Outcome of patients with cystic fibrosis colonized by Scedosporium and Lomentospora species: A longitudinal cohort study.

Scedosporium and Lomentospora species rank second among the filamentous fungi colonizing the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. These fungi could be responsible for allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis (ABPM) and bronchitis before lung transplantation and invasive infections after. However, their role in CF lung disease is debated. This study aimed to identify clinical or environmental factors associated with an airway colonization by Scedosporium/Lomentospora species in patients with CF over a period of 7 years. A longitudinal cohort study was conducted from 2008 to 2014 in the CF reference centre in Lyon, France, to compare the characteristics of patients with Scedosporium/Lomentospora colonized and non-colonized patients. During the study period, 283 patients completed the clinical and microbiological follow-up. The analysis revealed that a higher number and duration of hospitalizations, an increased number of courses of parenteral antibiotic therapy, a history of ABPA, and treatment by itraconazole were significantly associated with an airway colonization by Scedosporium/Lomentospora species. The rate of decline of forced expiratory volume in the first second was not statistically different between colonized and non-colonized patients. This study provides evidence that patients colonized by Scedosporium/Lomentospora species require more medical care than non-colonized patients. Additional care could be in part explained by the management of Scedosporium/Lomentospora-related diseases such as ABPM or bronchitis. However, we did not demonstrate a faster rate of decline of respiratory function or body mass index in colonized patients, suggesting, as previously reported, that colonization of the airways by these fungi does not play a significant role in the progression of CF disease.

This prospective study did not demonstrate a faster rate of decline of respiratory function or body mass index in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients colonized by Scedosporium/Lomentospora species compared to non-colonized patients, suggesting that these fungi do not play a significant role in the progression of CF disease.

Safety Attitude of Operating Room Personnel Associated With Accurate Completion of a Surgical Checklist: A Cross-sectional Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: How the checklist is executed in routine practice may reflect the teamwork and safety climate in the operating room (OR). This cross-sectional study aimed to identify whether the presence of a fully completed checklist in medical records was associated with teams' safety attitudes. METHODS: Data from 29 French hospitals, including 5677 operated patients and 834 OR professionals, were prospectively collected. The degree of checklist compliance was categorized for each patient in 1 of 4 ways: full, incomplete, inaccurate, and no checklist completed. The members of OR teams were invited to complete a questionnaire including teamwork climate measurement (Safety Attitudes Questionnaire) and their opinion regarding checklist use, checklist audibly reading, and communication change with checklist. Multilevel modeling was performed to investigate the effect of variables related to hospitals and professionals on checklist compliance, after adjustment for patient characteristics. RESULTS: A checklist was present for 83% of patients, but only 35% demonstrated full completion. Compared with no checklist, full completion was associated with higher safety attitude (high teamwork climate [adjusted odds ratio for full completion, 4.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.75-9.76]; communication change [1.31, 1.04-1.66]; checklist aloud reading [1.16, 1.02-1.32]) and was reinforced by the designation of a checklist coordinator (2.43, 1.06-5.55). Incomplete completion was also associated with enhanced safety attitude contrary to inaccurate completion. CONCLUSIONS: Compliance with checklists is associated with safer OR team practice and can be considered as an indicator of the extent of safety in OR practice.

Impact of 1h oral glucose tolerance test on the clinical status of adult cystic fibrosis patients over a 4-year period.

OBJECTIVE: To report the clinical profile associated with G60 and I60 over a 4-year prospective observational period in 2 large cohorts of adult patients with CF. METHODS: 319 patients were included (210 Canadian and 119 French) and classified according to their inclusion G60 (≥ or < 11.1 mmol/L) and the median inclusion I60 (≥ or < 24 mU/I). Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), body mass index (BMI) were collected on OGTT days. Linear mixed regression models were used to assess the effect of G60 and I60. RESULTS: High G60 was not associated to a lower FEV1 at inclusion and the follow-up decline was not higher in the high G60 group (Coefficient [95% CI]: -3.4 [-7.4;0.6], p = 0.0995.). There was no significant association between BMI and G60. Patients with high I60 tended to have a higher mean BMI (+0.5 kg/m2 [0.0 to 1.1], p = 0.05) but no interaction over time was observed. CONCLUSIONS: High G60 is not associated with a lower lung function at inclusion nor its decline over a 4-year follow-up. High I60 is slightly associated to a higher weight at inclusion, but not with BMI evolution over time in adult patients.

