[Suspension of geriatric admissions in France in 2023: a national PUGG survey of the French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology]. / Fermetures de lits gériatriques en France en 2023 : une enquête nationale pratiques et usages en gériatrie et en gérontologie de la Société française de gériatrie et gérontologie.

France is experiencing exceptionally high closures of hospital geriatric beds, which increases the difficulties of access to geriatric care for the oldest and most frail French citizens. The French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SFGG) conducted a national survey in January 2023 among French geriatricians and gerontologists with the aim of drawing up an inventory of the closure of hospital geriatric beds in France and the reasons for these closures. The online survey was carried out among the 1,600 members of the SFGG between January 8 and 22, 2023. The results showed that 34.7% of geriatric units were affected by bed closures in January 2023, with 25.7% of beds closed on average. All levels of hospital geriatric sectors were affected by bed closures, but rehabilitation units were the most affected ones. The most frequent reason for bed closures was the lack of nurses, then the lack of physicians, and finally the lack of nursing aids. Reopening dates were not defined in more than 90% of cases. Resolving this crisis will imply recognizing and revaluing geriatric caregivers, both financially and in terms of more appropriate caregiver/patient ratios. These measures are necessary to avoid the bankruptcy of hospitals and to preserve decent, respectful and dignified care for our seniors.

Predictors of users' adherence to a fully automated digital intervention to manage insomnia complaints.

OBJECTIVE: Fully automated digital interventions show promise for disseminating evidence-based strategies to manage insomnia complaints. However, an important concept often overlooked concerns the extent to which users adopt the recommendations provided in these programs into their daily lives. Our objectives were evaluating users' adherence to the behavioral recommendations provided by an app, and exploring whether users' perceptions of the app had an impact on their adherence behavior. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Case series study of individuals completing a fully automated insomnia management program, conducted by a virtual agent, during December 2020 to September 2022. Primary outcome was self-reported adherence to the behavioral recommendations provided. Perceptions of the app and of the virtual agent were measured with the Acceptability E-Scale and ECA-Trust Questionnaire. Insomnia was evaluated with the Insomnia Severity Index at baseline (phase 1), after 7 days of sleep monitoring (phase 2) and post-intervention (phase 3). RESULTS: A total of 824 users were included, 62.7% female, mean age 51.85 (±12.55) years. Of them, 32.7% reported having followed at least one recommendation. Users' trust in the virtual agent and acceptance of the app were related to a pre-intervention effect in insomnia severity (phase 2). In turn, larger pre-intervention improvements predicted better adherence. Mediational analyses showed that higher levels of trust in the virtual agent and better acceptance of the app exerted statistically significant positive effects on adherence (ß = 0.007, 95% CI, 0.001-0.017 and ß = 0.003, 95% CI 0.0004-0.008, respectively). DISCUSSION: Users' adherence is motivated by positive perceptions of the app's features and pre-intervention improvements. CONCLUSIONS: Determinants of adherence should be assessed, and targeted, to increase the impact of fully automated digital interventions.

Pressure ulcer prevention devices in the management of older patients at risk after hospital discharge: an SNDS study.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to measure the effectiveness of home healthcare pressure ulcer (PU) prevention devices (PUPDs) for at-risk patients after hospital discharge in France. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective analysis of PU-associated hospitalisations based on the French medico-administrative database (Système National des Données de Santé, SNDS), which covers the entire French population. All adults >70 years of age, hospitalised from 1 July to 31 December 2015, and equipped with a medical bed at home, were included. Follow-up was for a maximum of 18 months. Propensity score matching allowed the comparison of PUPD equipped and non-equipped groups (No-PUPD), considering sociodemographic characteristics and other factors. RESULTS: The study included 43,078 patients. Of this population, 54% were PUPD patients and 46% No-PUPD. After matching, PUPD patients had significantly fewer PUs than No-PUPD patients (5.5% versus 8.9%, respectively; p<0.001). The adoption of PUPD reduced by 39% the risk of a PU in hospital. Patients equipped within the first 30 days at home after hospitalisation had fewer PUs than those equipped later (4.8% versus 5.9%, respectively). The estimated PUPD use costs represented 1% of total healthcare expenditure per patient during the study period. CONCLUSION: The study results demonstrated the effectiveness of the adoption of mattress toppers or prevention mattresses in reducing PU occurrence in patients aged >70 years of age. A short delay in PUPD delivery appeared to have a real impact in the medical setting. Future research on a larger population might provide more evidence on the appropriate support and timeframe to choose based on risk assessment.

