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Objective: To determine the prevalence of maternal sudden death (MSD) and to compare the characteristics of death between women with explained and unexplained sudden death. Design: A national retrospective study in France. Population Maternal deaths related to an unexpected sudden cardiac arrest were extracted from the French National Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths database for 2007–2012. Methods: Maternal, pregnancy, sudden death characteristics and maternal investigations were compared between women with explained and unexplained cause of death. Results: A total of 83 maternal sudden deaths and 4 949 890 live births occurred over the period studied, thus accounting for 16% of all maternal deaths (n = 510). Death was explained in 51 (61%) women and unexplained in 32 women (39%). Compared with women with unexplained death, women with explained death were more often found to have in‐hospital cardiac arrest (47% versus 12%, P < 0.01), witnessed cardiac arrest (86% versus 62%, P = 0.03) and in‐hospital death (82% versus 47%, P < 0.01). Postmortem investigations such as autopsy and/or CT scan (65% versus 31%, P < 0.01) were also more often carried out in women with explained death. The proportion of deaths for which the preventability factors could not be assessed was 58% among unexplained MSD and 7% among explained MSD. Conclusion: Maternal sudden death is a rare event but accounts for a high proportion of all maternal deaths. This highlights the importance of providing training in diagnostic and management strategy for care providers. Systematic postmortem investigations are required to help understand causes and improve practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The care pathway of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) 1 year prior to death, their causes of death and the healthcare use, and associated expenditure remain poorly described together. People managed for CRC (2014‐2015), covered by the national health insurance general scheme and who died in 2015 were selected from the national health data system. A total of 15 361 individuals (mean age: 75 years, SD: 12.5 years) were included, almost 66% of whom died in short‐stay hospital (SSH), 9% in hospital at home (HaH), 4% in rehabilitation units (Rehab), 6% in skilled nursing homes (SNH), and 15% at home. At least one other cancer was identified for one‐third of these people. Almost one‐half of people presented cardiovascular comorbidity, 21% had chronic respiratory disease, and 13% had a neurological or degenerative disease. During the last month of life, 83% were admitted at least once to SSH, 39% had at least one emergency department admission, 17% were admitted to an intensive care unit, 15% received at least one chemotherapy session (<60 years: 27%), and 5% received oral chemotherapy. Eighty‐eight percent of the 60% of individuals who received hospital palliative care (HPC) vs 75% of those without HPC were admitted to SSH at least once during the last month. Cancer was the main cause of death for 84% (SSH: 85%, home: 77%) and corresponded to CRC for 64% of them. The mean annual expenditure per person during the last year of life was €43 398 (SSH: €48 804). This study suggests a relatively high level of HPC use during the year before death for people with CRC in France. High rates of emergency department, intensive care, and chemotherapy use were observed during the last month of life. However, management is very largely SSH‐based with a small proportion of deaths at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Residual pulmonary congestion at discharge is associated with poor prognosis in heart failure (HF), but its quantification through physical examination is challenging. Ultrasound imaging of lung comets (B-lines) could improve congestion evaluation. The aim of this study was to assess the short-term prognostic value of B-lines after discharge from HF hospitalisation compared with other indices of haemodynamic congestion (BNP, E/e', and inferior vena cava diameter) or clinical status (NYHA class).Methods and Results: Sixty consecutive HF inpatients underwent clinical examination, echocardiography, and lung ultrasound at discharge, independently of, and in addition to routine management by the attending physicians. The median B-line count was 8.5 (5-34). Three-month event-free survival for the primary endpoint (all-cause death or HF hospitalisation) was 27 ± 10% in patients with ≥30 B-lines and 88 ± 5% in those with <30 B-lines (P < 0.0001). In a multivariable model, ≥30 B-lines significantly predicted the combined endpoint (hazard ratio 5.66, 95% confidence interval 1.74-18.39, P = 0.04), along with NYHA ≥III and inferior vena cava diameter, while other indirect measures of congestion (BNP and E/e' ≥15) were not retained in the model; furthermore ≥30 B-lines independently also predicted the secondary outcomes (HF hospitalisation and death). Importantly, B-line addition to NYHA class and BNP was associated with improved risk classification (integrated discrimination improvement 15%, P = 0.02; continuous net reclassification improvement 65%, P = 0.03).Conclusion: Residual pulmonary congestion at discharge, as assessed by a B-line count ≥30, is a strong predictor of outcome. Lung ultrasonography may represent a useful tool to identify and monitor congestion and optimize therapy during and/or after hospitalisation for HF, which should be further validated in multicentre studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from a global positioning system (GPS), seven adult red deer ( Cervus elaphus L.) were tracked in the Parc National des Cévennes, southern France, between November 1998 and December 2000 to assess the factors affecting large-range movement patterns and habitat use. The home range varied from a single compact area for females to three distinct seasonal ranges for males, which used alternative migratory strategies (i.e. non-, downward- and upward-migrants). The migrants used mainly southerly and easterly aspects, and wintered in areas having steeper slopes than were used during summer or the rut season. For males, the time of rut migration was mid-September and they finally entered wintering ranges from mid-December to the beginning of January. Exploratory behaviour (i.e. individuals found outside the limits of their familiar area but returning to it a few days later) occurred in both sexes and for all individuals monitored during at least a 6-month period. Velocity and efficiency of exploratory movements were higher than usual movements. During these exploratory movements, hinds may have used different landscape attributes (elevation, slope, canopy cover) while stags did not. These results provide new empirical information that could be used for building and applying broad-scale spatial and landscape use models in ecological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]