[A majority of useless call of an on-call urology resident: a study of the AFUF]. / Une majorité d'appels évitables au cours des astreintes d'urologie en CHU : l'étude de l'AFUF.

GOAL: To assess the workload of an on-call urology resident at a French University Hospital. MATERIAL: A prospective study was performed during 15 days in February 2012. The data recorded in our database regarded the resident (sex, age, time to go to work), the call (emergency, type and reason) and the person who called (grade, department). RESULTS: Seven centres including 18 residents participated. On average five calls were received per day [0-17]. After midnight, the resident was called less than twice (1.6). There was an actual emergency in 64% of cases [0-13]. The urology-related call motives (73%) mainly consisted in acute urine retention (AUR) and catheter problems (73), renal colic (RC) (49), acute pyelonephritis (23), and hematuria (22). Residents had to go to the hospital in 55% of AUR and catheter problems, 30% of acute pyelonephritis, 17% of RC and 14% of hematuria. The emergency department (ED) called the urology resident in 39% of cases but only 18% required the presence of the resident. A call made by a senior was more likely to be an emergency (67%) than by a resident or a nurse (51%, P=0.02). CONCLUSION: The urology resident when on-call is mainly asked for an advice by the ED. Among urology-related advice, bladder catheterization problems were the most frequent. RC was the second call motive but most of the time was not an actual emergency.

[Economic and organizational impact of the use of a disposable sheath with a flexible cystoscope]. / Cystoscope flexible à gaine stérile à usage unique: impact organisationnel et économique et sécurité bactériologique.

PURPOSE: To assess both economical and organizational impact as well as bacteriologic safety of a flexible cystoscope with sterile disposable sheath (FCSDS) compared to standard flexible cystoscopy (SFC) in two French urologic academic units. PATIENTS: Two-center prospective study, comparing the use of the FCSDS to the SFC on two consecutive periods of time. Two hundred and five patients were included and divided into each group. Duration procedures and costs were analysed in the two techniques. The urinary tract infection rate was also described. A dedicated sheaths leaks test after use was performed systematically. RESULTS: The preparation time of the fibroscope was longer for the sheathed cystoscopy group: 16.2 minutes versus 10.9 minutes for the standard group. The mean duration of disinfection was significantly shorter for the sheathed cystoscopy group: 53.8 minutes saved compared to the standard group; 99.01% of the tested sheaths, after their use, had no breaches. Urinary tract infections rate were similar in the two groups. The average cost of a sheathed cystoscopy compared to the standard was significantly cheaper in Lyon and almost equivalent in Marseille. CONCLUSION: The FCSDS allows significant saving over the disinfection duration, consumable costs and staff costs, while ensuring patient bacteriologic safety similar to SFC.

[Female stress incontinence treatment: urethral slings]. / Traitement de l'incontinence urinaire d'effort féminine : les bandelettes sous-urétrales.

Female stress incontinence is often the consequences of obstetrical traumatisms. They are responsible of a weakness of perineal musculoaponevrotic structures. Until 1996, the reference treatment of this pathology was the "Burch" colposuspension, by laparotomy, then laparoscopic way. After 1996, a new procedure was developped by Ulmten, reproducible, easy, safe and mini-invasive: the tension free-vaginal-tape (TVT) followed by the trans-obturator-tape (TOT). This therapeutic tool has become the reference for the treatment of the female stress incontinence. There are now 15 years from the beginning of this procedure and still 80% of the patients are improved.

[Flexible ureteroscopy with laser for upper urinary tract stone]. / Urétérorénoscopie souple laser pour calcul du haut appareil urinaire.

The treatment of upper urinary tract stone with flexible ureteroscopy is safe and efficient. According to the size and the localization of stone, it is the first-line treatment. The patient must be informed about modalities and risks of this treatment. Urines must be sterile. The fragmentation of stone is made with the energy of Laser Holmium. The knowledge of material and technique allows to obtain a complete treatment in about 80% of cases.

[Does the urologist in formation have a burnout syndrome? Evaluation by Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)]. / Les urologues en formation ont-ils un syndrome d'épuisement professionnel ? Évaluation par le Maslach Burn-out Inventory (MBI).

