Major bleeding complications in patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants: One-year observational study in a Paris Hospital.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DAOC) are indicated for the treatment of venous thromboembolism and the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Given their advantages and friendly use for patient, the prescription of long term DOAC therapy has rapidly increased both as first line treatment while initiating anticoagulation and as a substitute to vitamins K antagonist (VKA) in poorly controlled patients. However, DOAC therapy can also be associated with significant bleeding complications, and in the absence of specific antidote at disposal, treatment of serious hemorrhagic complications under DOAC remains complex. We report and discuss herein five cases of major hemorrhagic complications under DOAC, which were reported to the pharmacological surveillance department over one year at Saint-Louis University Hospital (Paris, France). We further discuss the need for careful assessment of the risk/benefit ratio at time of starting DOAC therapy in daily clinical practice.

French survey of the first three-years of liver transplantation activity from uncontrolled donors deceased after cardiac death.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the first three years of French activity related to liver transplantation from uncontrolled donation after cardiac death (uDCD). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective and observational study in the three active centres authorized by the French Biomedicine Agency. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients deceased between 2010 and 2012 after an uncontrolled cardiac arrest admitted to one of three centres (Pitié-Salpêtrière, Saint-Louis or Bicêtre hospitals, AP-HP, Paris, France) and potentially eligible for liver recovery were included. Abdominal normothermic oxygenated recirculation (ANOR) was used for graft preservation. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-six potential uDCD donors were identified as eligible for liver recovery after hospital admission. The main causes of organ recovery failure were technical failure related to ANOR (29 patients, 23%), refusal of consent (39 patients, 31% of potential uDCD donors and 40% of asked relatives) and abnormal hepatic transaminases up to 200 UI.L(-1) during ANOR (24 patients, 19%). Finally, 11 livers were transplanted. Process efficiency was 9% [95% CI: 4-15%]. One-year recipient survival was 82%, [95% CI: 48-98%] and one-year graft survival was 64% [95% CI: 31-89%]. CONCLUSION: Liver transplantation from uDCD donors is achievable in France, despite low process efficiency.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in critically ill patients with malignancy: a descriptive study.

There are few data on Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in critically ill human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients. Improved knowledge of the presenting symptoms of and prognostic factors for PCP may help to reduce the high mortality rate associated with PCP in such patients. We retrospectively studied 39 consecutive patients with acute PCP-related respiratory failure and malignancy who were treated at 2 intensive care units (ICUs) during a 10-year period. Univariate logistic regression identified the following 8 predictors of mortality at 30 days after patient admission to the ICU (30-day mortality rate, 33%): complete remission of the malignancy (odds ratio [OR], 0.18), receipt of >1 course of antimalignancy chemotherapy (OR, 17.2), involvement of 4 lobes noted on a chest radiograph (OR, 5), >15% neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] fluid specimens (OR, 6), Organ System Failure score (OR, 7.33), Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (OR, 1.12), and the need for either mechanical ventilation (OR, 63) or vasopressors (OR, 25.9). Studies are needed to determine whether aggressive monitoring and treatment of patients with >15% neutrophils in BAL fluid specimens can improve the outcome of critically ill patients with malignancy and PCP.

Critical appraisal of organ procurement under Maastricht 3 condition.

The ethics committee of the French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (Sfar) has been requested by the French Biomedical Agency to consider the issue of organ donation in patients after the decision to withdraw life-supportive therapies has been taken. This type of organ donation is performed in the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium. The three former countries have published recommendations formalizing procedures and operations. The French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (Société française d'anesthésie et de reanimation [Sfar]) ethics committee has considered this issue and envisioned the different aspects of the whole process. Consequently, it sounded a note of caution regarding the applicability of this type of organ procurement in unselected patients following a decision to withdraw life-supportive therapies. According to French regulations concerning organ procurement in brain-dead patients, the committee stresses the need to restrict this specific way of procurement to severely brain-injured patients, once confirmatory investigations predicting a catastrophic prognosis have been performed. This suggests that the nature of the confirmatory investigation required should be formalized by the French Biomedical Agency on behalf of the French parliamentarians, which should help preserve population trust regarding organ procurement and provide a framework for medical decision. This text has been endorsed by the Sfar.

[Perioperative conflicts between anaesthesiologists and surgeons: ethics and professionalism]. / Conflits en période périopératoire: un enjeu collectif, éthique et professionnel.

