[The Confusion Assessment Method: Transcultural adaptation of a French version]. / Adaptation transculturelle francophone de la Confusion Assessment Method.

INTRODUCTION: The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) is a validated key tool in clinical practice and research programs to diagnose delirium and assess its severity. There is no validated French version of the CAM training manual and coding guide (Inouye SK). The aim of this study was to establish a consensual French version of the CAM and its manual. METHODS: Cross-cultural adaptation to achieve equivalence between the original version and a French adapted version of the CAM manual. RESULTS: A rigorous process was conducted including control of cultural adequacy of the tool's components, double forward and back translations, reconciliation, expert committee review (including bilingual translators with different nationalities, a linguist, highly qualified clinicians, methodologists) and pretesting. A consensual French version of the CAM was achieved. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the CAM French version in daily clinical practice will enable optimal diagnosis of delirium diagnosis and enhance communication between health professionals in French speaking countries. Validity and psychometric properties are being tested in a French multicenter cohort, opening up new perspectives for improved quality of care and research programs in French speaking countries.

[Survey on antibiotic prescription practices for palliative care terminally ill patients of 75 years old and more]. / Enquête de pratique sur les modalités de prescription des antibiotiques en phase terminale de soins palliatifs chez les patients de plus de 75 ans.

Infections commonly occur terminally ill oldest patients in palliative care and questioned about antimicrobial use. The aim of this study was to describe practitioners' habits. METHOD: ancillary study on antibiotic modalities according to the setting of care from a national practices survey based on self administered questionnaire sent by e-mail in 2017. RESULTS: 220 practitioners/327 used antibiotic, 136 worked in hospital department (52 geriatricians), 20 nursing home and 64 general practitioners (GP). GP declared less palliative care patients (6/year). The antibiotic goal was symptomatic relief for 181 (82.3%) without statistically significant difference between groups. GP (25%) were the group that most collected patient opinion for antibiotic prescription. Nursing home (23%) and GP (18%) reported more urinary tract symptoms than others (11.7%) (P=0.003). Geriatricians (59.6%) declared significantly less urinary analysis than GP (90%) (P=0.0009). 212 doctor (96.4%) faced side effect (SI): more allergic reaction and less administration difficulties than the other groups. The stop decision was collegially took (156, 70,9%) significantly more in hospital (121, 89%) than in community (25, 39.1%) (P<0.001). Patient wishes were noted by 30 (46.96%) only GP. CONCLUSION: Even if practice and number of patients follow up differ from each place of care, doctors' intention in antibiotic use respect palliative care goal to relieve discomfort. It is hard to diagnose infection and complementary exam are scarce. A repeated individualized evaluation with patient, his surrounding and his medical referent participation, is mandatory to give a constant adapted level of care in every place of care.

Determinants of doctors' antibiotic prescriptions for patients over 75 years old in the terminal stage of palliative care.

INTRODUCTION: Notwithstanding high prevalence of presumably bacterial infections in elderly persons (EP) in palliative care (PC), there exists no recommendation on the role of antibiotic therapy (ABP) in this type of situation. OBJECTIVE: To describe the determinants of antibiotic prescription by general practitioners (GP) and by doctors practicing in institutions (DPI) for patients>75 years, in end-of-life situations in PC. METHOD: Descriptive investigation by anonymous self-administered questionnaire disseminated in France by e-mail. RESULTS: A total of 301 questionnaires analyzed: 113 GP, 188 DPIs. The latter were mainly geriatricians (69, 36.6%) and infectologists/internists (41, 21.8%). Sixty-three (55,75%) GPs and 144 (78.7%) DPIs stated that they had prescribed antibiotics. Practice in "EHPAD" retirement homes or intensive care was often associated with non-prescription of antibiotics. Age, PC training and number of patients monitored bore no influence. Family involvement in decision-making was more frequent for GPs than for DPIs. The main purpose of antibiotic therapy was to relieve different symptoms (fever, respiratory congestion, functional urinary signs). Most of the doctors (81%) had previously encountered complications (allergy, adverse effect), which represented the main causes of treatment discontinuation. CONCLUSION: Antibiotic use in end-of-life EPs in PC seems frequent. In accordance with the principle of beneficence, its goal of often symptom-related; that said, in the absence of scientific data, antibiotic prescription in end-of-life situations should be individualized in view of observing the other ethical caregiving principles (beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, patient autonomy) and re-evaluated daily.

[Anticoagulant induced intramural duodenal hematoma presenting as duodenal obstruction]. / Syndrome occlusif et hémorragique révélant un hématome duodénal intramural iatrogène.

An intramural hematoma of the duodenum was first reported in an article in the Lancet in 1838. At least, 90% of cases are caused by blunt abdominal trauma, typically accidents involving bicycles or motor vehicles. Intramural duodenal hematoma is a rare complication of anticoagulant therapy. It occurs in patients who receive excessive anticoagulation with warfarin or who have some other risk factor for bleeding. CT characteristics include circumferential wall thickening, intramural hyperdensity, luminal narrowing, and intestinal obstruction. Early diagnosis is crucial because most patients are treated nonoperatively with a good outcome.

Subcutaneous and intravenous ceftriaxone administration in patients more than 75 years of age.

OBJECTIVE: We wanted to compare the first line intravenous administration of ceftriaxone to a subcutaneous administration in patients more than 75 years of age. METHOD: We performed a retrospective monocentric study on all patients more than 75 years of age admitted to the Ales hospital between January 1 and December 31, 2011, having received at least two doses of ceftriaxone intravenously (IV) or subcutaneously (SC). RESULTS: One hundred and forty-eight patients (70 females/78 males patients) were included, 110 received ceftriaxone IV and 38 SC. They were a mean age of 84.7 years, older in the SC group (86.9 years) than in the IV group (83.9 years) (P = 0.0052). The SC group patients presented more frequently with dementia (57% vs. 25% P = 0.001), were more often bedridden (22% vs. 7% P = 0.023), had a higher mean World Health Organization status (3.13 vs. 2.76, P = 0.0181), and higher ADL score (7.79 vs. 5.76, P = 0.0056). There was no statistical difference for isolated bacteria, site of infection, death rate, and patients cured. CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous ceftriaxone administration seems to be preferred for fragile elderly patients independently of disease severity. This administration is not associated to an impaired effectiveness or to an increased death rate.

[Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome: a case report]. / Syndrome opsoclonus-myoclonies : à propos d'un cas.

Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome is a rare disorder. We report a 44-year-old patient with opsoclonus associated with a cerebellar syndrome revealing a small cell lung carcinoma. The treatment with chemotherapy initially improved the clinical symptoms but these eventually recurred. Opsoclonus is a complex disorder of the ocular motility, characterized by irregular, continuous and chaotic eye saccades. When it is associated with other manifestations of the central nervous system (head myoclonus and ataxia), it constitutes a clinical picture known as opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome. In adults, the most frequent causes are post-infectious, paraneoplastic and idiopathic. The symptomatic treatment is not defined, but the treatment of the underlying cause may improve the clinical features of this syndrome.