Cost-effectiveness of vaccination against cytomegalovirus (CMV) in adolescent girls to prevent infections in pregnant women living in France.

BACKGROUND: CMV infections are the most frequent congenital infections worldwide. AIM: Assess the cost-effectiveness of vaccination strategies of adolescent girls vs. current practice (hygiene counseling) to prevent CMV seroconversions during pregnancy in France. METHOD: A Markov decision-tree model simulated overtime the trajectory of a single fictive cohort of 390,000 adolescent women aged 14 years old, living in France. Impact of vaccination was explored until the end of their reproductive live 40 years later. STRATEGIES COMPARED: "S1: No vaccination" (current practice); "S2: Routine vaccination"; "S3: Screening and vaccination of the seronegative". MODEL PARAMETERS: Seroconversion rate without vaccination (0.035%/pregnant woman-week); fetal transmission risk (41%). Vaccine vs. no vaccination: a 50% decrease in maternal seroconversions. OUTCOMES: Quality-Adjusted Life-Years (QALYs) of the cohort-born babies; discounted costs; Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER). RESULTS: S2 was the most effective strategy (with 35,000 QALYs gained) and the most expensive (€211,533,000); S1 was the least effective and least costly (€75,423,000). ICERs of strategy S3 vs. S1, and S2 vs. S3 were 6,000€/QALY gained (95% uncertainty range [2700-13,300]) and 16,000€/QALY [negative ICER (S3 dominated by S2) - 94,000] gained, respectively; highly cost-effective because ICER < 1∗France's GPD/capita = €30,000. SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS: If the seroprevalence was >62% (vs. 20% in the base case), S3 would become the most efficient strategy. CONCLUSION: In France, systematic vaccination of adolescent girls was the most efficient strategy to prevent maternal seroconversions. If the population was less than 62% immune, systematic screening and vaccination of susceptibles would become the most cost-effective approach.

Auditing HIV Testing Rates across Europe: Results from the HIDES 2 Study.

European guidelines recommend the routine offer of an HIV test in patients with a number of AIDS-defining and non-AIDS conditions believed to share an association with HIV; so called indicator conditions (IC). Adherence with this guidance across Europe is not known. We audited HIV testing behaviour in patients accessing care for a number of ICs. Participating centres reviewed the case notes of either 100 patients or of all consecutive patients in one year, presenting for each of the following ICs: tuberculosis, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, anal and cervical cancer, hepatitis B and C and oesophageal candidiasis. Observed HIV-positive rates were applied by region and IC to estimate the number of HIV diagnoses potentially missed. Outcomes examined were: HIV test rate (% of total patients with IC), HIV test accepted (% of tests performed/% of tests offered) and new HIV diagnosis rate (%). There were 49 audits from 23 centres, representing 7037 patients. The median test rate across audits was 72% (IQR 32-97), lowest in Northern Europe (median 44%, IQR 22-68%) and highest in Eastern Europe (median 99%, IQR 86-100). Uptake of testing was close to 100% in all regions. The median HIV+ rate was 0.9% (IQR 0.0-4.9), with 29 audits (60.4%) having an HIV+ rate >0.1%. After adjustment, there were no differences between regions of Europe in the proportion with >0.1% testing positive (global p = 0.14). A total of 113 patients tested HIV+. Applying the observed rates of testing HIV+ within individual ICs and regions to all persons presenting with an IC suggested that 105 diagnoses were potentially missed. Testing rates in well-established HIV ICs remained low across Europe, despite high prevalence rates, reflecting missed opportunities for earlier HIV diagnosis and care. Significant numbers may have had an opportunity for HIV diagnosis if all persons included in IC audits had been tested.

Complications following intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin treatment for bladder cancer: a case series of 22 patients.

