 out of 273 (71%) cases and failed in 74 of them (38%). The main type of CSS failure was the persistence of bacteraemia (39 of 74 cases, 53%). Factors independently associated with CSS failure were: history of catheter infection (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38-7.36), CLABSI occurring on an implantable venous access device (aOR 7.61, 95% CI 1.98-29.20) when compared with tunnelled-cuffed CVC, polymicrobial CLABSI (aOR 3.45, 95% CI 1.25-9.50), and severe sepsis at the initial stage of infection (aOR 4.46, 95% CI 1.18-16.82). CONCLUSIONS: CSS was frequently chosen in children with S. aureus LTCVC-associated CLABSI, and failure occurred in one-third of cases. The identified risk factors may help clinicians identify children at risk for CSS failure.

[Evaluation of a referral protocol to primary health care for patients eligible for health service access points following hospitalization]. / Évaluation d'un protocole d'orientation vers le droit commun parmi des patients ayant été suivis en permanence d'accès aux soins de santé suite à une hospitalisation.

INTRODUCTION: PASS is a hospital care unit that provides access to health care for precarious persons and supports them as soon as they have obtained primary health care insurance. No details of this support had previously been described. A Hospital-to-Community protocol for referral to the public health system has been developed at the adult PASS unit of the Marseille public hospitals (AP-HM). The objectives of this study are to describe how this protocol is applied, to evaluate at six months the inclusion in general practice of patients having benefited (or not) from this protocol and to determine the key influencing factors. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This two-arm prospective observational study collected data on the primary care pathways of precarious patients six months after their having obtained health coverage, and found out whether or not the newly existing protocol had been effectively implemented. It was carried out on a cohort of people included in the PASS-MULTI study who had acquired complete health coverage. RESULTS: Sixty patients were included between November 2020 and August 2022, 35 of whom had availed themselves of the Hospital-to-Community protocol. Among them, 68.8% in the interventional group had consulted their referring general practitioner within six months, vs. 40% in the control group (p = 0.04). The initiation of follow-up in general medicine was associated with application of the protocol (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: This study described an initial Hospital-to-Community protocol for referral to the primary healthcare system of patients followed up in the PASS unit and found an association between application of this protocol and initiation of follow-up in primary healthcare.

Non-invasive cell-free DNA prenatal screening for trisomy 21 as part of primary screening strategy in twin pregnancies.

OBJECTIVES: The performance of non-invasive prenatal screening using cell-free DNA testing in maternal blood in twin pregnancies is still under-evaluated, while serum marker-based strategies yield poor results. This study aims at assessing the performance of non-invasive prenatal screening for trisomy 21 in twin pregnancies as a first-tier test. The secondary objectives were to assess the failure rate and associated factors. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included twin pregnancies for which non-invasive prenatal screening using cell-free DNA was performed as the primary screening strategy between May 2017 and October 2019. We used the NIPT VeriSeq® test for in vitro diagnosis and set a fetal fraction cut-off of 4% for monochorionic pregnancies and 8% for dichorionic ones. Clinical data and pregnancy outcome was collected from either physicians or midwives through a questionnaire or were retrieved directly on site. We calculated the performance of non-invasive cell free DNA screening for trisomy 21 and analyzed failure rate and factors. RESULTS: We included 2577 multiple pregnancies among which 1885 (84.8%) were retained after excluding vanishing twins and pregnancies without follow-up. Overall, there were six confirmed trisomy 21 cases (0.32%). For trisomy 21, sensitivity was 100% (95% CI, 61-100%) and the false-positive rate 0.2% (95% CI, 0.07-0.6%). The primary failure rate was 4.6% with 4% due to insufficient fetal fraction. After a new blood draw (59.8% of failed cases), failure rate was only 1.5%. Body mass index and chorionicity were significantly correlated with the risk of failure. CONCLUSION: This study adds further evidence on the high performance of NIPS in twins, as part of the primary screening strategy for trisomy 21, at an extremely low false-positive rate. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Role of chromosomal imbalances in the pathogenesis of DSD: A retrospective analysis of 115 prenatal samples.

