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Background: Admission to the hospital is a major risk factor for the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Whether thromboprophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin prevents symptomatic VTE in medically ill, hospitalized older adults remains debated. Methods: In a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial, older adults (>70 years of age) hospitalized for acute medical conditions were randomly assigned to receive 40 mg a day of low-molecular-weight heparin (enoxaparin) or placebo for 6 to 14 days. The primary efficacy outcome was the cumulative incidence of symptomatic VTE (distal or proximal deep vein thrombosis, fatal or nonfatal pulmonary embolism) at 30 days. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding. Secondary outcomes included efficacy and safety outcomes at 90 days. Results: The trial was prematurely discontinued in September 2020, 5 years after enrollment began, because of drug supply issues. By the time of trial discontinuation, 2559 patients had been randomly assigned at 47 centers. Median age was 82 years and 60% of patients were female. In the intention-to-treat population, the primary efficacy outcome occurred in 22 out of 1278 (cumulative incidence, 1.8%) patients in the enoxaparin group and in 27 out of 1263 (cumulative incidence, 2.2%) patients in the placebo group (cumulative incidence difference, -0.4 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, -1.5 to 0.7), with no significant difference in time to VTE (P=0.46). The incidence of major bleeding was 0.9% in the enoxaparin group and 1.0% in the placebo group. At 90 days there were 14 symptomatic pulmonary emboli in the enoxaparin group and 25 in the placebo group; all 39 pulmonary embolism events resulted in hospital readmission and/or death, with 5 deaths from pulmonary embolism in the enoxaparin group and 11 deaths in the placebo group. Conclusions: This trial of thromboprophylaxis in medically ill, hospitalized older adults did not demonstrate that enoxaparin reduced the risk of symptomatic VTE after 1 month. Because the trial was prematurely discontinued, larger trials are needed to definitively address this question. (Funded by the French Ministry of Health Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique, grant number PHRC-N-13-0283; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02379806.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, five cases of severe haemorrhages during treatment with cefazolin occurred in France. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of haemorrhage related to treatment with cefazolin by evaluating haemostatic parameters and bleeding events. A retrospective study was conducted from January 2016 to December 2017. Two populations were analysed: (i) overall population, which included all patients treated with cefazolin during this period and (ii) coagulation study population, which included all patients treated with cefazolin with available coagulation parameters (activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and international normalised ratio (INR) at baseline and at the end of treatment or EoT). Values of either aPTT or INR at baseline and at EoT were compared. Cases of severe haemorrhages were reported and correlated with values of aPTT and INR. Overall, 132 patients received cefazolin and 59/132 (45%) were included in the coagulation study group. A significant increase of median aPTT was observed from baseline to EoT (39.5 and 44.3 sec; p = 0.004, respectively). Overall, severe haemorrhage occurred in 7/132 (5%) patients. Coagulation parameters were available in three of them, and no correlation was observed between bleeding events and aPTT increase. This study showed that bleeding is probably more frequent than ever reported before during cefazolin treatment. The significant increase of aPTT observed during cefazolin treatment was not correlated with risk of haemorrhage. Further studies are needed to explore the possible physio-pathological pathways behind the modification of haemostatic parameters and risk of haemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Several pathogen inactivation methods currently applied to therapeutic plasma may result in products with different hemostatic properties. This study aims at evaluating and comparing the hemostatic potential of different therapeutic plasma preparations currently available in France. Materials and methods We studied three types of pathogen-reduced plasma for transfusion (MB/light, Amotosalen/UVA, industrial S/D plasma). Quarantine, non-pathogen-reduced plasma, was used as a control. This study compared more specifically the content in FVIII, fibrinogen (clottable and antigen assays) and ADAMTS-13 and evaluated the intrinsic hemostatic properties using a thrombin generation test [Calibrated Automated Thrombogram (CAT)] at high and low concentrations of tissue factor to assess the maximum quantity of thrombin generated or the contribution of FVIII and FIX in the amplification phase of thrombin generation, respectively. Results The median FVIII concentration was >70 IU/dl for each preparation. Endogenous thrombin potential values were significantly different among the methods of plasma preparation ( P < 0·001) but were all in the range of the values measured in donors' plasma. Control by the thrombomodulin-activated protein C system was preserved in all preparations (>50% inhibition of endogenous thrombin potential). Fibrinogen concentrations were all within normal range but fibrinogen levels were lower in the plasmas treated with photochemical methods. ADAMTS-13 levels were preserved. Conclusion The hemostatic potential appears well preserved in all therapeutic plasmas tested but there are some differences between preparations, the clinical relevance of which remains to be elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on results of a study of the roles of the tissue factor pathway, leukocyte activation, and mediators of innate immunity in patients admitted to an intensive care unit for heatstroke during an intense heat wave in Paris, France . A description of the experimental set-up and measurement methods is provided. The study concluded that neutrophil activation plays a key role in the acute activation of coagulation observed during severe heatstroke.