Post-vaccination SARS-cov-2 infection in nursing home residents, Bordeaux, France.

OBJECTIVE: To describe COVID-19 breakthrough infections in two nursing homes (NHs) sites of active COVID-19 clusters despite optimal vaccination coverage. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two NHs of south-western France, following the investigation of COVID-19 clusters (February-March 2021). SARS-CoV-2-confirmed infection was defined by positive RT-PCR. Antibodies neutralization capacities were tested in a subgroup of fully-vaccinated and seropositive-residents. RESULTS: Of the 152 residents, 66% were female with median age 87 years (IQR: 80.0-90.2). Overall, 132 (87%) residents received 2 doses of vaccine, 14 (9%) one dose and 6 (4%) were unvaccinated. Forty-seven (31%) residents had confirmed infection (45 (98%) with variant 20I/501Y.V1). All 6 non-vaccinated residents, 4 /14 who had one dose and 37/132 that had two doses, were infected. Of the 39 residents reporting symptoms, 12 and 3 presented severe and critical disease, respectively. One resident with a confirmed infection died. Infected-residents had a median anti-S IgG titre of 19 116.0 (IQR: 3 028.0-39 681.8 AU/mL), 19 times higher than that of non-infected vaccinated persons (1,207.0; IQR: 494.0-2,782.0). In the subgroup of 19 residents tested for neutralizing antibodies, the neutralizing titre (50%) was strongly positively correlated with the anti-S IgG titre (correlation coefficient = 0.83), and 1.5 times higher for the infected than non-infected residents [5.9 (IQR: 5.3-6.9) vs. 3.6 (2.9-3.8)]. CONCLUSION: Institutionalized elderly persons who undergo breakthrough infection develop higher titres of anti-S IgGs, which are strongly correlated with the neutralizing capacity of the antibodies. These results advocate for additional vaccine doses in this population.

Smartphone-based virtual agents and insomnia management: A proof-of-concept study for new methods of autonomous screening and management of insomnia symptoms in the general population.

Insomnia is the most frequent sleep disorder, and the COVID-19 crisis has massively increased its prevalence in the population, due to psychosocial stress or direct viral contamination. KANOPEE_2 is a smartphone-based application that provides interactions with a virtual agent to autonomously screen and alleviate insomnia symptoms through an intervention programme giving personalized advices regarding sleep hygiene, relaxation techniques and stimulus-control. In this proof-of-concept study, we tested the effects of KANOPEE_2 among users from all over the country (France) who downloaded the app between 1 June and 26 October 2020 (to focus on effects after the end of COVID-19 confinement). Outcome measures include insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index) and sleep/wake schedules measured by a sleep diary. One-thousand and thirty-four users answered the screening interview (Mage  = 43.76 years; SD = 13.14), and 108 completed the two-step programme (Mage  = 46.64 years; SD = 13.63). Of those who answered the screening, 42.8% did not report sleep complaints, while 57.2% presented mild-to-severe insomnia symptoms. At the end of the intervention, users reported significantly fewer sleep complaints compared with the beginning of the intervention (Insomnia Severity Indexbeginning  = 13.58; Insomnia Severity Indexend  = 11.30; p < 0.001), and significantly increased their sleep efficiency (sleep efficiencybeginning  = 76.46%; sleep efficiencyend  = 80.17%; p = 0.013). KANOPEE_2 is a promising solution both to provide autonomous evaluation of individuals' sleep hygiene and reduce insomnia symptoms over a brief and simple intervention. These results are very encouraging for addressing the issue of insomnia management in people exposed to major psychosocial stress and the consequences of COVID-19 infection.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of telemedicine education and training of French medical students and residents.