OBJECTIVES: To assess the burn-out syndrome in the population of urologists in training. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A trans-sectional study was carried out among the French urologists in training association (AFUF) members. A questionnaire including the Maslach Burnout Inventory and questions on the age, gender, professional and familial status, working time and hobbies was emailed. RESULTS: The response rate was 65.5 %. Mean burn-out, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores were 15.57 ± 8.55 (low burn-out), 8.56 ± 5.52 (moderate burn-out) and 37.19 ± 6.21 (moderate burn-out), respectively. Forty-five (24 %) had a severe burn-out syndrome, 11 an emotional exhaustion and 41 a depersonalization. Urologists in couple had a significant lower emotional exhaustion level than single. Depersonalization and low personal accomplishment scores were related to the age and working time. Having at least one hobby prevented emotional exhaustion and improved personal accomplishment levels. Gender had no impact on burn-out syndrome. CONCLUSION: Quarter of French urologists in training had a burn-out syndrome. Factors preventing it were working time reduction, being in couple and having at least one hobby. burn-out syndrome severity decreased with age and senior status.

[Alert on the predictable accessibility of the fellowship of urology until 2013: a study of the AFUF]. / Alerte sur l'accessibilité prévisible du postinternat d'urologie jusqu'en 2013: une étude de l'AFUF.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accessibility of the fellowship for the residents of Urology expecting to accomplish their residentship between November 2010 and 2013. PATIENTS: Between November 2010 and January 2011, all the residents ongoing for the residentship of Urology in France were reached by an electronic mailing using the AFUF register. A questionnaire reported all the residents expecting to accomplish their residentship between November 2010 and 2013, and the number and the expected availability of fellow and specialist assistant posts during the same period. RESULTS: Our study counted 306 urologists on training (190 residents, 76 fellows, 30 assistants, 10 on other posts). On November 2010, 56 residents accomplished their residentship, while 68 and 79 residents expected to accomplish their residentship on November 2011 and 2012, respectively. One hundred and six posts validated the fellowship of Urology on November 2010 (76 fellows, 30 assistants), among 54 posts were available. Over the residents expecting to accomplish their residentship on November 2011 and 2012, 22 and 54 residents may not find a fellow post available. CONCLUSION: The number of residents expecting to accomplish the residentship of Urology between November 2010 and 2013 was increasing, showing a greater interest for this speciality and a lack of regulation for its accessibility. By reason of a discrepancy of fellow and specialist assistant posts, only 67.6 and 31.6% of the residents expecting to accomplish their residentship on November 2011 and 2012 may be able to find a post available.

Hair determination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Italian population.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic chemicals present in the environment and defined as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The interest in these forms of contaminants is related to the toxic consequences for health derived from exposures and bioaccumulation processes. The present research aims at assessing differences in the exposure of PFAS in the Italian population by hair analyses. To this aim, 20 compounds of the PFAS family were investigated in hair of 86 Italian subjects distributed across the regions of Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Marche. The applied method was ad hoc developed in a previous research and included SPE extraction and LC-QTOF analysis. In the analyzed population, 66.4 % had quantifiable amounts of one or more PFAS molecules (up to 4 compounds); mean PFAS content, expressed as sum of PFAS, was 0.1457 ng/g, ranging from "not detected" to 0.85 ng/g (SD 0.1867). PFOA and PFOS were the chemicals most frequently detected, with mean concentrations of 0.1402 ng/g and 0.1155 ng/g, respectively. PFBA was detected in 9.3 % of subjects with a mean concentration of 0.3760 ng/g; PFNA in 3.5 % of subjects with mean concentration 0.12 ng/g; PFDA was found in one subject at the concentration of 0.541 ng/g. PFUnA and PFHxS were detected below the limit of quantification. The overall results displayed differences in the presence and prevalence of PFAS in hair of the Italian population on a geographical base. On the contrary, no significatively differences in the amount of PFAS were observed when considering gender or age classes. On this base, hair can be considered a good diagnostic tool to assess PFAS exposure on a regional-scaled base. Of course, more studies are required to infer PFAS internal dose from hair results due to its peculiar detection window and to interpretative issues derived from external contamination.

[Results of an investigation by questionnaire into interest in neuro-urology of urology residents]. / Résultat d'une enquête par questionnaire sur l'intérêt porté à la neuro-urologie par les urologues en formation.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the interest borne towards neuro-urology within the community of the urology residents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January and May 2009, all urology residents received an anonymous questionnaire by e-mail estimating their interest for neuro-urology. The analyzed data were: epidemiologic data; participation in theoretical learning and training courses practices; interest and investment in the speciality; opinion on the current formation. The qualitative variables were compared by the chi-2 test. P values <0,05 were considered significant. RESULTS: The rate of answer was 45,3 %. The middle age was 28,7+/-2,3 years. Ninety-two (70,7 %) of the 130 urologist residents questioned wished to exert full-time or divided in a hospital structure. They were 40 % to have a multidisciplinary neuro-urology staff, and 80 % were in a service which dealt with suffering patients of neurological bladder. The percentage of urologist residents interested by neuro-urology was 69,2 %, and 61,5 % of them wished to practice this activity in their future exercise. This wish was significantly higher for those resulting from the ENC (p<0,05), for those wishing to exert at the hospital (p<0,01) and for those who practice urology at a level of expertise in neuro-urology (p<0,01). The theoretical and practical teaching of neuro-urology were considered as being insufficient for respectively 73,9 % and 64,2 % of the urologist residents. In contrast, the average note allotted to the neuro-urology module of the ECU was of 7,47 out of 10. CONCLUSION: Neuro-urology seems to be particularly attractive for the urologist residents, and many wished to integrate it in their future exercise. The motivation was more important for those who wished to carry out a career in hospital. Even if the quality of the teaching was very noted, their modalities were considered to be insufficient by most of them.

