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To evaluate the impact of the first three waves of COVID-19 on the academic and surgical training of ENT and Head and Neck Surgery residents in France. Observational, retrospective study. A 55-item survey of academic education and surgical training was sent to ENT residents in five major French regions (Île-de-France, Rhône-Alpes Auvergne, Occitanie, Grand Est, Grand Ouest) from August to October 2021. Eighty-nine out of 135 residents (66%) responded. Two-thirds considered that surgical training was more affected than academic education, with reductions evaluated of 50–75%, 25–50% and 0–25% for the first three waves, respectively. Residents in Île-de-France, Rhône-Alpes Auvergne and Grand Est were the most affected by the first wave (75–100% reduction in surgical activity, in parallel to increased admissions). Otology, rhinology and functional exploration were the most affected, whereas pediatrics and oncology were spared. Seventy-one of the 89 residents (79.7%) felt that the first wave impacted their career, while this proportion decreased to 39.3% and 44.9% for the second and third waves, respectively. The first wave of COVID-19, compared to the following two waves, severely impacted the surgical training of French ENT residents, especially in regions severely impacted by the pandemic, while academic education was relatively safeguarded by the implementation of e-learning alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyse tracheostomies after intubation for SARS-Cov-2 infection performed by otorhinolaryngologists in 7 university hospitals in the Paris area of France during the month March 24 to April 23, 2020. A multicentre retrospective observational study included 59 consecutive patients. The main goals were to evaluate the number, characteristics and practical conditions of tracheostomies, and the COVID-19 status of the otorhinolaryngologists. Secondary goals were to analyse tracheostomy time, decannulation rate, immediate postoperative complications and laryngotracheal axis status. Tracheostomy indications were for ventilatory weaning and extubation failure in 86% and 14% of cases, respectively. The technique was surgical, percutaneous or hybrid in 91.5%, 3.4% and 5.1% of cases, respectively. None of the operators developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Postoperative complications occurred in 15% of cases, with no significant difference between surgical and percutaneous/hybrid techniques (P = 0.33), although no complications occurred after percutaneous or hybrid tracheostomies. No procedures or complications resulted in death. The decannulation rate was 74.5% with a mean tracheostomy time of 20 ± 12 days. In 55% of the patients evaluated by flexible endoscopy after decannulation, a laryngeal abnormality was found. On univariate analysis, no clinical features had a significant influence on tracheostomy time, decannulation rate or occurrence of laryngeal lesions. The main findings of the present retrospective study were: absence of contamination of the surgeons, heterogeneity of practices between centres, a high rate of complications and laryngeal lesions whatever the technique, and the specificities of the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the resources for medical condition management in mountain huts and the epidemiology of such events.Methods: We conducted a 3-step study from April 2013 to August 2014 in French mountain huts. The first step consisted of collecting data regarding the first aid equipment available in mountain huts. The second step consisted of a qualitative evaluation of the mountain hut guardian's role in medical situations through semistructured interviews. Finally, a prospective observational study was conducted in the summer season to collect all medical events (MEs) that occurred during that period.Results: Out of 164 hut guardians, 141 (86%) had a basic life support diploma. An automatic external defibrillator was available in 41 (26%) huts, and 148 huts (98%) were equipped with a first aid kit. According to semistructured interviews, hut guardians played a valuable role in first aid assistance. Regarding the observational study, 306 people requested the hut guardian's help for medical reasons in 87 of the 126 huts included. A total of 501 MEs for approximately 56,000 hikers (0.85%) were reported, with 280 MEs (56%) involving medical pathologies and 221 (44%) MEs involving trauma-related injuries.Conclusions: MEs had low prevalence, but the hut guardian played a valuable role as a first aid responder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Negative effects of obesity on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have been reported, especially in women, but the relative contribution of cardiometabolic and other obesity-related comorbidities to such effects remains unclear. Our objective was to model the association by sex between body mass index and HRQoL and to precisely quantify the indirect effects mediated by obesity-related comorbidities.Methods and Results: Data were drawn from the latest French Decennial Health Survey, a nationwide cross-sectional study conducted in 2003 (21 239 adults