Differences of sex development (DSDs) are a group of congenital conditions characterized by a discrepancy between chromosomal, gonadal, and genital sex development of an individual, with significant impact on medical, psychological and reproductive life. The genetic heterogeneity of DSDs complicates the diagnosis and almost half of the patients remains undiagnosed. In this context, chromosomal imbalances in syndromic DSD patients may help to identify new genes implicated in DSDs. In this study, we aimed at describing the burden of chromosomal imbalances including submicroscopic ones (copy number variants or CNVs) in a cohort of prenatal syndromic DSD patients, and review their role in DSDs. Our patients carried at least one pathogenic or likely pathogenic chromosomal imbalance/CNV or low-level mosaicism for aneuploidy. Almost half of the cases resulted from an unbalanced chromosomal rearrangement. Chromosome 9p/q, 4p/q, 3q and 11q anomalies were more frequently observed. Review of the literature confirmed the causative role of CNVs in DSDs, either in disruption of known DSD-causing genes (SOX9, NR0B1, NR5A1, AR, ATRX, …) or as a tool to suspect new genes in DSDs (HOXD cluster, ADCY2, EMX2, CAMK1D, …). Recurrent CNVs of regulatory elements without coding sequence content (i.e. duplications/deletions upstream of SOX3 or SOX9) confirm detection of CNVs as a mean to explore our non-coding genome. Thus, CNV detection remains a powerful tool to explore undiagnosed DSDs, either through routine techniques or through emerging technologies such as long-read whole genome sequencing or optical genome mapping.

[Social or judicial alert in child abuse: Announcement guidelines and simulation in child welfare training with standardized patients]. / Information préoccupante ou signalement dans les violences intrafamiliales : construction, validation et mise en application d'une grille d'annonce par technique de simulation en santé avec patients standardisés.

Child abuse is a major health problem that can lead to physical and psychological issues. Its diagnosis can be difficult and sensitive. Physicians are submitted by law to inform the parents when they report to child welfare services or judicial authorities, unless otherwise in the minor's interest. This exercise is destabilizing for both patients and physicians. The physician must be trained to detect and announce a possible diagnosis of child abuse. To facilitate and increase those reports, we have developed guidelines for the physicians to help the exercise of announcement. These guidelines were based on pre-existing recommendations about how to announce bad news. We have also planned to put into practice these guidelines with a communication skills training program based on standardized patients. We propose the acronym PROTECT; P for plural: never stay alone in such situations, R for remaining a caregiver and not becoming an investigator or judge, O for obligation to protect minors, T for time, to take enough time to inform the parents and the child but in a limited time frame, E for explaining to the parents what preoccupy the professionals; C for centring ourselves on the child, his or her symptoms, needs and pain; T for total care of the child that should integrate physical, psychological, and social child health, through a global and interdisciplinary approach in collaboration with child welfare services, and should involve also the child in the process. This tool will be applied by simulation in child welfare training with standardized patients. The evaluation of this tool and its application would need further study.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on child abuse and neglect: A cross-sectional study in a French Child Advocacy Center.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown in France on the activity of a Child Advocacy Center. METHODS: This cross-sectional, observational study included all children involved in the activity of the CAC during the first lockdown, from March 16 to May 10, 2020 and the next 3 months and the corresponding periods in 2018 and 2019. Cases were considered severe when a hospitalization, social alert and/or judicial report to the prosecutor was decided. RESULTS: Data for 1583 children were analyzed. During the lockdown, the global center activity decreased with 26.4 consultations per 100.000 children in 2018, 46 in 2019 and 20.7 in 2020 (p < 0.001). Judicial activity decreased (forensic examinations and child forensic interview recordings), whereas assessment consultations increased. Cases were more severe during the lockdown than in 2019 and 2018 (12.3, 9.4 and 6.04/100.000 children, respectively, p < 0.0001). The global activity of the center increased in the 3 months after the lockdown as compared with during the lockdown (38.2/100.000 versus 20.7/100.000, respectively, p < 0.001) but did not differ from activity in 2018 and 2019. Severe cases were more frequent in the 3 months after the lockdown than the previous years (13.7/100.000 in 2020, 9.62 in 2019 and 8.17 in 2018, p = 0.0002). CONCLUSION: The CAC activity decreased during the lockdown in France but the increase in incidence of severe abuse cases during the lockdown and the next 3 months confirm the need for optimal screening, care and support of child abuse and neglect victims even in the context of health crisis.