Is laparoscopic management suitable for solid pseudo-papillary tumors of the pancreas?

PURPOSE: Solid pseudo-papillary tumors (SPT) are rare pancreatic neoplasms of low-malignant potential occurring mainly in young women. The purpose of this report is to describe our experience with laparoscopic management of these tumors with 4-year follow-up. METHODS: Three children with SPT were admitted to two hospitals in Paris, France, between February 2000 and December 2006. Diagnosis or treatment was carried out using laparoscopic techniques (biopsy and resection in one case and biopsy only in two). Long-term follow-up data were collected. RESULTS: All three patients presented recurrences within 3 years after resection, i.e., disseminated peritoneal recurrence in two patients and local recurrence in one. The two patients with peritoneal recurrences were treated by surgical resection and chemotherapy. The patient with local recurrence could not be treated due to contraindicating local factors. All three patients were alive at the time of this writing. CONCLUSION: This is the first report describing long-term follow-up after laparoscopic management of SPT. All three patients developed recurrences. These poor results contrast sharply with the low risk of local or disseminated recurrence after open laparotomy without chemotherapy that has been considered as the treatment of choice up to now. Recurrences after laparoscopic management may have been due to diffusion of tumor cells caused by gas insufflation especially during biopsy. Laparoscopic biopsy should not be performed in patients presenting SPT.

Determining the time of death by morphological and immunohistochemical evaluation of collagen fibers in postmortem gingival tissues.

The estimation of the post mortem interval (PMI) is still one of the most challenging variables to determine and the different approaches currently used in its estimation generally yield to large post mortem windows. In the present study we combined morphological and immunohistochemical analysis in order to reach a more detailed knowledge on tissue organization and degradation after death. Ultrastructural cellular changes and the extracellular matrix of gingival tissues, collected at different post mortem intervals, were observed by a Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), in combination with the immunohistochemical detection of extracellular matrix proteins (i.e. collagen type I and collagen type III) as potential post mortem biochemical markers. The final goal was to find a correlation between morphological modifications, biomarkers expression and the time of death. Samples of gingival tissues obtained from 10 cadavers at different post mortem intervals (short post mortem interval, 1-3 days; mid post mortem interval, 4-6 days; long post mortem interval, 7-9 days) were processed for light microscopy and TEM and they were also immunostained with anti-collagen type I and type III antibodies. Results showed gradual degradation of extracellular matrix in the suboral connective tissue in relation to the different time of death. Moreover PMI was related to an increase of nuclear chromatin condensation and cytoplasmic vacuolization both in epithelial and connective tissues. In conclusion, in addition to traditional forensic approaches to estimate PMI, the combined analyses of cellular morphology, ultrastructure and immunohistochemical expression of collagen proteins allow to better infer the PMI.

Impairment and reorganization of the phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C enzymes in suicide brains.

A number of studies suggested that suicide may be associated with specific neurobiological abnormalities. Neurobiology studies focused upon abnormalities of signalling mechanisms with special regard to the serotonin system and the related Phosphoinositide (PI) signalling system. Previous data suggested the involvement of the PI-specific phospholipase C (PLC) family in neuropsychiatric disorders. By using PCR and morphological microscopy observation we examined the whole panel of expression of PLC isoforms in the brains of 28 individuals who committed suicide and in normal controls in order to evaluate the involvement of specific PLC isoforms. The overall PLC expression was reduced and a complex reorganization of the isoforms was observed. The knowledge of the complex network of neurobiological molecules and interconnected signal transduction pathways in the brain of suicide victims might be helpful to understand the natural history and the pathogenesis of the suicidal behavior. That might lead to obtain prognostic suggestions in order to prevent suicide and to new therapeutic agents targeting specific sites in this signalling cascade.