INTRODUCTION: Telemedicine is a remote medical practice that is progressively expanding in France. In 2018, regulatory changes authorised telemedicine to become part of daily clinical practice. Telemedicine education and training (ET), however, has not been widespread, despite its integration in the medical curriculum since 2009. The objective of this study was to examine the self-perceived knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) and ET of telemedicine ET from medical students and residents in France. METHODS: A national survey was distributed online (15 December 2018 to 3 March 2019) to approximately 135,000 medical students and residents in medical schools (n = 38). The survey consisted of a total of 24 binary and Likert-scale questions covering telemedicine ET and KAP. RESULTS: In total, 3,312 medical students and residents completed the survey. Synchronous video consultation was the most well-known telemedicine activity (86.9%); asynchronous tele-expertise was the least recognised (40.3%). Most respondents (84.8%) stated they were not familiar with telemedicine regulations. The relevance of telemedicine for improving access to care was acknowledged by 82.8% of students and residents; 14% of respondents stated they had previously practised telemedicine during their studies; 14.5% stated they had received telemedicine ET; however, 97.9% stated they were not sufficiently trained. DISCUSSION: This is the first national scale study on telemedecine ET by medical students and residents, to date. Despite positive attitudes, participants were found to have limited telemedicine ET, knowledge and practices. The demand for telemedicine ET is increasing. Such studies that incorporate the perspectives of medical students and residents may strengthen the implementation of telemedicine ET in the future.

Manifesto for the rights of older people.

The French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (SFGG) stands against ageism and strives to combat it in all its forms. The SFGG has warned about the persistence of age discrimination and the emergence of new forms of ageism alongside traditional stereotypes. The SFGG took a position on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 2018. In September 2020, the SFGG again raised the alarm, on the 20th anniversary of the inclusion of the Rights of the Elderly in the European Charter. It has organised a wide-reaching communication campaign against ageism, involving learned societies of geriatrics and gerontology as well as all the major international institutions working to defend the rights of older adults.

[Statement for the rights of the elderly]. / Manifeste pour le droit des personnes âgées.

The SFGG (French Society of geriatrics and gerontology) stands up against ageism and fights it in all its forms of expression. The SFGG warns about the persistence of age discrimination and the emergence of new forms of ageism alongside traditional stereotypes. The SFGG has taken a position on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 2018. In September 2020, the SFGG is again raising the alarm on the 20th anniversary of the inclusion of the Rights of the Elderly in the European Charter. It is organising a wide communication campaign against ageism, involving all the learned societies of geriatrics and gerontology as well as all the major international institutions that defend the rights of older adults.

Effectiveness and organizational conditions of effectiveness of telemedicine in nursing homes. A study protocol of a comparative prospective cohort (EFFORT study).

The profile of nursing home (NH) residents has changed over the past decade with more dependency, more severe chronic diseases and more treatments prescribed. For residents, the major consequence is the higher risk of unplanned hospitalization. French guidelines recommend the development of interactive telemedicine (InT) in NHs in order to improve access to care, and to decrease the rate of avoidable unplanned hospitalizations. Methods and analysis: The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of an InT protocol delivered in NHs on the rate of unplanned hospitalizations, and on the quality of life at work and the organizational conditions of effectiveness of telemedicine in NHs. We will perform a mixed methods study combining a cluster non-randomized controlled trial in two matched parallel arms (telemedicine group and control group) and qualitative analysis of the evolution of organizational and professional contexts in NHs. Ethics and dissemination: The study protocol was approved and sponsored by the French Ministry of Health. The study received ethical approval from the Bordeaux University Hospital Institutional Review Board. We will communicate the final results to the public via conferences and results will also be submitted for publication in international peer-reviewed scientific journals. Trial registration number NCT03486977.

National French Survey of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Symptoms in People Aged 70 and Over.

The objective of this national French survey was to determine the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) semiology in seniors (n = 353; mean, 84.7 ±â€…7.0 years). A total of 57.8% of patients exhibited ≤3 symptoms, including thermal dysregulation (83.6%), cough (58.9%), asthenia (52.7%), polypnea (39.9%), and gastrointestinal signs (24.4%). Patients ≥80 years exhibited falls (P = .002) and asthenia (P = .002). Patients with neurocognitive disorders exhibited delirium (P < .001) and altered consciousness (P = .001). Clinical peculiarities of COVID-19 were reported in seniors. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT04343781.

[Geriatric units at the beginning of the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic in France]. / Les unités de gériatrie au début de l'épidémie du Covid-19 de 2020 en France.