A Nurse-Led Bridging Program to Reduce 30-Day Readmissions of Older Patients Discharged From Acute Care Units.

OBJECTIVES: Older hospitalized patients are at high risk of early readmissions, requiring the implementation of enhanced coordinated transition programs on discharge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a nurse-led transition bridging program on the rate of unscheduled readmissions of older patients within 30 days from discharge from geriatric acute care units. DESIGN: A stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred five patients aged ≥75 years hospitalized in one of 10 acute geriatric units, with at least 2 readmission risk-screening criteria (derived from the Triage Risk Screening Tool), were included from July 2015 to August 2016. METHODS: The intervention condition consisted in a nurse-led hospital-to-home bridging program with 4 weeks postdischarge follow-up (2 home visits and 2 telephone calls). Unscheduled hospital readmission or emergency department (ED) visits were compared in intervention and control condition within 30 days from discharge. RESULTS: The rate of 30-day readmission or ED visit was 15.5% in the intervention condition vs 17.6% in the control condition [hazard ratio stratified on clusters: 0.61 (upper limit unilateral 95% confidence interval = 1.11), P = .09]. Rate of presence of professional caregivers was increased in the intervention condition (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Although the intervention resulted in an increase in the rate of implementation of a package of care at the 4-week of follow-up, we could not demonstrate a reduction in the rate of 30-day readmissions or ED visits of older patients at risk of readmission. These findings support the evaluation of this type of program on the longer term.

Quantifying Long-Term Changes in Lung Function and Exacerbations after Initiation of Azithromycin in Cystic Fibrosis.

Rationale: In cystic fibrosis, information on the efficacy of azithromycin past 12 months of treatment is still scarce.Objectives: The study sought to quantify the changes in lung function and the number of intravenous antibiotic courses (IVACs) after initiation of azithromycin in patients included in the French Cystic Fibrosis Registry.Methods: The study followed 1,065 children and 990 adults from 2 years before to 5 years after long-term azithromycin treatment initiated between 2001 and 2011. Mixed change-point models were used to quantify the changes in the forced expiratory volume (FEV) in 1 second and the yearly number of IVACs.Results: In the year of treatment initiation, the mean FEV was significantly higher than expected (+1.6%, P = 0.007 in children; +1.3%, P = 0.02 in adults). The decline of the FEV over time was less marked after than before treatment initiation (slope difference = +0.7% per year [P = 0.03] in children and +0.6% per year [P = 0.06] in adults). The mean increase in the yearly number of IVACs was lower after than before treatment initiation. The rate ratio quantifying the effect on the mean increase was 0.93 (95% confidence interval = [0.88-0.99]; P = 0.02) in children and 0.95 (95% confidence interval = [0.90-1.01]; P = 0.08) in adults.Conclusions: In children, long-term azithromycin treatment was associated with immediate and sustained beneficial changes in lung function and sustained beneficial changes in the frequency of pulmonary exacerbations. In adults, it was associated with immediate beneficial changes in lung function.

Pregnancy outcome in women with cystic fibrosis and poor pulmonary function.

BACKGROUND: To investigate how poor pre-gestational pulmonary function influenced pregnancy outcome and clinical status evolution in women with cystic fibrosis. METHODS: Pregnancies in women without lung transplantation with a first delivery reported to the French cystic fibrosis registry between 2000 and 2012 were identified. Pregnancy outcomes and clinical trends (body mass index - BMI, and pulmonary function) over a 4-year follow-up in women with poor pre-gestational pulmonary function, defined as forced expiratory volume (FEV1) ≤ 50%, were compared to those in women with FEV1 ˃ 50%. RESULTS: A total of 149 women had a first delivery and 36 (24.2%) of these had pre-gestational FEV1 ≤ 50%. There was no significant difference in age or frequency of assisted conception between the 2 groups. The rate of cesarean section was significantly higher in women with FEV1 ≤ 50% (43.7% vs. 21.1%, p = .01). The frequency of preterm birth did not differ significantly between the two groups, but median infant birthweight was significantly lower in women with FEV1 ≤ 50% (2705 g; range: 650-3700 vs. 3044 g; range: 1590-3860, p = .003). Despite significantly lower FEV1 and BMI the year before pregnancy for women with poor pulmonary function, the decline in these parameters during the study period did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Poor pre-gestational pulmonary function in women with cystic fibrosis was associated with a higher rate of cesarean section and a clinically significant impact on fetal growth, but was not associated with more important pulmonary and nutritional decline over the study period.