aged 25-64 years analyzed). HRQoL was measured by the 36-item short-form health survey questionnaire. A mediation analysis based on the counterfactual framework was performed to quantify the proportion of obesity effects on HRQoL mediated by related comorbidities, including cardiometabolic risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia) and diseases (ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular disease), musculoskeletal disorders, and asthma. After multiple linear regression, inverse associations were found between increasing body mass index category and physically oriented and most mentally oriented 36-item short-form health survey dimensions, with evidence of greater effects in women. Mediation analysis revealed that obesity effects were significantly mediated by several comorbidities, more apparently in men (eg, proportion of obesity class II total effect mediated via cardiometabolic factors: general health 27.0% [men] versus 13.6% [women]; proportion of obesity class II total effect mediated via total count of comorbidities: physical functioning 17.8% [men] versus 7.7% [women] and general health 37.1% [men] versus 20.3% [women]).Conclusions: Women have a greater overall impact of obesity on HRQoL, but with proportionally lower effects mediated by cardiometabolic and other obesity-related conditions, suggesting the possible role of other specific psychosocial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on LibQUAL+, an online tool used by libraries to conduct users satisfaction surveys. French libraries, and academic libraries in particular, use this service since 2004. According to the author, it is difficult to use, the rating system is too complicated, and the list of questions is too long. However, LibQUAL+ represents an important tool to evaluate the libraries' quality of services.

Abstract: In a metal-polluted stream in the Riou Mort watershed in SW France, periphytic biofilm was analyzed for diatom cell densities and taxonomic composition, dry weight and metal bio-accumulation (cadmium and zinc). Periphytic diatom communities were affected by the metal but displayed induced tolerance, seen through structural impact (dominance of small, adnate species) as well as morphological abnormalities particularly in the genera Ulnaria and Fragilaria. Species assemblages were characterized by taxa known to occur in metal-polluted environments, and shifts in the community structure expressed seasonal patterns: high numbers of Eolimna minima, Nitzschia palea and Pinnularia parvulissima were recorded in Summer and Autumn, whereas the species Surirella brebissonii, Achnanthidium minutissimum, Navicula lanceolata and Surirella angusta were dominant in Winter and Spring. Commonly used indices such as the Shannon diversity index and Specific Pollution Sensitivity Index reflected the level of pollution and suggest seasonal periodicity, the lowest diversities being observed in Summer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the determinants of tubal rupture and to describe its treatment and effect on subsequent fertility.Study Design: The data were taken from a population-based register from Auvergne (France). All women aged between 15 and 45 years residing permanently in this area and treated for ectopic pregnancy by surgical or medical procedures have been registered since 1992. They are then followed up prospectively until the age of 45 years. This study is an analysis of 849 tubal ectopic pregnancies registered between January 1992 and December 1996. Women with tubal rupture were compared with those in whom no tubal rupture occurred. The risk factors for tubal rupture were identified by calculating crude and adjusted odds ratios. The effects of tubal rupture on subsequent fertility were assessed by calculating cumulative intrauterine pregnancy rates and were analyzed by log-rank tests and Cox regression.Results: The rate of rupture for this population was 18%. Four factors were identified that increased the risk of rupture (results of the multivariate analysis): never having used contraception (odds ratio 1.7 [1.0 to 3. 3]), a history of tubal damage together with infertility (odds ratio 1.6 [0.9 to 2.7]), induction of ovulation (odds ratio 2.5 [1.1 to 5. 6]), and a high level of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (at least 10,000 IU/L) when ectopic pregnancy was suspected (odds ratio 2.9 [1. 5 to 5.6]). The overall cumulative frequency of intrauterine pregnancy was not significantly lower after tubal rupture (adjusted risk ratio 0.85 [0.53 to 1.38]).Conclusion: Although tubal rupture seriously affects the immediate health of the women concerned, it seems to have no independent effect on subsequent fertility. Better knowledge of the risk factors should make it possible to identify those women who will not benefit from nonsurgical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite major advances in prevention and treatment, cardiovascular diseases - particularly acute myocardial infarction - remain a leading cause of death worldwide and in France. Collecting contemporary data about the characteristics, management and outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction in France