BACKGROUND: Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy is an effective and widely used treatment for superficial bladder carcinoma. Local complications are frequent whereas systemic complications are rare but can be serious, and their management is not well known. METHODS: We describe retrospectively the records of 22 patients treated in 3 infectious disease departments, for complications related to intravesical BCG therapy as treatment of bladder cancer. RESULTS: All the patients were male, with a median age of 68 years (range 56-88). Complications occurred after a median of 5 instillations (range 1-11) and were observed within 24 h following BCG instillation for 14 patients. Common symptoms were fever (n = 20), impaired general condition (n = 14), and shortness of breath (n = 7). Six patients had a systemic septic reaction leading to transfer into the intensive care unit for five of them. Lung infiltration was the most frequent presentation (n = 11). Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from only two patients, but histology showed the presence of a granuloma in nine patients. Antimycobacterial treatment was initialized in 17 patients; the outcome was favorable in 16 patients, with a median length of symptoms resolution of 22.5 days (range 5-425 days). Eleven patients received corticosteroids in addition to specific treatment and had a more rapid improvement. One patient died with disseminated BCGitis proved by biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: Complications following intravesical BCG therapy are rare but can be severe and fatal. Histology seems to be the method that contributes most in confirmation of the diagnosis. Antimycobacterial therapy is effective, and probably more efficient when combined with corticosteroids, but the regimen and duration of the treatment are not standardized.

Time to initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients diagnosed with an opportunistic disease: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with the time between opportunistic disease (OD) diagnosis and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in HIV-infected patients presenting for care with an OD, and to evaluate the outcomes associated with any delay. METHODS: A multicentre cohort study was undertaken in London, Paris and Lille/Tourcoing. The medical records of patients diagnosed from 2002 to 2012 were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 437 patients were enrolled in the study: 70% were male, the median age was 40 years, 42% were from sub-Saharan Africa, 68% were heterosexual, the median CD4 count was 40 cells/µL, and the most common ODs were Pneumocystis pneumonia (37%), tuberculosis (24%), toxoplasmosis (12%) and Kaposi's sarcoma (11%). Of these patients, 400 (92%) started ART within 24 weeks after HIV diagnosis, with a median time from OD diagnosis to ART initiation of 30 [interquartile range (IQR) 16-58] days. Patients diagnosed between 2009 and 2012 had a shorter time to ART initiation than those diagnosed in earlier years [hazard ratio (HR) 2.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.58-2.72]. Factors associated with a longer time to ART initiation were a CD4 count ≥ 200 cells/µL (HR 0.30; 95% CI 0.20-0.44), tuberculosis (HR 0.40; 95% CI 0.30-0.55) and diagnosis in London (HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.48-0.80). Patients initiating 'deferred' ART (by ≥ 30 days) exhibited no difference in disease progression or immunovirological response compared with patients who had shorter times to ART initiation. Patients in the 'deferred' group were less likely to have ART modifications (HR 0.69; 95% CI 0.48-1.00) and had shorter in-patient stays (mean 14.2 days shorter; 95% CI 8.9-19.5 days) than patients in the group whose ART was not deferred. CONCLUSIONS: The time between OD diagnosis and ART initiation remains heterogeneous and relatively long, particularly in individuals with a high CD4 count or tuberculosis or those diagnosed in London. Deferring ART was associated with fewer ART modifications and shorter in-patient stays.

[Pulmonary manifestations in HIV-infected patients: a diagnostic approach]. / Manifestations pulmonaires au cours de l'infection par le VIH: démarche diagnostique.

The spectrum of pulmonary diseases that can affect human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients is wide and includes both HIV and non-HIV-related conditions. Opportunistic infections and neoplasms remain a major concern even in the current era of combination antiretroviral therapy. Although these diseases have characteristic clinical and radiological features, there can be considerable variation in these depending on the patient's CD4 lymphocyte count. The patient's history, physical examination, CD4 count and chest radiograph features must be considered in establishing an appropriate diagnostic algorithm. In this article, we propose different diagnostic approaches HIV infected to patients with respiratory symptoms depending on their clinico-radiological pattern.

Major amputation of lower extremity: prognostic value of positive bone biopsy cultures.