In the perioperative period, several potential conflicts between anaesthetists/intensive care specialists and surgeons may exist. They are detrimental to the quality of patient care and to the well-being of the teams. They are a source of medical errors and contribute to burn-out. Patients can become the victims of such conflicts, which deserve ethical reflection. Their resolution through analysis and shared solutions is necessary. This article seeks to analyse these conflicts, taking into account their specificities and constraints. In order to understand this context, it is important to consider the specificities of each group involved and the records of such situations. Several factors can prevent these conflicts, first and foremost the patients themselves and the quality of the care that is provided. Medical deontology aims mainly at preventing and resolving these conflicts. Generally speaking, the quality approach which is increasingly applied in health care institutions (involving declarations of adverse events, morbidity/mortality reviews, benchmarking, analysis and improvement of practices, etc.) also contributes to the prevention and resolution of disagreements. The teaching of communication techniques that begins with the initial training, the evaluation of team behaviours (through simulation training for example), the respect of others' constraints, particularly when it comes to learning, as well as transparency regarding conflicts of interests, are all additional elements of conflict prevention. Lastly, conflicts may at times be caused by deviant behaviours, which must be met with a clear and uncompromising collective and institutional approach. This article concludes by offering a standardised approach for conflict resolution.

[Critical appraisal of organ procurement under Maastricht 3 condition]. / Analyse critique du prélèvement en condition M3 de Maastricht.

The ethics committee of the French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (Sfar) has been requested by the French Biomedical Agency to consider the issue of organ donation in patients after a decision of withdrawing life supporting therapies has been taken. This category of organ donation is performed in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium. The three former countries have published recommendations, which formalize procedures and operations. The Sfar ethics committee has considered this issue and envisioned the different aspects of the whole process. Consequently, it sounds a note of caution regarding the applicability of this type of organ procurement in unselected patient following a decision to withdraw life supporting therapies. According to the French regulation concerning organ procurement in brain dead patients, the committee stresses the need to restrict this specific way of procurement to severely brain injured patients, once confirmatory investigations predicting a catastrophic prognosis have been performed. It suggests that the nature of the confirmatory investigation required should be formalized by the French Biomedical Agency on behalf of the French parliamentarians. This should help preserving population trust regarding organ procurement and provide a framework to medical decision. This text has been endorsed by the Sfar.

[Euthanasia, assisted suicide and palliative care: a review by the Ethics Committee of the French Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care]. / Fin de vie, euthanasie et suicide assisté : une mise au point de la Société française d'anesthésie et de réanimation (Sfar).

CONTEXT: Management of the end of life is a major social issue which was addressed in France by law, on April 22nd 2005. Nevertheless, a debate has emerged within French society about the legalization of euthanasia and/or assisted suicide (E/AS). This issue raises questions for doctors and most especially for anesthetists and intensive care physicians. OBJECTIVE: To highlight, dispassionately and without dogmatism, key points taken from the published literature and the experience of countries which have legislated for E/AS. RESULTS: The current French law addresses most of the end of life issues an intensive care physician might encounter. It is credited for imposing palliative care when therapies have become senseless and are withdrawn. However, this requirement for palliative care is generally applied too late in the course of a fatal illness. There is a great need for more education and stronger incentives for early action in this area. On the rare occasions when E/AS is requested, either by the patient or their loved-ones, it often results from a failure to consider that treatments have become senseless and conflict with patient's best interest. The implementation of E/AS cannot be reduced to a simple affirmation of the Principle of autonomy. Such procedures present genuine difficulties and the risk of drift. CONCLUSION: We deliver a message of prudence and caution. Should we address painful end of life and moral suffering issues, by suppressing the subject, i.e. ending the patient's life, when comprehensive palliative care has not first been fully granted to all patients in need of it ?

[Feasibility of out-of-hospital management of non-heart-beating donors in Seine-Saint-Denis: one year retrospective study]. / Prélèvements sur "donneurs décédés après arrêt cardiaque": l'expérience du Samu de la Seine-Saint-Denis.

The use of non-heart-beating donors (NHBD) could help shorten the list of patients who are waiting for a kidney transplant. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficiency of prehospital management of non-heart-beating donors in Seine-Saint-Denis area. We performed a retrospective cohort study of non-heart-beating donor managed by prehospital medical team of Samu 93 from February 2007 to January 2008. There were 28 non-heart-beating donors included consecutively. Twenty-five NHBD (89%) were canuled by Gillot probe within 150 min from patient collapse. Fourteen NHBD were harvested and 17 kidneys were transplanted. Six-month survival rate for NHBD grafts was 94%. In the same time, eight brain dead donors were managed by Samu 93 and were harvested leading to transplant 16 kidneys. Finally, 50% of overall kidney transplant activity in Seine-Saint-Denis was provided by NHBD grafts.

[Postoperative nocardiosis caused by Nocardia otitidiscaviarum: pitfalls and delayed diagnosis]. / Nocardiose postopératoire à Nocardia otitidiscaviarum: pièges et retard de diagnostic.

Nocardiosis is an uncommon infection, which is exceptionally present as a postoperative event. A case of postoperative pulmonary and cerebro-meningeal infection caused by Nocardia otitidiscaviarum after a leg amputation in a diabetic patient is reported. Diagnosis has been delayed and the clinical, radiological and microbiological causes of this delay are assessed from a quality of care management point of view. Recommendations are proposed regarding physicians' role and optimized microbiological procedures for recognition of slowly growing nocardial strains.