is important., Aims: The main objectives are to describe baseline characteristics, contemporary management, in-hospital and long-term outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction hospitalized in tertiary care centres in France; secondary objectives are to investigate determinants of prognosis (including periodontal disease and sleep-disordered breathing), to identify gaps between evidence-based recommendations and management and to assess medical care costs for the index hospitalization and during the follow-up period., Methods: FRENCHIE (FRENch CoHort of myocardial Infarction Evaluation) is an ongoing prospective multicentre observational study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04050956) enrolling more than 19,000 patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction with onset of symptoms within 48hours in 35 participating centres in France since March 2019. Main exclusion criteria are age<18 years, lack of health coverage and procedure-related myocardial infarction (types 4a and 5). Detailed information was collected prospectively, starting at admission, including demographic data, risk factors, medical history and treatments, initial management, with prehospital care pathways and medication doses, and outcomes until hospital discharge. The follow-up period (up to 20 years for each patient) is ensured by linking with the French national health database (Système national des données de santé), and includes information on death, hospital admissions, major clinical events, healthcare consumption (including drug reimbursement) and total healthcare costs. FRENCHIE is also used as a platform for cohort-nested studies - currently three randomized trials and two observational studies., Conclusions: This nationwide large contemporary cohort with very long-term follow-up will improve knowledge about acute myocardial infarction management and outcomes in France, and provide a useful platform for nested studies and trials., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: The optimal management of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presenting late->12 hours following symptom onset-is still under debate., Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe characteristics, temporal trends, and impact of revascularization in a large population of latecomer STEMI patients., Methods: The authors analyzed the data of 3 nationwide observational studies from the FAST-MI (French Registry of Acute ST-elevation and non-ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction) program, conducted over a 1-month period in 2005, 2010, and 2015. Patients presenting between 12 and 48 hours after symptom onset were classified as latecomers., Results: A total of 6,273 STEMI patients were included in the 3 cohorts, 1,169 (18.6%) of whom were latecomers. After exclusion of patients treated with fibrinolysis and patients deceased within 2 days after admission, 1,077 patients were analyzed, of whom 729 (67.7%) were revascularized within 48 hours after hospital admission. At 30-day follow-up, all-cause death rate was significantly lower among revascularized latecomers (2.1% vs 7.2%; P < 0.001). After a median follow-up of 58 months, the rate of all-cause death was 30.4 (95% CI: 25.7-35.9) per 1,000 patient-years in the revascularized latecomers group vs 78.7 (95% CI: 67.2-92.3) per 1,000 patient-years in the nonrevascularized latecomers group (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, revascularization of latecomer STEMI patients was independently associated with a significant reduction of mortality occurrence during follow-up (HR: 0.65 [95% CI: 0.50-0.84]; P = 0.001)., Conclusions: Coronary revascularization of latecomer STEMI patients is associated with better short and long-term clinical outcomes., Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures The French Society of Cardiology received grants for supporting the FAST-MI program from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Pfizer, and Sanofi. None of the companies had a role in the design and conduct of the study, data collection, and management. They were not involved in the analysis and interpretation of the data, nor in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. Dr Bouisset has received personal fees from Merck Sharp and Dohme, Abbott, Bayer, B-Braun, and Amgen. Dr Gerbaud has served as a consultant for Terumo. Prof Coste has received personal fees from Amgen, Sanofi, Servier, AstraZeneca, and Abiomed. Prof Puymirat has received fees for lectures and/or consulting from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Biotronik, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, Lilly, Merck Sharp and Dohme, The Medicine Company, Sanofi, St Jude Medical, Servier, and Siemens. Dr Belle has received unrestricted grants for research from Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Abbott, and Biotronik; and has received speaker fees from and served as a consultant for AstraZeneca and Merck Sharp and Dohme. Dr Delmas has received consulting fees from Boston Scientific; has received grants/research support from Maquet, Abiomed, Abbott, and Terumo; and has received lecture fees from Abiomed, Thoratec, and