Pediatric hospital care organization: Cross-sectional enquiry in four regions in France.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterize conventional pediatric care capacities in French public hospitals and identify the main difficulties in guiding upcoming health policies. The secondary objective was to assess the quality of care by the implementation of the European Charter of the Rights of Children in Hospital. METHOD: Multicenter cross-sectional study using a questionnaire survey sent by e-mail to the heads of conventional pediatric departments in four French regions identified on the French Hospital Federation's website. The survey was conducted between 25 September and 25 October 2018. RESULTS: Fifty-six of 113 heads of departments participated in the survey. The mean annual number of admissions per unit in 2017 was 2066 (SD, 1433), with a median length of stay of 2.7 days (range, 1-10). Children were admitted up to age 18 years in 76% of the departments, and 83% of the departments had an individualized pediatric emergency department. The nurse care load was very high, specifically during the night shift (9.5 patients/nurse). Inpatient education and academic teaching were unavailable in 38% of the departments. Overall, 89% of department heads declared knowing the European Charter of the Rights of Children in Hospital, and a copy of it was posted in all units in 57% (95% confidence interval, 44-70) of the services/departments. At all times and in all departments, parents were allowed to be with their children, and for 34% (95% CI, 21-47) of the departments, an accommodation for parents was available close to the hospital. CONCLUSION: Public hospital pediatric departments lack sufficient medical and nonmedical caregivers. Department heads were well aware of the European Charter, and it was well disseminated but should be updated to address today's challenges in pediatrics. An area of improvement would be to include parents in their child's care more effectively.

Enterobacter cloacae complex outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit: multifaceted investigations and preventive measures are needed.

We report the investigation to control an Enterobacter cloacae complex outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit from November 2020 to February 2021. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that five of eight cases were infected with a clonal strain. Breast pumps, shared among mothers in the unit, could have contributed to the spread of the clonal spread.

Investigation of primary immune deficiency after severe bacterial infection in children: A population-based study in western France.

BACKGROUND: Infectious diseases are still an important cause of morbidity and mortality in high-income countries and may preferentially affect predisposed children, especially immunocompromised children. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of recommended immunological tests in children with community-onset severe bacterial infection (COSBI) admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit. We also assessed the frequency and described the typology of diagnosed primary immune deficiency (PID). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational epidemiological study in six university hospitals in western France. All children from 1 month to 16 years of age admitted to hospital for bacterial meningitis, purpura fulminans, or meningococcal disease between August 2009 and January 2014 were included. We analyzed the frequency, type, and results of the immunological tests performed on children with meningitis, purpura fulminans, or a meningococcemia episode. RESULTS: Among the 143 children included (144 episodes), 84 (59%) and 60 (41%) had bacterial meningitis and purpura fulminans or meningococcemia, respectively: 72 (50%) had immunological tests and 8% had a complete immunological investigation as recommended. Among the 72 children examined for PID, 11 (15%) had at least one anomaly in the immunological test results. Two children had a diagnosis of PID (one with C2 deficit and the other with C8 deficit) and seven other children had possible PID. Thus, the prevalence of a definite or possible diagnosis of PID was 12% among the children examined. CONCLUSION: PID is rarely investigated after COSBI. We raise awareness of the need for immunological investigations after a severe infection requiring PICU admission.