Adherence to long-term therapies in cystic fibrosis: a French cross-sectional study linking prescribing, dispensing, and hospitalization data.

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening genetic condition that usually affects several organs and involves significant treatment burden. Adherence to medication is important for successful CF management. OBJECTIVE: To describe medication adherence according to age, therapeutic class, and pharmaceutical form in adults and children followed in four regional CF centers in France. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study with non-transplanted patients followed in two adult and two pediatric centers during 2015 who were covered by the French National Health Insurance (NHI). Sociodemographic, clinical, hospitalization, and prescription data were collected from patient medical records. Medication dispensations were extracted from the regional French NHI database. Adherence was calculated over 12 months using continuous medication availability (CMA) accounting for dose adjustments and hospitalizations. Drug-specific CMA was computed in R with the AdhereR package for each medication prescribed more than 3 months, which was averaged to obtain a composite CMA score (cCMA) for all treatments and per therapeutic class as well as pharmaceutical form for each patient. RESULTS: A total of 228 patients were included. The number of chronic medications increased with age (r=0.50, p<0.001): a median of 7 medications per patient were prescribed. The mean±SD cCMA was significantly different between age groups (p=0.0098): it was 0.71±0.20 for the 0-5 years age group, 0.73±0.16 for 6-11 years, 0.64±0.17 for 12-17 years, 0.57±0.23 for 18-25 years, and 0.65±0.20 for the over 25 years age group. cCMA varied significantly according to pharmaceutical forms: the mean±SD cCMA was 0.70±0.21 for oral medications and 0.54±0.28 for inhaled medications (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that adherence to medication regimens in CF patients remains suboptimal and varies substantially between age groups and pharmaceutical forms. These variations in adherence should be considered when developing effective strategies to improve adherence.

Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes before lung transplantation is associated with lower survival but does not affect long-term renal function.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) before and after lung transplantation (LT); to analyse the survival and renal function after LT according to the CFRD status before LT. METHODS: Sixty cystic fibrosis (CF) patients transplanted at the Lyon University Hospital between 2004 and 2014 were included. Genotype, pancreatic status, age at LT, survival were recorded. Glucose tolerance status, daily insulin dose requirement, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and daily glucocorticoid (GC) dose were recorded before LT and until December 2016. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 5.6 (3.8-8.2) years, and nine patients died. Survival was poorest for patients with CFRD before LT compared with those without CFRD (P = 0.03) but was not correlated with the GFR before LT, with sex, age at LT, or CF genotype. The prevalence of CFRD was 68% at 2 years and 54% at 5 years. For persistent insulin-treated CFRD, the insulin requirement decreased (-2.1 IU/d/y; P < 0.01) and was correlated with the daily GC dose (+0.4 IU/d for one additional milligram, P = 0.012). Seven (11%) patients who had insulin-treated CFRD before LT became nondiabetic after LT, with a median time of 2 (1-4) years. After LT, the GFR decreased (-5.3 ml/min/1.73 m 2 /y; P < 0.001) and was not correlated with the CFRD status before LT. CONCLUSIONS: CFRD before LT is associated with poor survival after LT, which should lead to better management of diabetes. Some patients with pre-LT CFRD became nondiabetic after LT. CFRD is not associated with renal insufficiency after LT.

Glucose tolerance in Canadian and French cystic fibrosis adult patients.