Abbott. Prof Cayla has received speaker or congress fees and research grants/consultant fees/ lectures fees from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Abbott, Bayer, Biotronik, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, and Sanofi-Aventis. Prof Motreff has received consulting fees from Terumo and Abbott Medical. Prof Lemesle has received personal fees from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Daiichi-Sankyo, Lilly, Mylan, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi Aventis, and Servier. Prof Schiele has received personal fees from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Pfizer, and Sanofi. Prof Simon has received grants from AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Novartis, and Sanofi; and has received personal fees for board membership and/or consultancy and/or lectures from AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sanofi, and Novartis. Prof Danchin has received grants, speaker fees, consulting fees, or nonfinancial support from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Intercept, NovoNordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Servier. Prof Ferrières has received grants and personal fees from Akcea, Amarin, Amgen, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Sanofi, and Servier. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: While drug prescription should be based on established recommendations stemming from clinical trials but in pediatrics, many drugs are used without marketing authorization. Consequently recommendations are often based on clinical experience and the risk of inappropriate prescription (IP) is high. A tool for detecting IP in pediatrics-called POPI (Pediatrics: Omission of Prescriptions and Inappropriate prescriptions)-has been developed in France. However the relevance of its use at an international level is not known. Our aim has been to adapt POPI for a worldwide use., Material and Method: A two-round Delphi online questionnaire was completed and validated by international experts to identify consensual items. They were asked to rate the validity of each items taking into account the recommendations and practices in their countries. Only propositions obtaining a median score in the upper tertile with an agreement of more than 75% of the panel-for the first round-and 85%-for the second round-were retained., Results: Our panel included 11 pharmacists (55%) and 9 physicians (45%). The panelists came from 12 different countries: England, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Ivory Coast, Ireland, Malaysia, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey and Vietnam. At the end of the first round, of the 105 items of the original POPI tool, 80 items were retained including 16 items reworded and 25 items were deleted. In the second round, 14 experts participated in the study. This final international POPI tool is composed of 73 IP and omissions of prescriptions in the fields of neuropsychiatry, dermatology, infectiology, pneumology, gastroenterology, pain and fever., Discussion and Conclusion: This study highlights international consensus on prescription practice in pediatrics. The use of this tool in everyday practice could reduce the risk of inappropriate prescription. The impact of the diffusion of POPI tool will be assessed in a prospective multicentric study., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on general health care. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a nationwide lockdown in France on admissions to hospital for acute myocardial infarction, by patient characteristics and regional prevalence of the pandemic., Methods: In this registry study, we collected data from 21 centres participating in the ongoing French Cohort of Myocardial Infarction Evaluation (FRENCHIE) registry, which collects data from all patients admitted for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) within 48 h of symptom onset. We analysed weekly hospital admissions over 8 weeks: the 4 weeks preceding the institution of the lockdown and the 4 weeks following lockdown. The primary outcome was the change in the number of hospital admissions for all types of acute myocardial infarction, NSTEMI, and STEMI between the 4 weeks before lockdown and the 4 weeks after lockdown. Comparisons between categorical variables were made using χ 2 tests or Fisher's exact tests. Comparisons of continuous variables were made using Student's t tests or Mann-Whitney tests. Poisson regression was used to determine the significance of change in hospital admissions over the two periods, after verifying the absence of overdispersion. Age category, region, and type of acute myocardial infarction (STEMI or NSTEMI) were used as covariables. The FRENCHIE cohort is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04050956., Findings: Between Feb 17 and April 12, 2020, 1167 patients were consecutively admitted within 48 h of acute myocardial infarction (583 with STEMI, 584 with NSTEMI) and were included in the study. Admissions for acute myocardial infarction decreased between the periods before and after lockdown was instituted, from 686 before to 481 after lockdown (30% decrease; incidence