Key features of bone and joint infections following the implementation of reference centers in France.

OBJECTIVES: French reference centers for bone and joint infections (BJI) were implemented from 2009 onwards to improve the management of complex BJIs. This study compared BJI burden before and after the implementation of these reference centers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: BJI hospital stays were selected from the 2008 and 2013 national hospital discharge database using a validated algorithm, adding the new complex BJI code created in 2011. Epidemiology and economic burden were assessed. RESULTS: BJI prevalence increased in 2013 (70 vs. 54/100,000 in 2008). Characteristics of BJI remained similar between 2008 and 2013: septic arthritis (50%), increasing prevalence with age and sex, case fatality 5%, mean length of stay 17.5 days, rehospitalization 20%. However, device-associated BJIs increased (34 vs. 26%) as well as costs (€421 million vs. €259 in 2008). Similar device-associated BJI characteristics between 2008 and 2013 were: septic arthritis (70%), case fatality (3%), but with more hospitalizations in reference centers (34 vs. 30%) and a higher cost per stay. Among the 7% of coded complex BJIs, the mean length of stay was 22.2 days and mean cost was €11,960. CONCLUSIONS: BJI prevalence highly increased in France. Complex BJI prevalence assessment is complicated by the absence of clinical consensus and probable undercoding. A validation of clinical case definition of complex BJI is required.

Surveillance of prosthetic joint infections: international overview and new insights for hospital databases.

Since the US National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System was implemented in the 1970s, several countries have developed their own surveillance systems, all including surgical site infection (SSI) as a major target. However, the performance of such systems needs to be evaluated further in terms of data quality and cost-effectiveness. The current article presents a literature overview of the main strategies used for SSI surveillance worldwide, focusing on hip and knee arthroplasty infections, and discusses new issues for further development of surveillance databases.

Vaginal self-sampling is a cost-effective way to increase participation in a cervical cancer screening programme: a randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer screening coverage remains insufficient in most countries. Our objective was to assess whether in-home vaginal self-sampling with a dry swab for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) testing is effective and cost-effective in increasing participation in cervical cancer screening. METHODS: In March 2012, 6000 unscreened women aged 30-65 years, living in a French region covered by a screening programme, who had not responded to an initial invitation to have a Pap smear were equally randomised to three groups: 'no intervention'; 'recall', women received a letter to have a Pap smear; and 'self-sampling', women received a self-sampling kit to return to a centralised virology laboratory for PCR-based HPV testing. RESULTS: Participation was higher in the 'self-sampling' than in the 'no intervention' group (22.5% vs 9.9%, P<0.0001; OR 2.64) and 'recall' group (11.7%, P<0.0001; OR 2.20). In the 'self-sampling' group, 320 used the self-sampling kit; for 44 of these women with positive HR-HPV test results, 40 had the recommended triage Pap smear. The ICER per extra screened woman was 77.8[euro ] and 63.2[euro ] for the 'recall' and 'self-sampling' groups, respectively, relative to the 'no intervention' group. CONCLUSIONS: Offering an in-home, return-mail kit for vaginal self-sampling with a dry swab is more effective and cost-effective than a recall letter in increasing participation in cervical cancer screening.

Paediatric bone and joint infections are more common in boys and toddlers: a national epidemiology study.