Abstract: In France, coagulation blood tests are usually ordered before performing an epidural anaesthesia. This French habit obeys to the fear of triggering an epidural haematoma induced by neuraxial anaesthesia. This analysis of literature shows that these practices do not protect anaesthesiologists against this clinical risk or its medico-legal consequences. As shown by epidemiological studies, epidural haematoma in pregnancy is associated to the occurrence of HELLP syndrome. On the opposite, gestational thrombocytopenia is not associated to any bleeding risk. According to the recommendations of the French Society of Anaesthesia (Sfar), only a clinical examination and an interrogatory must be done to diagnose coagulation defects before general or loco regional anaesthesia. Normal pregnancy is not an exception to this rule except for the platelet number which must be evaluated during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. This platelet numeration might detect a rare idiopathic thrombopenic purpura. This recommendation is valid only for normal pregnancy. The clinician must ensure that pregnancy is still normal by seeking for symptoms of pregnancy-induced pathology such as preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome before setting an epidural anaesthesia. The possibly late occurrence of these complications during the per- or post-partum explain why a coagulation test performed even a few days before anaesthesia may not allow to detect any coagulation defect favouring the risk of epidural haematoma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Studies the coagulation-flocculation of the natural organic matter (NOM) in the Seine river at Le Pecq, France, by the coagulants ferric chloride, aluminum sulfate, and aluminum polychlorosulfate. Dependence of the efficiency of the coagulation-flocculation process on the pH; Analysis of the composition of NOM in the raw and clarified water.

The STA R Max ® is a fully automated multiparameter coagulometer using clotting (viscosity-based detection system), chromogenic and immunologic assays. STA R Max ® is equipped with an innovative software (STA Coag Expert ® ) designed to assist laboratory in accreditation. The aim of this study was to evaluate its performances for the certification according to ISO 15189 quality standard in the haemostasis unit of our university hospital. The following tests were evaluated: prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), kaolin cephalin clotting time (KCCT), fibrinogen, anti-Xa assay and D-dimers. In normal and pathological range, the intra-assay coefficients of variation (CV) for PT, aPTT, KCCT and fibrinogen were below 4.0%. Intra-assay CV was of 4.0% for the anti-Xa assay and intra-assay CV was of 7.9% for D-dimers. Inter-assay CV were below 5.0% for PT, aPPT, KCCT and fibrinogen, 14.9% for anti-Xa assay and 8.6% for D-dimers. The interlaboratory comparisons were below 8.7% for PT, aPPT and KCCT, 5.0% for fibrinogen and 15.5% for anti-Xa assay. All results were acceptable according to suitable CV established by GFHT and the provider. The concordance between all coagulometers was excellent, with correlation coefficient close to 1 (0.99 for all parameters except for aPPT which was 0.98) calculated thanks to an intra-class correlation study. In conclusion, the STA R Max ® analyser is suitable for haemostasis laboratories and facilitates certification of a laboratory.

The article comments on results of the study "Leucocyte activation: The link between inflammation and coagulation during heatstroke: A study of patients during the 2003 heat wave in Paris," by M.-G. Huisse and colleagues. The article notes that the results provided insight into the pathogenetic pathways that are involved in the derangement of inflammation and coagulation in patients with heatstroke.