Cystic fibrosis (CF)-related diabetes is associated with increased mortality. We analysed the clinical and glycemic profiles of two cohorts of patients treated according to the same guidelines in France and Canada. To investigate incidence differences in phenotypic and glucose abnormalities and to explore the evolution over a 4-year follow-up period, two cohorts of 224 Canadian and 147 French adult CF patients (≥18 years) without treated CF-related diabetes (CFRD) were followed over a 4 year period. In each of these groups, we investigated the longitudinal relationship between glucose tolerance and pulmonary function. An annual 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test was performed: fasting blood glucose (G0) and 2-h blood glucose (G2) were measured. Patients were classified at inclusion according to their glucose tolerance status: Normal glucose tolerant, abnormal glucose tolerant or de novo CFRD. Age, sex ratio and proportion of F508del homozygous patients were not statistically different between both cohorts. Canadian patients had better pulmonary function (median %FEV1 (IQR): 71.0 (55.0-82.0) vs. 64.0 (40.0-78.0), p < 0.001) and greater body mass index (BMI; median BMI in kg/m2) (IQR) 21.1 (19.5-22.8) vs. 19.9 (18.4-21.4), p < 0.001). Glucose values: G0 (5.4 (5.0-5.9) vs. 4.8 (4.5-5.1) mmol/L, p < 0.001) and G2 (7.6 (5.8-9.7) vs. 6.5 (5.2-8.5) mmol/L, p = 0.001) were higher in the Canadian cohort translating into a higher incidence of de novo CFRD diagnosis (19.2 vs. 9.8%, p = 0.003). Decline in FEV1 over time was not different between patients according to glucose tolerance groups. Despite higher glucose levels and incidence of de novo CFRD, Canadian CF patients have a better lung function and a higher BMI than French patients. In spite of these differences between the cohorts, the decline in FEV1 in patients with abnormal glucose tolerance is similar between these groups.

Unexpected discrepancies in hospital administrative databases can impact the accuracy of monitoring thyroid surgery outcomes in France.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity of hospital administrative databases compared to prospective collection of medical data assessing thyroid surgery complications. BACKGROUND: Administrative data are increasingly used to track surgical outcomes. METHODS: All patients undergoing thyroid surgery at three French university hospitals between April 2008 and April 2009 were prospectively included. Using diagnosis and procedural codes from hospital administrative database, we designed three indicators for measuring complications of thyroid surgery: recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, postoperative hypoparathyroidism, and postoperative hemorrhage. Gold standard was obtained from a prospective collection of medical data after systematically screening each patient for the above-mentioned complications. Their ability to monitor surgical outcomes over time within individual hospitals was estimated using control charts. Spatial comparison between hospitals was performed by funnel plots. RESULTS: A total of 1909 patients were included. Complication rates extracted from administrative data were significantly lower compared to medical data (nerve palsy 2.4% vs. 6.7%, hypoparathyroidism 10.6% vs. 22.3%, p<0.0001). Indicator sensitivity was 30.4% for nerve palsy, 45.4% for hypoparathyroidism and 71.4% for postoperative hemorrhage. Corresponding positive predictive values were 84.4%, 95.1% and 68.2%. In two of the three hospitals, administrative data were not able to track temporal variations in complications rates. Regarding inter-hospital comparisons, 2 out of 3 hospitals were considered outliers according to administrative data despite having an average performance based on medical data. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of indicators extracted from administrative databases to measure thyroid surgery outcomes depends on the quality of underlying data coding. Validation in every center should be a prerequisite before implementing such metrics for tracking performance.

Glucose trajectories in cystic fibrosis and their association with pulmonary function.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes is increasing. This condition is potentially responsible for respiratory decline. METHODS: At inclusion, then yearly (over three years), 111 children and 117 adults with cystic fibrosis had oral glucose tolerance and insulin tests at one (G1) and 2h (G2). KmL analysis identified homogeneous G1 and G2 glucose trajectories. A linear mixed model quantified the relationships between trajectories and FEV1 changes. RESULTS: In children, there were three G1 and four G2 trajectories and FEV1 decrease was not significantly different between G1 or G2 trajectories. In adults, two G1 and four G2 trajectories were identified and FEV1 change was estimated at -0.85/year (95% CI: [-1.54; -0.17], p=0.01) whatever the G1 trajectory and found significantly faster in the high and increasing G2 trajectory (-2.1/year, [-3.9; -0.2], p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In case of persistent G2 abnormality, physicians should be alert for clinical deterioration and intensify patient surveillance.