AIM: Little is known about bone and joint infections (BJIs) in children, despite the risk of growth disturbance. This study examined BJIs epidemiology using the French National Hospital Discharge Database (HD). METHODS: Any child <15 years hospitalized with an HD diagnosis of BJI, alone or in combination with sepsis or orthopaedic procedure, was included. The majority of BJIs (96%) were haematogenic infections. We conducted descriptive analyses to evaluate epidemiological and economic outcomes of paediatric haematogenic BJIs. RESULTS: There were 2592 paediatric patients with 2911 BJI hospitalizations and an overall incidence of 22 per 100 000. BJIs occurred more frequently in boys than girls (24 vs 19 per 100 000) and in toddlers. Septic arthritis (52%) and osteomyelitis (44%) were the most frequent infections, 16.6% of patients had a micro-organism coded (61% were Staphylococci) and 13% of had comorbidities. The mean hospital stay was 8.6 days, costing approximately €5200 per BJI stay. CONCLUSION: This national study of paediatric BJIs in France showed a higher prevalence in toddlers and boys and demonstrated that the HD database can be used to study BJIs. However, the number of BJI cases was maybe overestimated by coding reactive arthritis as septic arthritis in the absence of bacterial evidence.

[Cyber-bullying in adolescents: associated psychosocial problems and comparison with school bullying]. / Le cyber-bullying à l'adolescence : problèmes psycho-sociaux associés et spécificités par rapport au bullying scolaire.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of adolescents engaged in cyber-bullying and then to identify whether students involved in cyber- and school bullying present the same characteristics of internalizing problems (insomnia, perceived social disintegration, psychological distress) and externalizing problems (general aggressiveness, antisocial behavior). METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 738 adolescents from a high-school and a middle-school (mean age=14.8 ± 2.7). The Electronic Bullying Questionnaire and the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire were used to identify profiles of cyber-bullying (cyber-victim, cyber-bully, cyber-bully/victim and cyber-neutral) and school bullying (victim, bully, bully/victim and neutral). Internalizing problems were investigated using the Athens Insomnia Scale, a Perceived Social Disintegration Scale and a Psychological Distress Scale. Externalizing problems were assessed using a General Aggressiveness Scale and an Antisocial Behavior Scale. RESULTS: Almost one student in four was involved in cyber-bullying (16.4% as cyber-victim, 4.9% as cyber-bully and 5.6% as cyber-bully/victim); 14% of our sample was engaged in school bullying as a victim, 7.2% as a bully and 2.8% as a bully/victim. The majority of adolescents involved in cyber-bullying were not involved in school bullying. With regard to the problems associated with school bullying, internalizing problems were more prevalent in victims and bully/victims, whereas externalizing problems were more common in bullies and bully/victims. A similar pattern was found in cyber-bullying where internalizing problems were characteristic of cyber-victims and cyber-bully/victims. Insomnia was elevated in the cyber-bully group which is specific to cyberbullying. General aggressiveness and antisocial behavior were more prevalent in cyber-bullies and cyber-bully/victims. Looking at the differences between types of bullying, victims of "school only" and "school and cyber" bullying had higher scores for insomnia and perceived social disintegration than victims of "cyber only" bullying or students "non-involved". Higher general aggressiveness scores were observed for "school only" bullies and "school and cyber" bullies than for bullies in "cyber only" bullying or students "non-involved". Regarding antisocial behavior, "school only" bullies, "cyber only" bullies, "school and cyber" bullies had higher scores than students "non-involved". DISCUSSION: This study highlights the importance of investigating both school and cyber-bullying as many psychosocial problems are linked to these two specific and highly prevalent forms of bullying.

Bone and joint infections in hospitalized patients in France, 2008: clinical and economic outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Adult bone and joint infections (BJIs) often require repeated and prolonged hospitalizations and are considered as a serious public health issue. AIM: To describe the epidemiology and economical outcomes of BJI in France. METHODS: BJI hospitalizations with selected demographic, medical, and economic parameters from the French national hospital database for the year 2008 were identified. Overall patient characteristics and hospital stays for BJI underwent univariate analysis. Risk factors for device-associated infections were identified using multiple logistic regression modelling. FINDINGS: Of all hospitalizations in France, 0.2% were BJI-related, representing 54.6 cases per 100,000 population, with a higher prevalence in males (sex ratio: 1.54). BJIs were more often native (68%) than device-associated (32%). The mean age was 63.1 years. Only 39% of hospital discharges had microbiological information coded; Staphylococcus spp. were isolated in 66% of those cases. Obesity, Staphylococcus spp., male sex and age >64 years were important risk factors for device-associated infections, whereas diabetes and ulcer sores were significantly associated with native infections. The case fatality was 4.6%. Intensive care unit stays were needed in 6% of cases. Readmissions to hospital occurred in 19% of cases, with significantly longer stays for device-associated infections than for native BJIs (18.9 vs 16.8 days). The cost of BJIs was €259 million, or about €7,000 per hospitalization in 2008. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest BJI study to date. The high economic burden of BJIs was mostly associated with more frequent and prolonged hospitalizations, high morbidity, and complexity of care.