BACKGROUND: To assess the correlation between culture results of section's osseous slice biopsy (SOB) and the distal infected site responsible for the amputation performed concomitantly during major amputation of lower extremity. The influence of a positive culture of SOB on the patients' outcome was also evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of medical charts of patients who underwent SOB during major amputation of lower extremity at our institution from 2000 to 2009. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients (42 males/15 females, mean age 52.16years) who undergone major limb amputation (47 below knee and ten above knee) were included. The initial medical conditions of the investigated patients were: trauma (n=32), infection (n=13), trophic disorders (n=10) and tumor (n=2). The major cause of amputation was an uncontrolled infection, accouting for 64.9% of the cases (37/57) (foot=5, ankle=8, leg=24), the remaining 20 patients had trophic disorders of lower limb. Twenty-one (36.8%) from 57 biopsies were sterile, 12 (21.1%) doubtful and 24 (42.1%) positive. Thirty-one (54.4%) patients had an antibiotic-free interval before limb amputation. Independently of the bacterial species, 69.6% of the microorganisms identified from SOB were found in the distal infected site. Patients with positive SOB had a significantly longer interval between the decision to amputate the patient and the surgical procedure (200.2 vs. 70.1days; P<0.03) and a shorter total duration of antibiotic therapy before amputation than patients with negative SOB (3.68 vs. 6.08months; P<0.03). The delay for complete healing was significantly higher in patients with a positive SOB compared with those with a negative SOB (3.57 vs. 2.48months; P<0.03). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the infection may extend from the distal site to the level of amputation in a large proportion of cases and that the delay with which the amputation is performed after the decision has been taken may play a role in this event. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Study level IV: retrospective observationnal study.

Skin and soft tissue infections due to Panton-Valentine leukocidin producing Staphylococcus aureus.

OBJECTIVE: The authors had for aim to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics, and the treatment of patients presenting with skin and soft tissue infections due to Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) producing Staphylococcus aureus in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais (NPDC) region, North of France. METHODS: We included patients presenting with PVL producing S. aureus infection from seven hospitals in the NPDC region, between February 2004 and April 2008. We retrospectively collected patient data using a standardized questionnaire. The features of patients presenting with skin and soft tissue were then analyzed. RESULTS: PVL producing S. aureus was isolated from 64 patients. Fifty-four patients presented with skin and soft tissue infections. The mean age of patients was 23.8 years (63% male patients). The mean number of persons living with the infected patient was 4.5 (vs. 2.5 in NPDC). The lesions were abscesses with inflammatory signs in 64.8% of the cases (20% were necrotic). Among the patients, 70.3% carried a methicillin resistant strain. Antibiotics per os were used for 83.3% of patients; the first-line antibiotics were considered inadequate in 53.3% of the cases. Among the patients, 83.3% underwent surgery. Fourteen out of 38 patients with available data had been exposed to antibiotic therapy during the three months before hospital management. CONCLUSION: Recent exposure to antibiotics and living with a high number of persons are reasons to suspect a PVL producing S. aureus infection in patients with skin abscess.

Outcome of patients with diabetes with negative percutaneous bone biopsy performed for suspicion of osteomyelitis of the foot.

AIMS: To assess the outcome of patients with diabetes with suspicion of osteomyelitis of the foot who had undergone a percutaneous bone biopsy that yielded negative microbiological results, with focus on the occurrence of osteomyelitis at the biopsied site. METHODS: Medical charts of adult patients with diabetes with a negative percutaneous bone biopsy were reviewed. Patients' outcome was evaluated at least 2 years after the initial bone biopsy according to wound healing, the results of a new bone biopsy and bone imaging evaluation when applicable. RESULTS: From January 2001 to January 2008, 41 patients with diabetes (30 men/11 women; mean age 58.1 ± 9.6 years; mean diabetes duration 15.8 ± 6.7 years) met study criteria. Osteomyelitis was suspected based on combined clinical and imaging diagnostic criteria. On follow-up at a mean duration of 41.2 ± 22.5 months post-bone biopsy, 16 patients had complete wound healing (39.0%). Of the 25 other patients, 15 had a new bone biopsy performed, six of which yielded positive microbiological results, and among the 10 patients who neither healed nor underwent bone biopsy, comparative radiography of the foot showed a stable aspect of the biopsied site in six of them, for whom the data were available. Finally, osteomyelitis of the foot at the site where the initial bone biopsy had been performed was confirmed during follow-up in six patients (14.6%) and was suspected in four additional patients (9.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that, of patients with diabetes with the suspicion of osteomylelitis and a negative percutaneous bone biopsy, only one out of four will develop osteomyelitis within 2 years of the biopsy.

Characteristics and prognosis in patients with prosthetic vascular graft infection: a prospective observational cohort study.