Severity of parechovirus infections in infants under 3 months of age and comparison with enterovirus infections: A French retrospective study.

While enteroviruses (EV) are a well-recognized cause of aseptic meningitis in children, human parechoviruses (HPeV), especially genotype 3, have been increasingly reported as a frequent cause of sepsis-like illness and meningitis among young infants. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of HPeV infections in infants and to compare them with those of well-known EV infections. This monocentric retrospective study was carried out at the pediatric unit of Nantes University Hospital from January 2015 to August 2018. All patients under 18 years of age with diagnosis codes referring to fever, for whom viral infection was suspected and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were collected, were included. All CSF specimens were screened by duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay that allows for the simultaneous detection of EV and HPeV in clinical samples. During the study period, 1373 CSF specimens from patients under 18 were included. A total of 312 CSF samples were positive for HPeV (n=34) or EV (n=278). Among the 34 HPeV-positive patients, 97% (33/34) were under 3 months of age, whereas the rate was 54% (149/278) for EV-positive patients (P<0.001); thus, patients under 3 months of age were defined as the study population for the rest of this work. A review of the medical records was carried out for the positive cases. In this population, the HPeV detection rate was 5.6% versus 25.3% (P<0.001) for EV. All but one of the HPeV samples available for genotyping were HPeV-3. No seasonality was observed for HPeV infections. Length of hospital stay tended to be longer for children infected with HPeV compared with those infected by EV (3 days vs. 2 days, P=0.05). Clinicians reported more severe illness presentations among HPeV-infected infants, with more frequent administration of fluid bolus (P<0.02). Regarding laboratory characteristics, a significant lack of cellular reaction in the CSF (P=0.004) as well as lower C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (P=0.006) and neutrophil counts (P<0.001) were noted for HPeV infections compared with EV infections. Our results confirm the early onset of HPeV infections (more than 95% of patients aged under 3 months). The clinical presentation and laboratory characteristics of the two infections was similar. However, some higher clinical severity criteria and a lack of CSF pleocytosis were regularly observed in patients with HPeV infections. Considering the significant proportion (5.6%; 95% CI, 3.7-7.5) of all CSF samples in our series, HPeV detection should be systematically included in the microbiological diagnosis of febrile children under 3 months of age.

Reopening schools in the context of increasing COVID-19 community transmission: The French experience.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The role of schools in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the community is still controversial. The objective of our study was to describe the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infections in different pediatric age groups during the first 2 months of the fall back-to-school period, in the context of increasing viral transmission in France. METHODS: Weekly epidemiological data provided by Santé Publique France and the Ministry of National Education were analyzed according to the age groups defined by the different school levels. Weeks (W) 34-42 were considered for analysis. RESULTS: The PCR positivity rate and incidence rate increased in all age groups during the study period, in an age-dependent manner. At W42, with adults being considered as reference, the risk ratio for a positive PCR test was 0.46 [95% CI: 0.44-0.49] and 0.69 [0.68-0.70] for children aged 0-5 years and 6-17 years, respectively. Similarly, the incidence rate ratio was 0.09 [0.08-0.09], 0.31 [0.30-0.32], 0.64 [0.63-0.66], and 1.07 [1.05-1.10] for children aged 0-5 years, 6-10 years, 11-14 years, and 15-17 years, respectively. Children and adolescents accounted for 1.9% of the newly hospitalized patients between W34 and W42, and for 1.3% of new intensive care admissions. No death was observed. Among infected children and adolescents, the percentage of asymptomatic individuals was 57% at W34 and 48% at W42. The number of schools closed remained low, less than 1% throughout the study period. The number of confirmed cases among school staff was consistent with the data measured in the general population. CONCLUSION: In the context of increasing viral transmission in the population, the spread among children and adolescents remained lower than that observed among adults, despite keeping schools open. However, the impact was age-dependent, with data in high schools close to those observed in adults.