The COVID-19 epidemic that started in November in China became a national epidemic from March 16, 2020 with the declaration of population containment in order to reduce the spread of the virus in France. From March 17 to March 27, 2020, the monitoring unit of the French society of geriatrics and gerontology decided to conduct a survey to analyze the implementation of the mobilization of geriatric units, given that this epidemic had shown that it resulted in excess mortality mainly among the elderly. The survey was able to bring together the response of 34 services, nine of which were located in a high epidemic cluster zone. Dedicated acute geriatric units for patients infected with COVID-19 were present in eight facilities, only outside the cluster zones. Nine geriatric follow-up and rehabilitation services were dedicated, an additional telemedicine activity concerned 35% of the facilities, and family listening and tablet communication facilities concerned 36% of the facilities. This survey is a snapshot of an initial moment in the epidemic. It provides an opportunity to describe the context in which this epidemic occurred in terms of geriatric policy, and to assess the responsiveness and inventiveness of these services in meeting the needs of the elderly.

Discontinuing statins or not in the elderly? Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The risk/benefit ratio of using statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events in elderly people has not been established. The main objectives of the present study are to assess the cost-effectiveness of statin cessation and to examine the non-inferiority of statin cessation in terms of mortality in patients aged 75 years and over, treated with statins for primary prevention of CV events. METHODS: The "Statins in the elderly" (SITE) study is an ongoing 3-year follow-up, open-label comparative multi-centre, randomized clinical trial that is being conducted in two parallel groups in outpatient primary care offices. Participants meeting the following criteria are included: people aged 75 years and older being treated with statins as primary prevention for CV events, who provide informed consent. After randomization, patients in the statin-cessation strategy are instructed to withdraw their treatment. In the comparison strategy, patients continue their statin treatment at the usual dosage. The cost-effectiveness of the statin-cessation strategy compared to continuing statins will be estimated through the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained at 36 months, from the perspective of the French healthcare system. Overall mortality will be the primary clinical endpoint. We assumed that the mortality rate at 3 years will be 15%. The sample size was computed to achieve 90% power in showing the non-inferiority of statin cessation, assuming a non-inferiority margin of 5% of the between-group difference in overall mortality. In total, the SITE study will include 2430 individuals. DISCUSSION: There is some debate on the value of statins in people over 75 years old, especially for primary prevention of CV events, due to a lack of evidence of their efficacy in this population, potential compliance-related events, drug-drug interactions and side effects that could impair quality of life. Data from clinical trials guide the initiation of medication therapy for primary or secondary prevention of CV disease but do not define the timing, safety, or risks of discontinuing the agents. The SITE study is one of the first to examine whether treatment cessation is a cost-effective and a safe strategy in people of 75 years and over, formerly treated with statins. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02547883. Registered on 11 September 2015.

Impact of Geriatric Hotlines on Health Care Pathways and Health Status in Patients Aged 75 Years and Older: Protocol for a French Multicenter Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: In France, emergency departments (EDs) are the fastest and most common means for general practitioners (GPs) to cope with the complex issues presented by elderly patients with multiple conditions. EDs are overburdened, and studies show that being treated in EDs can have a damaging effect on the health of elderly patients. Outpatient care or planned hospitalizations are possible solutions if appropriate geriatric medical advice is provided. In 2013, France's regional health authorities proposed creating direct telephone helplines, "geriatric hotlines," staffed by geriatric specialists to encourage interactions between GP clinics and hospitals. These hotlines are designed to improve health care pathways and the health status of the elderly. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the health care pathways and health status of patients aged 75 years and older hospitalized in short-stay geriatric wards following referral from a geriatric hotline. METHODS: The study will be conducted over 24 months in seven French university hospital centers. It will include all patients aged 75 and older, living in their own homes or nursing homes, who are admitted to short-stay geriatric wards following hotline consultation. Two questionnaires will be filled out by medical staff at specific time points: (1) after conducting the telephone consultation and (2) on admitting the patient to a short-stay geriatric medical care. The primary endpoint will be mean hospitalization duration. The secondary endpoints will be intrahospital mortality rate, the characteristics of patients admitted via the hotline, and the types of questions asked and responses given via the hotline. RESULTS: The study was funded by the National School for Social Security Loire department (École Nationale Supérieure de Sécurité Sociale) and the Conference for funders of prevention of autonomy loss for the elderly of the Loire department in November 2017. Institutional review board approval was obtained in April 2018. Data collection started in May 2018; the planned end date for data collection is May 2020. Data analysis will take place in the summer of 2020, and the first results are expected to be published in late 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The results will reveal whether geriatric hotlines provide the most effective management of elderly patients, as indicated by shorter mean hospitalization durations. Shorter hospital durations could lead to a reduced risk of complications-geriatric syndromes-and the domino chain of geriatric conditions that follow. We will also describe different geriatric hotlines from different cities and compare how they function to improve the health care of the elderly and pave the way toward new advances, especially in the organization of the care path. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03959475; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03959475. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/15423.