[Study of hospitalizations for pneumococcal pneumoniae in Centre region, 2004-2008]. / Étude des séjours pour pneumopathie à Streptococcus pneumoniae entre 2004 et 2008 en région Centre.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a significant cause of morbidity-mortality: leading agent of community-acquired pneumonia and the first cause of death due to infectious diseases in France. Vaccines are available for children and adults, avoiding serious complications. We studied hospitalizations for pneumococcal pneumonia in Centre region in 2004-2008, using the 2004-2008 national hospital discharges database and assessed vaccine coverage of a sample population. METHODS: Hospital discharges with diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia were selected, using the corresponding code (J13) in the French Diagnosis-Related Group coding system. We analysed hospitalization and patient data using linkage of the inpatient stays with their anonymous identification number. We analysed hospitalization and patient data: number and length of stay/patient, co-morbid factors and pneumococcal immunisation status. RESULTS: One thousand five hundred and forty-one hospitalisations were found for pneumococcal pneumonia in Centre Region, in 2004-2008. The time pattern showed an annual increase in hospital stays: winter hospitalisations were most frequent. The median age was 58 years, range: 2 months-106 years. The sex ratio M/F of the 1417 distinct inpatients was 1.43. The hospital impact was substantial, with prolonged length of stay (mean=9.9 days), frequent stays in intensive care unit (20%) and high death rate (6%). The vaccine coverage of the population with pneumococcal pneumonia was only 23%. CONCLUSION: Using the national hospital discharges database, this study presents a snapshot of pneumococcal pneumonia in one French region and demonstrates the local major clinical impact, as found in France. It shows that the hospital discharge database is a potential tool for epidemiology despite its possible bias. This type of study could be useful for organizing a regional vaccination campaing due to the better knowledge of the disease.

[Risk factors for delirium tremens: a literature review]. / Facteurs de risque du delirium tremens : revue de la littérature.

Delirium tremens (DT) is the most severe complication from alcohol withdrawal. Risk factors for DT (before the withdrawal begins) and early predictive factors for the development of the withdrawal syndrome towards DT (once withdrawal has started) are not clearly established. We reviewed the literature from PubMed/Medline database to identify risk factors for DT. Twenty-one studies were been selected. Three only were prospective. The most commonly identified risk factors included personal history of DT, seizures, presence of acute somatic comorbidity especially infectious, presence of early withdrawal symptoms, and genetic predisposition. Most of these risk factors are still debated and prospective studies might appear useful considering the DT prevalence and the absence of consensual both diagnostic and therapeutic protocols.

[Lyme borreliosis: census of adult patients hospitalized in Indre-et-Loire (France), from the Hospital Discharge Data (1999-2006)]. / Borréliose de Lyme: recensement des cas adultes hospitalisés en Indre-et-Loire, à partir du PMSI (1999-2006).