[Cervicofacial nontuberculous mycobacteria in children: Clinical, microbiological and therapeutic features. A retrospective study and literature review]. / Adénites cervico-faciales à mycobactéries atypiques de l'enfant : caractéristiques cliniques, microbiologiques et thérapeutiques. Étude rétrospective et revue de la littérature.

BACKGROUND: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is a common cause of lymphadenitis. A rise in incidence has been reported. Our main aim was to describe the clinical features, microbiological aspects and treatment of the disease. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, monocentric study between January 2008 and December 2017 (University Hospital of Nantes). INCLUSION CRITERIA: age<18 years, 1 positive lymph node specimen with identification of the species in culture, head-and-neck localization. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients were enrolled from 2008 to 2017. Median age was 28 months (range: 6-141 months). Median time to confirmation of diagnosis was 2.1 months (range: 0.7-6 months). The sites encountered were mandibular (45%), cervical (33%), and parotid (16%). The main clinical signs were a tender nodule (70%), purplish nodule (59%) or painless nodule (83%), without fever (88%). The species identified were: Mycobacterium avium (n=26), M. lentiflavum (n=13), M. intracellulare (n=7), M. malmoense (n=2) and M. scrofulaceum (n=1). Antibiotic treatment was frequent (77% of cases). DISCUSSION: This study is the second largest French cohort of NTM lymphadenitis in children with microbiological confirmation. The most frequent presentation was a tender, purplish, and painless mandibular nodule. The predominant species was M. avium. M. lentiflavum, which emerged during our study, does not figure in any European studies before 2014 but appears in the most recent studies. The effects of discontinuation of mandatory BCG immunization in France in NMT is not statistically demonstrable here due to lack of relevant data prior to 2007. CONCLUSION: A possible diagnosis of NTM lymphadenitis should not be overlooked in children presenting painless, purplish, cervicofacial tumefaction.

Epidemiology of invasive early-onset neonatal infection in a French administrative district: A 10-year population-based study.

BACKGROUND: In light of the pending update of the French guidelines for the management of neonatal infections, knowing the current epidemiology of early-onset neonatal infection (EONI) is essential. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the current epidemiology of a French administrative district population of proven EONI, including umbilical cord blood procalcitonin levels. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective population-based study in the Nantes metropolitan area. We included all infants treated for proven EONI in the maternity, neonatology, and intensive care wards between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2015 in the Nantes University Hospital. RESULTS: Among the 140,502 children born during the study period, 61 cases of EONI were documented. The overall incidence of confirmed EONI was 0.43/1000 live births, with 0.23/1000 GBS (group B streptococcus) infections and 0.08/1000 Escherichia coli infections. The majority of infected newborns were full-term or late-preterm infants (67% were≥34 weeks of gestation), 88% had symptoms of EONI in the first 24h of life, most of which were respiratory. The mortality rate was 8% (in premature infants). Available in 51% of the population, the cord blood PCT value could contribute to an earlier diagnostic screening in 10% of cases but with a very low sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of confirmed EONI is low in this French district. The diagnostic value of PCT umbilical blood cord should be assessed based on further studies before confirming its value. We suggest that a national registry of these rare but serious cases of EONI could contribute to monitoring the epidemiological progression as well as to optimizing our diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

COVID-19 and schools. Guidelines of the French Pediatric Society.

The educational and social benefits provided by school far outweigh the risks of a possible COVID-19 contamination of children in school environments or in daycare centers. Following summer break, the back-to-school period in France is taking place in the context of an increasing viral spread and requires strict adherence to health measures to limit the risk of outbreaks in communities. Based on a critical update of the role of children in the transmission of the infection, and of children's susceptibility to infection, the French Pediatric Society published practical guidelines for school re-entry and the management of COVID-19 infections in schools.

Catheter-related bloodstream infection due to Tsukamurella pulmonis identified by MALDI-TOF spectrometry, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and secA1 gene sequencing in an immunocompromised child: a case report and literature review.