rate ratio 0·69 [95% CI 0·51-0·70]). Admissions for STEMI decreased from 331 to 252 (24%; 0·72 [0·62-0·85]), and admissions for NSTEMI decreased from 355 to 229 (35%; 0·64 [0·55-0·76]) following institution of the lockdown, with similar trends according to sex, risk factors, and regional prevalence of hospital admissions for COVID-19., Interpretation: A marked decrease in hospital admissions was observed following the lockdown, irrespective of patient characteristics and regional prevalence of COVID-19. Health authorities should be aware of these findings, in order to adapt their message if the COVID-19 pandemic persists or recurs, or in case of future major epidemics., Funding: Recherche Hospitalo-Universitaire en Santé iVasc., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: In France, there is a lack of information about practices and pathways of coronary angiographies and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). We present the design and the first results of the ACIRA registry, the goal of which is to answer questions about quality, security, appropriateness, efficiency of, and access to interventional cardiology (IC) healthcare pathway in the French Aquitaine region., Methods: The ACIRA registry is an on-going, multicenter, prospective, exhaustive, scalable, and nominative cohort study of patients who undergo coronary angiographies or percutaneous coronary intervention in any of the catheterization laboratories. The data related to hospitalizations and procedures are directly extracted from hospital information systems. In-hospital mortality, readmissions, and cardiovascular morbidity are collected from the French hospital medical information system database. An identity management system has been implemented to create the patient health care pathway., Results: From January 1, 2012, to June 30, 2018, 147,136 procedures performed on 106,005 patients have been included in the ACIRA registry., Conclusions: ACIRA has shown its ability to study the patient IC healthcare pathway, up to 1 year after the procedure. Nominative data enable the linkage between clinical and medico-administrative databases and possible supplementary data collection. The use of existing databases allowed us to limit patients lost to follow-up, prevent the double entry of data, improve data quality, and reduce the operating costs. The prospect of linkage with the French National Health Data System may offer promising opportunities for future medical research projects and for developing collaboration and benchmarking with other IC registries abroad.

Background The optimal timing of administration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients is debated. Clinical trials have failed to demonstrate the superiority of pretreatment with P2Y12 inhibitors in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, but they were not designed to assess hard clinical end points. We used data from the FAST-MI (French Registry on Acute ST-Segment-Elevation or Non-ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) cohorts to determine 1-year survival and in-hospital outcomes in patients receiving DAPT, comparing prehospital versus in-hospital administration. Methods and Results The FAST-MI program collects extensive data on patients admitted in France for acute myocardial infarction over a 1-month period every 5 years since 2005. For the present analysis, 3548 patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction ≤12 hours from symptom onset, transported by physician-staffed emergency medical system ambulances, not treated with intravenous fibrinolysis, and receiving DAPT were included, of whom 44% received DAPT in the ambulance. The primary end point was 1-year survival as assessed by multivariate Cox analysis and propensity score analysis. In-hospital bleeding and ischemic complications were also analyzed. Adjusted in-hospital mortality was numerically but not significantly lower in patients with prehospital DAPT. There were no differences in in-hospital bleeding complications. Fully-adjusted hazard ratio for 1-year death in patients with prehospital versus in-hospital DAPT was 0.69 (95% CI, 0.51-0.92; P=0.011), and propensity score-adjusted hazard ratio was 0.55 (95% CI, 0.41-0.73; P=0.001) in the whole population. In the propensity score-matched cohorts (360 patients each), 1-year survival was 93.9% in patients with prehospital versus 90.3% in those with in-hospital DAPT (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.36-1.05; P=0.077). Results were consistent in subgroups, including by year of survey, age, presence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, morphine use, and type of P2Y12 inhibitor used. Conclusions In these cohorts of ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients considered for primary percutaneous coronary intervention, prehospital administration of DAPT was associated with higher 1-year survival and no increase in in-hospital bleeding complications. The magnitude of the decrease in 1-year mortality, however, may suggest the persistence of some degree of residual confounding. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifiers: NCT00673036, NCT01237418, and NCT02566200.