BACKGROUND: To describe the clinical forms and epidemiology of Lyme borreliosis, in French adult patients hospitalized in Indre-et-Loire (Centre region). METHODS: Patients were recruited from standardized discharge summaries collected in the hospital database. All adult patients, hospitalized in public hospitals of the Indre-et-Loire administrative district, over a period of 8 years (1999-2006), who satisfied the European diagnostic criteria of Lyme borreliosis, were included. RESULTS: Encoding of Lyme borreliosis had a poor positive predictive value (65%). Forty-seven adult patients presented with the 50 following clinical forms: erythema migrans (n=5), neuroborreliosis (n=32), knee single-joint arthritis (n=4), acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (n=3), carditis (n=2), ocular borreliosis (n=2), miscellaneous (n=2). Three patients had a combination of two different clinical forms. Meningoradiculitis was the most frequent neurologic manifestation. When a cranial nerve was involved, it was constantly the facial nerve, and mainly bilaterally. Few patients in our study had erythema migrans: these patients are usually treated in a general medicine setting. Although the incidence in the Centre region was lower than in some other regions of France and Europe, the clinical spectrum of the disseminated forms was similar. CONCLUSION: This cohort illustrates the diversity of clinical manifestations of Lyme borreliosis in hospitalized patients, particularly at disseminated and late stages as well as the complexity of its diagnosis and its epidemiological surveillance.

[Real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the evaluation of focal liver lesions: diagnostic efficacy and economical issues from a French multicentric study]. / Echographie de contraste temps réel dans la prise en charge diagnostique des lésions nodulaires hépatiques: évaluation des performances diagnostiques et de l'impact économique sur une étude multicentrique française.

The recent introduction of high-end ultrasound equipment combined with recent contrast agents provides marked improvements in the characterization of focal liver lesions as previously reported by monocentric studies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography (CEUS) using SonoVue as well as its medico-economic value for characterization of focal liver lesions. These nodules were not characterized on previous CT or conventional sonography. This prospective multicentric study conducted in 15 French centres found diagnostic performances similar to those reported for CT and MRI, with a concordance rate of 84.5%, sensitivity greater than 80% and specificity greater than 90% for all types of lesions. Higher acceptance was found for CEUS compared to other imaging modalities. Economical assessment based on examination reimbursment and contrast agent cost showed a lower cost for contrast ultrasound versus CT and MRI. This French multicentric study confirmed the high diagnostic value of CEUS for focal liver lesion characterization and demonstrated a lower economical impact compared to other imaging modalities such as CT and MRI.

The influence of peers on risky sexual behaviour during adolescence.

OBJECTIVES: To determine to what degree the predominance of risky sexual behaviour during adolescence is the result of social influence, in particular that of peers, according to the perception of their attitudes and sexual behaviour. METHODS: Data were collected through structured and confidential individual interviews with 100 adolescents, selected randomly from among 1467 students attending one French high school. RESULTS: Although this study is of an exploratory nature, it reveals that the perception of peers is associated with a higher frequency of sexual initiation and commitment, including oral sex, but also commitment to protected sex. Sexual permissiveness of peers is associated with a higher frequency of sexual practices considered risky. The attitudes of peers with regard to contraception are associated with protective contraceptive attitudes, without a direct influence on behavioural patterns. CONCLUSIONS: The sexual norms of peers influence youths' individual attitudes and behaviours. Gender differences in sexual socialization also play a role. Both aspects must be taken into account when devising prevention programmes concerning adolescent sexuality.

[Microalbuminuria and urinary albumin excretion: French guidelines]. / Microalbuminurie et excrétion urinaire d'albumine: recommandations pour la pratique clinique.