Tsukamurella species are Gram-positive bacilli related to aerobic Actinomyces. Originally reported from the environment, Tsukamurella species have also been described in human infections, especially in bacteremia. A literature review analysis revealed that Tsukamurella spp. are often initially considered as contaminant microorganisms, especially due to bacterial identification issues. Here, we report a catheter-related bloodstream infection in an immunocompromised child caused by Tsukamurella pulmonis. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time Of Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry allowed rapid genus-level identification and contributed to better patient care. However, accurate species-level identification required 16S rRNA gene sequencing and secA1 gene sequencing. Considering the increased number of Tsukamurella infections, the implementation of new Tsukamurella species in MALDI-TOF databases is required to be more discriminant.

A 1-year survey of catheter-related infections in a pediatric university hospital: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Central venous catheters (CVCs) provide a great comfort for hospitalized children. However, CVCs increase the risk of severe infection. As there are few data regarding pediatric epidemiology of catheter-related infections (CRIs), the main objective of this study was to measure the incidence rate of CRIs in our pediatric university hospital. We also sought to characterize the CRIs and to identify risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an epidemiological prospective monocentric study including all CVCs, except Port-a-Caths and arterial catheters, inserted in children from birth to 18 years of age between April 2015 and March 2016 in the pediatric University Hospital of Nantes. Our main focus was the incidence rate of CRIs, defined according to French guidelines, while distinguishing between bloodstream infections (CRBIs) and non-bloodstream infections (CRIWBs). The incidence rate was also described for each pediatric ward. We analyzed the association between infection and potential risk factors using univariate and multivariate analysis by Cox regression. RESULTS: We included 793 CVCs with 60 CRBIs and four CRIWBs. The incidence rate was 4.6/1000 catheter-days, with the highest incidence rate occurring in the neonatal intensive care unit (13.7/1000 catheter-days). Coagulase-negative staphylococci were responsible for 77.5% of the CRIs. Factors independently associated with a higher risk of infection in neonates were invasive ventilation and low gestational age. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of CRIs in children hospitalized in our institution appears to be higher than the typical rate of CRIs reported in the literature. This was particularly true for neonates. These results should lead us to reinforce preventive measures and antibiotic stewardship but they also raise the difficulty of diagnosing with certainty CRIs in neonates.

Should central venous catheters be rapidly removed to treat Staphylococcus aureus related-catheter bloodstream infection (CR-BSI) in neonates and children? An 8-year period (2010-2017) retrospective analysis in a French University Hospital.

Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CR-BSI) treatment is based on empiric antibiotherapy associated with or without catheter removal. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of failures in neonates and children with Staphylococcus aureus CR-BSI with or without rapid catheter removal. Treatment failure was defined as the persistence of positive blood cultures, onset or aggravation of a local or systemic complication, or relapse. Fifty-four CR-BSI in 225 patients were analysed (33 and 21 conservative and non-conservative treatments) with three and 10 failures, respectively (P<0.002). Non-conservative treatment with rapid catheter removal seems to be associated with a significantly lower failure rate and should be recommended.

A prospective observational study of medication errors in a pediatric emergency department.

We present a prospective, observational study evaluating the incidence of medication errors (ME) in a university hospital pediatric emergency department and describe their characteristics and determinants. A systematic analysis of the handwritten prescriptions was conducted by a clinician and pharmacist. Of 11,573 consecutively studied prescriptions in children under 15 years of age, the ME incidence was 0.9% (n=102). The incidence of errors found was statistically significantly higher in children older than 5 years (OR=2.05; P=0.026). There was no significant difference regarding the time of admission (P=0.544), the day of the week (P=0.940), or the affluence of people in attendance at the emergency department. The errors observed were all prescription errors. Most errors were related to analgesic (51%) and antibiotic (30%) treatments. No serious errors were reported. CONCLUSION: We found a low incidence of medication errors in this study. The validation of prescriptions by a senior multidisciplinary staff could contribute to limited medication errors. Measures should be continued to further reduce the incidence of drug errors by calling the attention of prescribers to the most common situations at risk of ME.

