[Relevance of fluoroquinolones prescriptions in medical service]. / Pertinence des prescriptions de fluoroquinolones dans un service de médecine.

INTRODUCTION: Fluoroquinolones (FQ) are antibiotics which favour the emergence of resistance and remain widely prescribed in the French hospital environment. A focus of prescription recommendation was published by the French Infectious Diseases Society (SPILF) in 2015 in order to preserve their use. The pneumology-oriented medical service of Salon de Provence's hospital had high FQ consumption for the year 2015; thus a relevant assessment of prescriptions was carried out. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted between January 1 and December 31, 2015 and concerned patients who received at least one FQ administration during their hospitalization. RESULTS: Thirty-eight per cent of the prescriptions were justified, 37 % were inappropriate and 25 % unjustified. The majority of unjustified prescriptions were for lung infections. Only 35 % of the patients received bacteriological documentation and 53 % of the prescriptions were reassessed at 48-72hours. Twenty-two per cent of the justified prescriptions showed non-conformities concerning the duration of prescriptions, the dosage or an association with another antibiotic. CONCLUSION: The diffusion of these results, combined with the implementation of corrective actions, should make it possible to improve the relevance of the FQ prescription.

Efficacy and safety of 5% lidocaine-medicated plasters in localized pain with neuropathic and/or inflammatory characteristics: an observational, real-world study.

OBJECTIVE: Based on clinical study results, 5% lidocaine-medicated plaster (5% LMP) is currently recommended for the treatment of localized peripheral neuropathic pain, such as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). However, its effective action, as well as the high safety, have indeed led to its use in clinical practice for pain conditions with similar pathophysiological mechanisms. In this study, the efficacy and safety of 5% LMP were investigated in patients with localized pain with neuropathic and/or inflammatory characteristics, such as PHN, post-traumatic/surgical or musculoskeletal pain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 503 patients with localized pain treated with 5% LMP were evaluated at baseline (T0), after 30 days (T30) and after 60 days (T60). The primary endpoint was number and proportion of 30% responders at T60, whereas secondary endpoints included number and proportion of 30% responders at T30, mean pain intensity, mean extension of the painful area, dynamic mechanical allodynia and quality of sleep. Evaluations were assessed in all patients and subgroups based on different clinical entities. Concomitant treatments and adverse reactions were also recorded. RESULTS: 72% and 90% of all patients responded to 5% LMP treatment at T30 and T60, respectively. Comparable results were also obtained in subgroups such as PHN patients (72% and 68% at T30 and T60, respectively), and musculoskeletal pain (73% and 83% at T30 and T60, respectively). The mean pain intensity, as well as the extension of the painful area, significantly decreased during the study, in all patients and each subgroup. In addition, secondary endpoints significantly improved at each time-point compared with baseline, in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness and safety of 5% LMP were shown in localized pain conditions such as neuropathic and, importantly, in musculoskeletal pain, a condition never investigated with this product. This field-practice study suggests that topical pain-reducing strategies such as 5% LMP could be effective in neuropathic and/or inflammatory, localized pain conditions.

What to Do, and What Not to Do, When Diagnosing and Treating Breakthrough Cancer Pain (BTcP): Expert Opinion.

Clinical management of breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) is still not satisfactory despite the availability of effective pharmacological agents. This is in part linked to the lack of clarity regarding certain essential aspects of BTcP, including terminology, definition, epidemiology and assessment. Other barriers to effective management include a widespread prejudice among doctors and patients concerning the use of opioids, and inadequate assessment of pain severity, resulting in the prescription of ineffective drugs or doses. This review presents an overview of the appropriate and inappropriate actions to take in the diagnosis and treatment of BTcP, as determined by a panel of experts in the field. The ultimate aim is to provide a practical contribution to the unresolved issues in the management of BTcP. Five 'things to do' and five 'things not to do' in the diagnosis and treatment of BTcP are proposed, and evidence supporting said recommendations are described. It is the duty of all healthcare workers involved in managing cancer patients to be mindful of the possibility of BTcP occurrence and not to underestimate its severity. It is vital that all the necessary steps are carried out to establish an accurate and timely diagnosis, principally by establishing effective communication with the patient, the main information source. It is crucial that BTcP is treated with an effective pharmacological regimen and drug(s), dose and administration route prescribed are designed to suit the particular type of pain and importantly the individual needs of the patient.

Italian Intersociety Recommendations on pain management in the emergency setting (SIAARTI, SIMEU, SIS 118, AISD, SIARED, SICUT, IRC).