Emergency Surgery in Acute Diverticulitis: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Acute diverticulitis is a common disease with public health significance. Many studies with a high level of evidence have been published recently on the surgical management of acute diverticulitis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to define the accurate surgical management of acute diverticulitis. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were sources used. STUDY SELECTION: One reviewer conducted a systematic study with combinations of key words for the disease and the surgical procedure. Additional studies were searched in the reference lists of all included articles. The results of the systematic review were submitted to a working group composed of 13 practitioners. All of the conclusions were obtained by full consensus and validated by an external committee. INTERVENTIONS: The interventions assessed were laparoscopic peritoneal lavage, primary resection with anastomosis with or without ileostomy, and the Hartmann procedure, with either a laparoscopic or an open approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Morbidity, mortality, long-term stoma rates, and quality of life were measured. RESULTS: Seventy-one articles were included. Five guidelines were retrieved, along with 4 meta-analyses, 14 systematic reviews, and 5 randomized controlled trials that generated 8 publications, all with a low risk of bias, except for blinding. Laparoscopic peritoneal lavage showed concerning results of deep abscesses and unplanned reoperations. Studies on Hinchey III/IV diverticulitis showed similar morbidity and mortality. A reduced length of stay with Hartmann procedure compared with primary resection with anastomosis was reported in the short term, and in the long term, more definite stoma along with poorer quality of life was reported with Hartmann procedure. No high-quality data were found to support the laparoscopic approach. LIMITATIONS: Trials specifically assessing Hinchey IV diverticulitis have not yet been completed. CONCLUSIONS: High-quality studies showed that laparoscopic peritoneal lavage was associated with an increased morbidity and that Hartmann procedure was associated with poorer long-term outcomes than primary resection with anastomosis with ileostomy, but Hartmann procedure is still acceptable, especially in high-risk patients.

Alzheimer's Disease and Helicobacter pylori Infection: Inflammation from Stomach to Brain?

Despite extensive research, the origin of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unknown. The role of infectious pathogens has recently emerged. Epidemiological studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori infection increases the risk of developing AD. We hypothesized that H. pylori-induced gastritis may be associated with a systemic inflammation and finally neuroinflammation. C57BL/6 mice were infected with H. pylori (n = 15) or Helicobacter felis (n = 13) or left uninfected (n = 9) during 18 months. Gastritis, amyloid deposition, astroglial and microglial cell area, and systemic and brain cytokines were assessed. The infection (H. felis> H. pylori) induced a severe gastritis and an increased neuroinflammation but without brain amyloid deposition or systemic inflammation.

Defying hard-to-heal wounds with an early antibiofilm intervention strategy: 'wound hygiene'.

Biofilm has been implicated as a barrier to wound healing and it is widely accepted that the majority of wounds not following a normal healing trajectory contain biofilm. Therefore, strategies that inform and engage clinicians to reduce biofilm and optimise the wound tissue environment to enable wound progression are of interest to wound care providers. In March 2019, an advisory board was convened where experts considered the barriers and opportunities to drive a broader adoption of a biofilm-based approach to wound care. Poor clarity and articulation of wound terminology were identified as likely barriers to clinical adoption of rigorous and proactive microbial decontamination that is supportive of wound healing advancement. A transition to an intuitive term such as 'wound hygiene' was proposed to communicate a comprehensive wound decontamination plan with an associated message of expected habitual routine. 'Wound hygiene', is a relatable concept that supports meticulous wound practice that addresses barriers to wound healing, such as biofilm, while aligning with antimicrobial stewardship programmes.