Introduction: In acute pulmonary embolism (PE), poor outcome is usually related to right ventricular (RV) failure due to the increase in RV afterload. Treatment of PE with RV failure without shock is controversial and usually relies on fluid expansion to increase RV preload. However, several studies suggest that fluid expansion may worsen acute RV failure by increasing RV dilation and ischaemia, and increase left ventricular compression by RV dilation. By reducing RV enlargement, diuretic treatment may break this vicious circle and provide early improvement in normotensive patients referred for acute PE with RV failure., Methods and Analysis: The Diuretic versus placebo in Pulmonary Embolism with Right ventricular enlargement trial (DiPER) is a prospective, multicentre, randomised (1:1), double-blind, placebo controlled study assessing the superiority of furosemide as compared with placebo in normotensive patients with confirmed acute PE and RV dilation (diagnosed on echocardiography or CT of the chest) and positive brain natriuretic peptide result. The primary end point will be a combined clinical criterion derived from simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) score and evaluated at 24 h. It will include: (1) urine output >0.5 mL/kg/min for the past 24 h; (2) heart rate <110 bpm; (3) systolic blood pressure >100 mm Hg and (4) arterial oxyhaemoglobin level >90%. Thirty-day major cardiac events defined as death, cardiac arrest, mechanical ventilation, need for catecholamine and thrombolysis, will be evaluated as a secondary end point. Assuming an increase of 30% in the primary end point with furosemide and a β risk of 10%, 270 patients will be required., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval was received from the ethical committee of Ile de France (2014-001090-14). The findings of the trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, and national and international conference presentations., Trial Registration Number: NCT02268903., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)

Background: Although primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is the preferred reperfusion method for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, it remains difficult to implement in many areas, and fibrinolytic therapy is still widely used., Methods and Results: We assessed 5-year mortality in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction from the French Registry of Acute ST-Elevation or Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (FAST-MI) 2005 according to use and type of reperfusion therapy. Of 1492 patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction with a first call ≤12 hours from onset, 447 (30%) received fibrinolysis (66% prehospital; 97% with subsequent angiography, 84% with subsequent PCI), 583 (39%) had pPCI, and 462 (31%) received no reperfusion. Crude 5-year survival was 88% for the fibrinolytic-based strategy, 83% for pPCI, and 59% for no reperfusion. Adjusted hazard ratios for 5-year death were 0.73 (95% confidence interval, 0.50-1.06) for fibrinolysis versus pPCI, 0.57 (95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.88) for prehospital fibrinolysis versus pPCI, and 0.63 (95% confidence interval, 0.34-0.91) for fibrinolysis versus pPCI beyond 90 minutes of call in patients having called ≤180 minutes from onset. In propensity score-matched populations, however, survival rates were not significantly different for fibrinolysis and pPCI, both in the whole population (88% lysis, 85% pPCI) and in the population seen early (87% fibrinolysis, 85% pPCI beyond 90 minutes from call)., Conclusions: In a real-world setting, on a nationwide scale, a pharmaco-invasive strategy constitutes a valid alternative to pPCI, with 5-year survival at least equivalent to that of the reference reperfusion method., Clinical Trial Registration Url: www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00673036.