BACKGRAUND: Pain is the primary reason for admission to the Emergency Department (ED). However, the management of pain in this setting is often inadequate because of opiophagia, fear of excessive sedation, and fear of compromising an adequate clinical assessment. METHODS: An intersociety consensus conference was held in 2010 on the assessment and treatment of pain in the emergency setting. This report is the Italian Intersociety recommendations on pain management in the emergency department setting. RESULTS: The list of level A recommendations includes: 1) use of IV acetaminophen for opioid sparing properties and reduction of opioid related adverse events; 2) ketamine-midazolam combination preferred over fentanyl-midazolam fentanyl-propofol in pediatric patients; 3) boluses of ketamine IV (particularly in the population under the age of 2 years and over the age of 13) can lead to impairment of the upper airways, including the onset of laryngospasm, requiring specific expertise and skills for administration; 4) the use of ketamine increases the potential risk of psychomotor agitation, which can happen in up to 30% of adult patients (this peculiar side effect can be significantly reduced by concomitant systemic use of benzodiazepines); 5) for shoulder dislocations and fractures of the upper limbs, the performance of brachial plexus block reduces the time spent in ED compared to sedation; 6) pain relief and the use of opioids in patients with acute abdominal pain do not increase the risk of error in the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway in adults; 7) in newborns, the administration of sucrose reduces behavioural responses to blood sampling from a heel puncture; 8) in newborns, breastfeeding or formula feeding during the procedure reduces the measures of distress; 9) in pediatric patients, non-pharmacological techniques such as distraction, hypnosis and cognitive-behavioural interventions reduce procedural pain caused by the use of needles; 10) in pediatric patients, preventive application of eutectic mixtures of prilocaine and lidocaine allows arterial and venous samples to be taken in optimum conditions; 11) in pediatric patients, the combination of hypnotics (midazolam) and N2O is effective for procedural pain, but may be accompanied by loss of consciousness. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic-therapeutic pathway of pain management in emergency should be implemented, through further interdisciplinary trials, in order to improve the EBM level of specific guidelines.

High incidence and increasing prevalence of MS in Enna (Sicily), southern Italy.

Twenty years after a first survey, a follow-up study was performed on the prevalence of MS in Enna (Sicily), southern Italy. The prevalence of definite MS rose from 53 to 120.2 per 100,000 population. The incidence of definite MS for the period 1986 to 1995 was 5.7 per 100,000 per year. The innermost part of Sicily shows an elevated prevalence of MS, second only to Sardinia in the Mediterranean area.

[Intravenous anesthesia with perfused propofol combined with loco-regional spinal anesthesia]. / Anestesia endovenosa con propofol in perfusione associato ad anestesia locoregionale rachidea.

The authors review the advantages and disadvantages of general and regional anesthesia in bad clinical conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Blended Anesthesia (association of general anesthesia with a regional technique) in 25 patients belonging to ASA classes II-III-IV, undergoing surgery for various disease. General anesthesia was provided by perfusion of propofol, after a peridural or subarachnoid continuous anesthesia was started. Patients were either in spontaneous or controlled ventilation. There were no cases of hypotension or other important side effects and the majority of patients judged good the anesthetic technique in regard to lack of pain, exhaustion and recall of operation.

[Nutritional support in patients with relapsing chronic respiratory failure]. / Il supporto nutrizionale nel paziente affetto da insufficienza respiratoria cronica riacutizzata.

The authors review the scientific data on nutritional problems in patients with acute decompensation of COPD and present their own experience in the nutritional management of such condition. Artificial nutrition (enteral and parenteral) allowed a reduction in the duration of hospitalization, a lower incidence of infections, and a shorter weaning time from mechanical ventilation in comparison to a homogeneous group of patients treated in the same unit in an earlier period, when less attention was paid to nutritional problems. The importance of artificial nutrition in patients with acute decompensation of COPD is highlighted.

Density and composition of trabecular and cortical bone in perinatally irradiated beagles with chronic renal failure.

Bone density and composition were studied in trabecular and cortical bone from control 2 and 4 year old beagles and those which had various degrees of renal failure as a result of perinatal irradiation. Changes in the two types of bone were qualitatively similar but consistently greater in trabecular bone. In a group identified as markedly uremic, the decrease (P less than 0.025) from control levels in specific gravity was about 4 times greater in trabecular than in cortical samples. The decrease (P less than 0.025) in grams of ash/ml was 9% in trabecular bone and 2% in cortical bone. These changes were associated with an increase (P less than 0.001) in water content and, on a percent by volume basis, approximately equal decreases in ash (P less than 0.025) and combustible matter (P less than 0.025). In a mildly uremic group there were similar trends in mean values but the only significant difference was an increase (P less than 0.001) in trabecular bone water.