Determinants of operative time in thyroid surgery: A prospective multicenter study of 3454 thyroidectomies.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the determinants of operative time for thyroidectomy and quantify the relative influence of preoperative and intra-operative factors. BACKGROUND: Anticipation of operative time is key to avoid both waste of hospital resources and dissatisfaction of the surgical staff. Having an accurate and anticipated planning would allow a rationalized operating room use and may improve patient flow and staffing level. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study between April 2008 and December 2009. The operative time of 3454 patients who underwent thyroidectomy performed by 28 surgeons in five academic hospitals was monitored. We used multilevel linear regression to model determinants of operative time while accounting for the interplay of characteristics specific to surgeons, patients, and surgical procedures. The relative impact of each variable on operative time was estimated. RESULTS: Overall, 86% (99% CI 83 to 89) of operative time variation was related to preoperative variables. Surgeon characteristics accounted for 32% (99% CI 29 to 35) of variation, center location for 29% (99% CI 25 to 33), and surgical procedure or patient variables for 24% (99% CI 20 to 27). Operative time was significantly lower among experienced surgeons having practiced from 5-19 years (-21.8 min, P<0.05), performing at least 300 thyroidectomies per year (-28.8 min, P<0.05), and with increasing number of thyroidectomies performed the same day (-11.7min, P<0.001). Conversely, operative time increased in cases of procedure supervision by a more experienced surgeon (+20.0 min, P<0.001). The remaining 13.0% of variability was attributable to unanticipated technical difficulties at the time of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Variation in thyroidectomy duration is largely explained by preoperative factors, suggesting that it can be accurately anticipated. Prediction tools allowing better regulation of patient flow in operating rooms appears feasible for both working conditions and cost management.

Pregnancy outcome in women with cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: With increasing life expectancy, more women with cystic fibrosis and diabetes mellitus become pregnant. We investigated how pre-gestational diabetes (cystic fibrosis-related diabetes) influenced pregnancy outcome and the clinical status of these women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed all pregnancies reported to the French cystic fibrosis registry between 2001 and 2012, and compared forced expiratory volume (FEV1 ) and body mass index before and after pregnancy in women with and without pre-gestational diabetes having a first delivery. RESULTS: A total 249 women delivered 314 infants. Among these, 189 women had a first delivery and 29 of these had pre-gestational diabetes. There was a trend towards a higher rate of assisted conception among diabetic women (53.8%) than non-diabetic women (34.5%, p = 0.06), and the rate of cesarean section was significantly higher in diabetic women (48% vs. 21.4%, p = 0.005). The rate of preterm birth and mean infant birthweight did not differ significantly between diabetic and non-diabetic women. Forced expiratory volume before pregnancy was significantly lower in the diabetic group. The decline in forced expiratory volume and body mass index following pregnancy did not differ between the women with and those without pre-gestational diabetes. CONCLUSION: Pre-gestational diabetes in women with cystic fibrosis is associated with a higher rate of cesarean section but does not seem to have a clinically significant impact on fetal growth or preterm delivery. The changes in maternal pulmonary and nutritional status following pregnancy in women with cystic fibrosis were not influenced by pre-gestational diabetes.

Adenoma detection with blue-water infusion colonoscopy: a randomized trial.

Background and aims Colonoscopy is currently the reference method to detect colorectal neoplasia, yet some adenomas remain undetected. The water infusion technique and dying with indigo carmine has shown interesting results for reducing this miss rate. The aim of this study was to compare the adenoma detection rate (adenoma and adenocarcinoma; ADR) and the mean number of adenomas per patient (MAP) for blue-water infusion colonoscopy (BWIC) versus standard colonoscopy. Methods We performed a multicenter, randomized controlled trial in eight units, including patients with a validated indication for colonoscopy (symptoms, familial or personal history, fecal occult blood test positive). Consenting patients were randomized 1:1 to BWIC or standard colonoscopy. All colonoscopies were performed by experienced colonoscopists. All colonoscopy quality indicators were prospectively recorded. Results Among the 1065 patients included, colonoscopies were performed completely for 983 patients (514 men; mean age 59.1). The ADR was not significantly different between the groups; 40.4 % in the BWIC group versus 37.5 % in the standard colonoscopy group (odds ratio [OR] 1.13; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.87 - 1.48; P = 0.35). MAP was significantly greater in the BWIC group (0.79) than in the standard colonoscopy group (0.64; P = 0.005). For advanced adenomas, the results were 50 (10.2 %) and 36 (7.3 %), respectively (P = 0.10). The cecal intubation rate was not different but the time to cecal intubation was significantly longer in BWIC group (9.9 versus 6.2 minutes; P < 0.001). Conclusion Despite the higher MAP with BWIC, the routine use of BWIC does not translate to a higher ADR. Whether increased detection ultimately results in a lower rate of interval carcinoma is not yet known. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: EudraCT 2012-A00548 - 35; NCT01937429.