Intravenous enoxaparin did not reduce significantly the primary end point (p = 0.06) compared with unfractionated heparin (UFH) in the randomized Acute Myocardial Infarction Treated with primary angioplasty and intravenous enoxaparin Or unfractionated heparin to Lower ischemic and bleeding events at short- and Long-term follow-up (ATOLL) trial. We present the results of the prespecified per-protocol analysis excluding patients who did not receive the treatment allocated by randomization or received both enoxaparin and UFH. We evaluated all-cause mortality, complication of myocardial infarction, procedural failure, or major bleeding (primary end point) and all-cause mortality, recurrent acute coronary syndrome, or urgent revascularization (main secondary end point). Baseline and procedural characteristics were well balanced between the 2 treatment groups. Of 910 randomized patients, 795 patients (87.4%) were treated according to the protocol with consistent anticoagulation using intravenous enoxaparin (n = 400) or UFH (n = 395). Enoxaparin reduced significantly the rates of the primary end point (relative risk [RR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62 to 0.94, p = 0.012) and the main secondary end point (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.63, p <0.0001). There was less major bleeding with enoxaparin (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.21 to 1.01, p = 0.050) contributing to the significant improvement of the net clinical benefit (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.74, p = 0.0002). All-cause mortality was also reduced with enoxaparin (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.74, p = 0.003). In conclusion, in the per-protocol analysis of the ATOLL trial, pertinent to >87% of the study population, enoxaparin was superior to UFH in reducing ischemic end points and mortality., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To evaluate the incremental diagnostic and prognostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with chest pain, raised troponin and unobstructed coronary arteries, and to compare subsequent event rates between diagnostic groups. 130 patients (mean age: 54 ± 17) presenting with troponin-positive acute chest pain and unobstructed coronary arteries were included. All patients were managed according to European Society of Cardiology guidelines, including echocardiography, and had CMR within 6.2 ± 5.3 days of presentation. During follow-up, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were recorded. CMR provided a diagnosis in 100 of 130 patients (76.9%), with the remaining 30 (23.1%) having a normal examination. CMR diagnosed 37 (28.5%) acute myocardial infarctions, 34 (26.1%) myocarditis, 28 (21.5%) apical ballooning syndromes and 1 (0.8%) hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. When a single diagnosis was suspected by the referring physician, CMR validated this diagnosis in 32 patients (76.2%). CMR provided a formal diagnosis in 61 patients (69.3%) in which the clinical diagnosis was uncertain between at least two possibilities. CMR corrected a wrong diagnosis in 10 patients (7.7%). CMR-suggested diagnosis led to a modification of therapy in 42 patients (32.3%). Median follow-up was 34 months (interquartile range 24-49) in 124 patients. Sixteen patients (12.9%) experienced MACE. MACE rate was not different between patients with a conclusive CMR and normal CMR. In patients with acute troponin-positive chest pain and unobstructed coronary arteries, early CMR has important diagnostic and therapeutic implications. However its association with occurrence of MACE during mid term follow-up was not obvious.

Aim: To identify occupations with excess prevalence of osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, and hand in a nationwide survey and to compare occupations with and without excess prevalence with regard to biomechanical stresses and severity of osteoarthritis., Methods: Patients presenting with osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, or hand were recruited throughout France by their treating physician who collected information on history, including age at onset, occupation, and occupational stresses to joints. Severity was assessed using joint specific functional status questionnaires: Lequesne for the hip and knee and Dreiser for the hand. The distribution of osteoarthritis patients by occupation was compared with the distribution of occupations in all workers in France to obtain prevalence rate ratios., Results: Occupations with the greatest prevalence rate ratio were female cleaners (6.2; 95% CI 4.6 to 8.0), women in the clothing industry (5.0; 95% CI 3.9 to 6.3), male masons and other construction workers (2.9; 95% CI 2.6 to 3.3), and agriculture male and female workers (2.8; 95% CI 2.5 to 3.2). A twofold greater prevalence rate was observed within certain occupations between self-employed and salaried workers. Early onset of osteoarthritis was seen in the more heavy labour jobs with almost 40% of patients reporting their first symptoms before the age of 50., Conclusion: The early onset and severity of osteoarthritis in certain occupations warrants an urgent need for occupation specific studies for the development and evaluation of preventive strategies in this leading cause of disability in Western countries.