UNLABELLED: Measurement of urinary albumin excretion (UAE) may be done on a morning urinary sample or on a 24 hour-urine sample. Values defining microalbuminuria are: - 24-hour urine sample: 30-300 mg/24 hours - Morning urine sample: 20-200 mg/mL or 30-300 mg/g creatinine or 2.5-25 mg/mmol creatinine (men) or 3.5-35 mg/mol (women). - Timed urine sample: 20-200 mug/min. The optimal use of semi-quantitative urine test-strip is not clearly defined. It is generally believed that microalbuminuria reflects a generalized impairment of the endothelium; however, no definite proof has been shown in humans. In diabetic subjects, microalbuminuria is a marker of increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) and renal morbidity and mortality in type 1 and type 2 diabetic subjects. The increase in UAE during follow-up is also a marker of CV and renal risk in type 1 and type 2 diabetic subjects; its decrease during follow-up is associated with lower risks. In non-diabetic subjects, microalbuminuria is a marker of increased risk for diabetes mellitus, deterioration of the renal function, CV morbidity and all-cause mortality. It is a marker of increased risk for the development of hypertension in normotensive subjects, and is associated with unfavorable outcome in patients with cancer and lymphoma. Persistence or elevation of UAE overtime is associated with deleterious outcome in some hypertensive subjects. Measurement of UAE may be recommended in hypertensive subjects with 1 or 2 CV risk factors in whom CV risk remains difficult to assess, and in those with refractory hypertension: microalbuminuria indicates a high CV risk and must lead to strict control of arterial pressure. Studies focused on microalbuminuria in non-diabetic, non-hypertensive subjects are limited; most of them suggest that microalbuminuria predicts CV complications and deleterious outcome as it is in diabetic or hypertensive subjects. Subjects with a history of CV or cerebrovascular disease have an even greater CV risk if microalbuminuria is present than if it is not; however, in all cases, therapeutic intervention must be aggressive regardless of whether microalbuminuria is present or not. It is not recommended to measure UAE in non-diabetic non-hypertensive subjects in the absence of history of renal disease. Monitoring of renal function (UAE, serum creatinine and estimation of GFR) is annually recommended in all subjects with microalbuminuria. MANAGEMENT: in patients with microalbuminuria, weight reduction, sodium restriction (< 6 g/day), smoking cessation, strict glucose control in diabetic subjects, strict arterial pressure control are necessary; in diabetic subjects: use of maximal doses of ACEI or ARB are recommended; ACEI/ARB and thiazides have synergistic actions on arterial pressure and reduction of UAE; in non-diabetic subjects, any of the five classes of anti-hypertensive medications (ACEI, ARB, thiazides, calcium channel blockers or beta-blockers) can be used.

Influence of transactive memory on perceived performance, job satisfaction and identification in anaesthesia teams.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing awareness in the medical community that human factors are involved in effectiveness of anaesthesia teams. Communication and coordination between physicians and nurses seems to play a crucial role in maintaining a good level of performance under time pressure, particularly for anaesthesia teams, who are confronted with uncertainty, rapid changes in the environment, and multi-tasking. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between a specific form of implicit coordination--the transactive memory system--and perceptions of team effectiveness and work attitudes such as job satisfaction and team identification. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 193 nurse and physician anaesthetists from eight French public hospitals. The questionnaire included some measures of transactive memory system (coordination, specialization, and credibility components), perception of team effectiveness, and work attitudes (Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, team identification scale). The questionnaire was designed to be filled anonymously, asking only biographical data relating to sex, age, status, and tenure. RESULTS: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed as predicted that transactive memory system predicted members' perceptions of team effectiveness, and also affective outcomes such as job satisfaction and team identification. Moreover, the results demonstrated that transactive memory processes, and especially the coordination component, were a better predictor of teamwork perceptions than socio-demographic (i.e. gender or status) or contextual variables (i.e. tenure and size of team). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provided empirical evidence of the existence of a transactive memory system among real anaesthesia teams, and highlight the need to investigate whether transactive memory is actually linked with objective measures of performance.

Epidemiology of vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) in France: analysis of hospital-discharge data 2002-2003.

Vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) is a rare event. To estimate the incidence of VO in France for 2002-2003, national hospital-discharge data were used. Hospital stays were categorized as definite, probable or possible VO. Unique patient identification numbers allowed the investigators to link patients with multiple hospital stays and to analyse data for individual patients. A sample of medical records was reviewed to assess the specificity of the VO case definition. In 2002-2003, 1977 and 2036 hospital stays corresponding to 1422 and 1425 patients (median age 59 years, male:female ratio 1.5) were classified as definite (64%), probable (24%) and possible (12%) VO. The overall incidence of VO was 2.4/100,000. Incidence increased with age: 0.3/100,000 (70 years). The main infectious agents reported were Staphylococcus spp. (38%) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (31%). The most frequent comorbidities were septicaemia (27%) and endocarditis (9%). Three percent of patients died. A review of 90 medical records confirmed the diagnosis of VO in 94% of cases. Using a hospital database and a specific case definition, nationwide surveillance of VO is possible.

Microalbuminuria and urinary albumin excretion: French clinical practice guidelines.

Urinary albumin excretion (UAE) may be assayed on a morning urinary sample or a 24 h-urine sample. Values defining microalbuminuria are: 1) 24-h urine sample: 30-300 mg/24 h; 2) morning urine sample: 20-200 mg/ml or 30-300 mg/g creatinine or 2.5-25 mg/mmol creatinine (men) or 3.5-35 mg/mmol (women); 3) timed urine sample: 20-200 mug/min. The optimal use of semi-quantitative urine test-strip is not clearly defined. It is generally believed that microalbuminuria reflects a generalized impairment of the endothelium; however, no definite proof has been obtained in humans. IN DIABETIC SUBJECTS: Microalbuminuria is a marker of increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) and renal morbidity and mortality in type 1 and type 2 diabetic subjects. The increase in UAE during follow-up is associated with greater CV and renal risks in type 1 and type 2 diabetic subjects; its decrease during follow-up is associated with lower risks. IN NON-DIABETIC SUBJECTS: Microalbuminuria is a marker of increased risk for diabetes mellitus, deterioration of renal function, CV morbidity and all-cause mortality. It is a marker of increased risk for the development of hypertension in normotensive subjects, and is associated with unfavorable outcome in patients with cancer and lymphoma. Persistence of elevated UAE during follow-up is associated with poor outcome in some hypertensive subjects. Measurement of UAE may be recommended in hypertensive medium-risk subjects with 1 or 2 CV risk factors in whom CV risk remains difficult to assess, and in those with refractory hypertension: microalbuminuria indicates a high CV risk and must lead to strict control of arterial pressure. Studies focused on microalbuminuria in non-diabetic non-hypertensive subjects are limited; most of them suggest that microalbuminuria predicts CV complications and deleterious outcome. Subjects with a history of CV or cerebrovascular disease have an even greater CV risk if microalbuminuria is present than if it is not; however, in all cases, therapeutic intervention must be aggressive regardless of whether microalbuminuria is present or not. It is not recommended to measure UAE in non-diabetic non-hypertensive subjects in the absence of history of renal disease. Monitoring of renal function (UAE, serum creatinine and estimation of GFR) is recommended annually in all subjects with microalbuminuria. MANAGEMENT: In patients with microalbuminuria, weight reduction, sodium restriction (<6 g per day), smoking cessation, strict glucose control in diabetic subjects, strict arterial pressure control are necessary; in diabetic subjects: use of maximal doses of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) are recommended; ACEI/ARB and thiazides have synergistic actions on arterial pressure and reduction of UAE; in non-diabetic subjects, any of the five classes of anti-hypertensive medications (ACEI, ARB, thiazides, calcium channel blockers or beta-blockers) can be used.

Distinct recognition sites on histocompatibility antigens for antibodies and cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Studies with monoclonal antibodies show that allodeterminants are concentrated on H-2 molecules in several distinct epitope regions. Different parts of H-2 molecules can also be recognized by alloreactive or H-2 restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes, but these parts do not appear to be identical to those recognized by antibodies. These data show that an H-2 molecule can be subdivided into several specialized regions and that the B and T cell compartments of the immune system recognize different regions on H-2 molecules.