Impact of a transition nurse program on the prevention of thirty-day hospital readmissions of elderly patients discharged from short-stay units: study protocol of the PROUST stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: In France, for patients aged 75 or older, it has been estimated that the hospital readmission rate within 30 days is 14 %, a quarter being avoidable. Some evidence suggests that interventions "bridging" the transition from hospital to home and involving a designated professional (usually nurses) are the most effective in reducing the risk of readmission, but the level of evidence of current studies is low. Our study aims to assess the impact of a care transition program from hospital to home for elderly admitted to short-stay units. METHODS: This is a multicentre, stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial. The program will be implemented at three times of the transition: 1) during the patient's stay in hospital: development of a discharge plan, creation of a transitional care file, and notification of the primary care physician about inpatient care and hospital discharge by the transition nurse; 2) on the day of discharge: meeting between the transition nurse and the patient to review the follow-up recommendations; and 3) for 4 weeks after discharge: follow-up by the transition nurse. The primary outcome is the 30-day unscheduled hospital readmission or emergency visit rate after the index hospital discharge. The patients enrolled will be aged 75 or older, hospitalized in an acute care geriatric unit, and at risk of hospital readmission or an emergency visit after returning home. In all, 630 patients will be included over a 14-month period. Data analysis will be blinded to allocation, but due to the nature of the intervention, physicians and patients will not be blinded. DISCUSSION: Our study makes it possible to evaluate the specific effect of a bridging intervention involving a designated professional intervening before, during, and after hospital discharge. The strengths of the study design are methodological and practical. It permits the estimation of the intervention effect using between- and within-cluster comparisons; the study of the fluctuations in unscheduled hospital readmission or emergency visit rates; the participation of all clusters in the intervention condition; the implementation of the intervention in each cluster successively. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered as a cRCT at clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT02421133 ). Registered 9 March 2015.

Impact of Scedosporium apiospermum complex seroprevalence in patients with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Species of the Scedosporium apiospermum complex (S. a complex) are emerging fungi responsible for chronic airway colonization in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Recent studies performed on Aspergillus fumigatus suggest that the colonization of the airways by filamentous fungi may contribute to the progressive deterioration of lung function. METHODS: We studied S. a complex seroprevalence, as a marker of close contact between patient and the fungi, in a large monocentric cohort of CF patients attended in a reference centre in Lyon, France. RESULTS: Serum samples from 373 CF patients were analysed. Antibodies against S. a complex were detected in 35 patients (9.4%). In multivariate analysis, S. a complex seropositivity was only associated with seropositivity to A. fumigatus. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not suggest an association between sensitization against S. a complex and poorer lung function in CF. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the impact of both seropositivity and S. a complex colonization on the course of CF.

Development of a charting method to monitor the individual performance of surgeons at the beginning of their career.

BACKGROUND: Efforts to provide a valid picture of surgeons' individual performance evolution should frame their outcomes in relation to what is expected depending on their experience. We derived the learning curve of young thyroidectomy surgeons as a baseline to enable the accurate assessment of their individual outcomes and avoid erroneous conclusions that may derive from more traditional approaches. METHODS: Operative time and postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy of 2006 patients who underwent a thyroidectomy performed by 19 young surgeons in five academic hospitals were monitored from April 2008 to December 2009. The database was randomly divided into training and testing datasets. The training data served to determine the expected performance curve of surgeons during their career and factors influencing outcome variation using generalized estimating equations (GEEs). To simulate prospective monitoring of individual surgeon outcomes, the testing data were plotted on funnel plots and cumulative sum charts (CUSUM). Performance charting methods were utilized to present outcomes adjusted both for patient case-mix and surgeon experience. RESULTS: Generation of performance curves demonstrated a gradual reduction in operative time from 139 (95% CI, 137 to 141) to 75 (71 to 80) minutes, and from 15.7% (15.1% to 16.3%) to 3.3% (3.0% to 3.6%) regarding the nerve palsy rate. Charts interpretation revealed that a very young surgeon had better outcomes than expected, whereas a more experienced surgeon appeared to be a poor performer given the number of years that he had already spent in practice. CONCLUSIONS: Not considering the initial learning curve of surgeons exposes them to biased measurement and to misinterpretation in assessing their individual performance for thyroidectomy. The performance chart represents a valuable tool to monitor the outcome of surgeons with the expectation to provide safe and efficient care to patients.