[Suboptimal care and severe bacterial infection in the French Caribbean area]. / Soins sub-optimaux et infections bactériennes sévères communautaires aux Antilles françaises.

OBJECTIVE: To study the frequency and types of suboptimal care in initial management of children suffering from a severe bacterial infection (SBI), in a French region where little is known about pediatric SBI epidemiology. METHOD: Retrospective single-center study over a 6-year period. Children between 3 months and 15 years of age, deceased or surviving and admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit of the university-affiliated hospital of Martinique for a community-onset SBI were included in this study. The optimality of the medical care before admission to the pediatric intensive care unit was assessed in a blinded fashion by two independent experts. RESULTS: Twenty-nine of the 30 children suffering from SBI could be analyzed. The median age was 3.7 years (IQR: 1.7-10.4); the mortality rate was 14 % (95 % CI: 1-27 %). Most frequently infections were pulmonary infections (48 %; 95 % CI: 29-67 %), followed by septic shock (44 %; 95 % CI: 25-63 %). Microbiological cultures were positive in 55 % (95 % CI, 36-74 %) (n=16) of the cases, with five pneumococcus and four Streptococcus pyogenes. Of the 29 children included in the study, 72 % (95 % CI: 55-89 %) (n=21) had received at least one episode of suboptimal care. Suboptimal care comprised delay in diagnosis (identification of serious symptoms) in 65 % (95 % CI: 47-83 %), a delay in seeking care in 41 % (95 % CI: 22-60 %), and a delay in the initiation of antibiotics or hemodynamic support in 45 % (95 % CI: 26-64 %) and 38 % (95 % CI: 20-56 %) of the cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: Suboptimal care was frequent in the initial management of SBI, particularly because of a delay in seeking care and the failure of physicians to recognize early signs of SBI. A large public information campaign, focusing on healthcare accessibility and better education of physicians in the early recognition of SBIs are means of improvement that need to be explored.

[When and how to report suspected child abuse to child protective services. Construction and evaluation of a specific support tool for primary care physicians]. / Évaluation d'un outil spécifique sur l'information préoccupante pour les médecins généralistes de Loire-Atlantique.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to create a specific tool and evaluate its impact on the knowledge of primary care physicians (PCPs) in reporting child abuse to child protective services (CPS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective "before/after" study assessing the knowledge of general practitioners (GPs) registered at the medical board in a French administrative area through anonymous questionnaires. The tool was adapted from the guidelines published in 2014 by the French Health authorities. The main criterion was the median score (/100) calculated for each questionnaire before (Q1) and after (Q2) the dissemination of the tool. These median scores were compared and associations between scores and some PCPs' characteristics were tested through multiple linear regression. RESULTS: A total of 279 GPs answered the first questionnaire (Q1) and 172 answered the second (Q2). PCPs who answered were mainly women (68% and 74%), were between 30 and 50 years old (61% and 66%), practiced in association with other physicians (82% and 84), and had 15-30% children in their patient population. For Q1, the general median was 65 [IQR: 40-81] versus 82 [IQR: 71-91] for Q2 (P<0.001). The PCPs' characteristics leading to significant variations in the scores for Q1 were age older than 50 years, being female, and having been trained in diagnosis and management of child abuse, with the ß coefficient at -16.4 [95% CI: -31.1; -1.69], +8.93 [95% CI: 2.58; 15.27] and +12 [95% CI: 6.33; 17.73], respectively. DISCUSSION: This study confirms the significant impact of this new tool on PCPs' knowledge concerning reporting suspected child abuse to the CPS. CONCLUSION: Wider dissemination of this tool could increase PCPs' awareness and comprehension of when and how to make a report to the CPS.