Unlabelled: The clinical burden of osteoarthritis (OA) is difficult to assess because of the substantial variability between patients., Objective: Evaluate the human consequences of OA in patients., Methods: In 2000, a nationwide survey was conducted among a sample of more than 5000 physicians (90.3% general practitioners and 9.7% rheumatologists), representative of French physicians. Each recruited the first two patients consulting for hip, knee, or hand OA after the survey began. The functional limitation rates were compared with those for age- and sex-matched controls obtained from the 1999 population-based national survey on disability (HID survey)., Results: Clinical and demographic information was obtained for 10,412 OA patients (mean-age 66.2 years, sex ratio F:M 1.96). The OA diagnosis was based on both clinical and radiographic findings for 84.5%. More than 80% of all patients reported limitations in their activities of daily living, either for basic tasks, leisure activities, or work. OA patients were substantially more limited than controls: the standardised limitation rate ratios (SLRR) were 6.0 (95% confidence interval: 5.9:6.1) for mobility outside the home, 2.1 (2.0:2.1) for house cleaning, 1.6 (1.5:1.8) for dressing oneself, and 1.6 (1.5:1.8) for sports. Of the 17.6% of OA patients and 17.5% of the controls still working, 64.4% and 14.3%, respectively, were limited in their job duties, for a SLRR of 4.5 (4.3:4.7)., Conclusion: This study shows that OA-related disability has a significant impact on the retired as well as on those still involved in the labour market.

Aims: To describe the age standardised prevalence of symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) in a nationwide cross sectional survey of 10 412 patients in France, and their functional and work limitations., Methods: Cases in the survey were compared with their expected counterpart by age, gender, and occupational groupings using data from the 1998 French National Survey on Health Impairment and Disability., Results: Women represented 66.2% of the sample; mean age was 66.2 years. One third of patients had OA of the knee, 16% of the hip, and 12% of the hand; a third had multiple joint OA. Peak prevalence of symptomatic OA was in the 60-69 year category in women and in the 70-79 year category in men. Agricultural workers showed a significant excess prevalence of OA, with an observed to expected (O/E) ratio of 1.7 in women and 2.3 in men. Linear trends in prevalences between white collar, "mixed" collar, and blue collar workers were also significant, with odds ratios respectively of 1.0, 2.9, and 2.6 in women and 1.0, 1.2, and 1.7 in men. Specific excess prevalence was found in women among housekeepers (O/E 4.4), and in men among unskilled labour workers (O/E 10.3) and truck drivers (O/E 6.7). Total work disability was highest among blue collar workers and partial disability among agricultural workers., Conclusion: Results contribute to the mounting evidence that OA is potentially aetiologically linked to occupation in a sizeable segment of the population and that OA can no longer be considered an inevitable disease of ageing.

Objective: Repair of post infarction ventricular septal defect (VSD) is still a challenging procedure with a high risk of recurrence of the VSD and subsequent mortality. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess if technical change in the surgical procedure was followed by an improvement in recurrence of the VSD and operative results., Method: This retrospective study from 1971 to 2001 included 85 patients operated on early (<15 days) after the occurrence of a post infarction VSD. Double patch technique was introduced in 1986. A total of 44 variables were studied by a uni- and multivariate analysis., Results: Hospital death occurred in 36 patients. Significant factors for hospital mortality included: preoperative and evolution of the clinical status, right ventricular function and type of repair (one or two patches). Moreover, no recurrence was observed in patients repaired with the double patch technique (P=0.09). None of the studied variables were significant for long term survival. Concomitant CABG was not associated with higher hospital mortality and long-term survival rate was similar in patients with or without concomitant CABG., Conclusion: The use of the double patch technique and glue by avoiding recurrence of the VSD played a role in the reduction of the hospital mortality. This technique has to be recommended in the early repair of post infarction VSD. Concomitant CABG can be done safely to control the added risk of an associated coronary artery lesion.