Influence of experience on performance of individual surgeons in thyroid surgery: prospective cross sectional multicentre study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between surgeons' experience and postoperative complications in thyroid surgery. DESIGN: Prospective cross sectional multicentre study. SETTING: High volume referral centres in five academic hospitals in France. PARTICIPANTS: All patients who underwent a thyroidectomy undertaken by every surgeon in these hospitals from 1 April 2008 to 31 December 2009. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of two permanent major complications (recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy or hypoparathyroidism), six months after thyroid surgery. We used mixed effects logistic regression to determine the association between length of experience and postoperative complications. RESULTS: 28 surgeons completed 3574 thyroid procedures during a one year period. Overall rates of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and hypoparathyroidism were 2.08% (95% confidence interval 1.53% to 2.67%) and 2.69% (2.10% to 3.31%), respectively. In a multivariate analysis, 20 years or more of practice was associated with increased probability of both recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (odds ratio 3.06 (1.07 to 8.80), P=0.04) and hypoparathyroidism (7.56 (1.79 to 31.99), P=0.01). Surgeons' performance had a concave association with their length of experience (P=0.036) and age (P=0.035); surgeons aged 35 to 50 years had better outcomes than their younger and older colleagues. CONCLUSIONS: Optimum individual performance in thyroid surgery cannot be passively achieved or maintained by accumulating experience. Factors contributing to poor performance in very experienced surgeons should be explored further.

Impact of practice recommendations on patient follow-up and cystic fibrosis centres' activity in France.

INTRODUCTION: The French cystic fibrosis (CF) practice recommendations were published at the end of 2002. They advise each patient to be checked up at least once every 3 months in a reference centre for cystic fibrosis. OBJECTIVE: To describe the activity of the four reference centres in the Rhône-Alpes area and the patients' follow-up. METHODS: All patients with cystic fibrosis consulting one of the four CF centres between 1996 and 2005 were retrospectively included. All outpatient visits were recorded and classified according to (i) patient and year; and (ii) month and year. The two series were assessed graphically to determine a transition threshold, that is, the 2 consecutive years between which practices differed the most. RESULTS: A total of 616 patients were included, representing 17 594 outpatient visits. The average number of visits per patient increased from 3.7 in 1996 to 5.0 in 2005, the graphical representation showed a sharp change between 2000 and 2001. Among patients with less than 4 visits in 2000, 88 of them visited a centre 4 times or more in 2001 (44%). The annual number of outpatient visits went from 1035 to 2420. The monthly average number of outpatient visits was 86 in 1996 and 202 in 2005. The graphical representation of activity also showed a sharp change from 2001. CONCLUSION: We showed that the implementation of guidelines occurred the year before its official publication. We also showed that the growth of this implementation was sharp rather than gradual.

Vaginal birth after two previous c-sections: obstetricians-gynaecologists opinions and practice patterns.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate obstetricians' practice patterns, opinions and factors influencing decision-making about mode of delivery in women with two previous c-sections. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to the 160 obstetricians from the Rhone-Alpes perinatal network. Questionnaires included demographic, organisational information and questions about physicians' opinion, practice patterns and patient counseling concerning vaginal birth after c-section (VBAC) after one and two caesarean sections. RESULTS: Response rate was 65.6%, 100% and 23.8% would offer VBAC to women with respectively one and two previous c-sections. Uterine rupture rate was largely overestimated in both women with one (2.8%) and two prior c-sections (14.2%). Factors positively influencing obstetricians were cerebral palsy estimated rate less than 20%, a minimal decision to birth delay less than 20 min when emergency c-section would be required. Neonatal severe outcomes consecutive to trial of labour as well as placenta praevia or accreta risk and morbidity associated with multiple c-sections would be insufficiently discussed. CONCLUSION: Obstetricians largely prefer a third planned c-section in women with two previous c-sections. This decision is partly based on a large overestimation of immediate maternal and neonatal serious outcomes consecutive to trial of labour as well documented serious long term outcomes of multiple c-sections are insufficiently considered.