Prosthetic vascular graft infection (PVGI) is a devastating complication, with a mortality rate of up to 75%, which is especially caused by aortic graft infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors associated with in-hospital mortality of patients with definite graft infection, and with long-term outcome. We reviewed medical records of 85 patients treated for PVGIs defined by positive bacterial culture of intraoperative specimens or blood samples, and/or clinical, biological and radiological signs of infection. In-hospital patient mortality was defined as any death occurring during the initial treatment of the graft infection. Cure was defined as the absence of evidence of relapsing infection during long-term follow-up (≥1 year). Eighty-five patients (54 aortic and 31 limb graft infections) treated by surgical debridement and removal of the infected prosthesis (n=41), surgical debridement without removal of prosthesis (n=34) or antimicrobial treatment without surgery (n=10) were studied. The only microbiological difference observed between patients with early (occurring within 4 months after surgery) vs. late PVGI and between those with aortic vs. limb PVGI was the incidence of PVGI caused by Staphylococcus aureus, which was greater in patients with limb PVGI. Overall cure was observed in 93.2% of 59 patients with a follow-up of a minimum of 1 year. Overall in-hospital mortality was 16.5% (n=14). Two variables were independently associated with mortality: age >70 years (OR 9.1, 95% CI 1.83-45.43, p 0.007) and aortic graft infection (OR 5.6, 95% CI 1.1-28.7, p 0.037).

Staphylococcus simulans as an authentic pathogenic agent of osteoarticular infections.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of Staphylococcus simulans in bone and joint infections (BJI) and determine their main characteristics. METHODS: A search of the database of the microbiology laboratories of Lille hospital and Tourcoing hospital was performed. Only results from blood, bone, and orthopedic device cultures were taken into account for hospitalized patients between January 2004 and January 2009. We considered cases in which S. simulans was the only bacteria isolated in all of the patients' biological samples with clinical and laboratory signs of infection. For patients with complete medical records, we recorded the clinical and epidemiological data. RESULTS: Six cases of BJI due to S. simulans were recorded, with five cases related to orthopedic devices infections. Three patients lived in rural areas. In four out of six patients, S. simulans was isolated in intraoperative biopsy material. In one patient, S. simulans grew in synovial fluid and in another in blood cultures only. The latter patient had a spondylodiscitis, and chronic foot ulcers due to gout disease were suspected to be the origin of the infection. All patients were healed after a mean follow up of 9 ± 3 months. Orthopedic devices were removed in four of the five patients concerned. The combination of rifampicin plus levofloxacin was used in four patients. CONCLUSION: The present data suggest that, even though S. simulans remains rarely observed in clinical pathology, its role in osteoarticular infections, especially in the case of infected orthopedic devices, is not exceptional. As for the antibiotic treatment, the combination of rifampicin and levofloxacin seems to be an effective strategy according to our clinical results.

Occupational transmission of hepatitis C virus resulting from use of the same supermarket meat slicer.

Tracing risk factors for acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV) in an HCV-infected patient, the only identified risk was working at the same butcher's counter of a supermarket as another HCV-infected patient, using a common ham cutting machine, with frequent bleeding hand injuries. A phylogenetic analysis showed a high percentage of nucleotide homology between the two patients' strains.

Cost-effectiveness of QuantiFERON-TB test vs. tuberculin skin test in the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the tuberculin skin test (TST), the QuantiFERON-TB Gold test (QFT) and a combination of TST and QFT (TST+QFT) for diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in France in a bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccinated population. METHODS: A decision analysis model evaluated three strategies among simulated adults in close contact with tuberculosis (TB). We calculated direct lifetime medical costs, life expectancies and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). RESULTS: The discounted direct medical costs of care per patient of no testing, TST, QFT and TST+QFT were respectively euro417, euro476, euro443 and euro435, while discounted life expectancies were respectively 25.030, 25.071, 25.073 and 25.062 years. TST had higher costs and lower efficacy than QFT; TST+QFT was associated with an ICER of euro560 per year of life gained (YLG) compared to no testing, and QFT was associated with an ICER of euro730/YLG compared to TST+QFT. The only scenario where QFT was associated with an ICER of >euro75 000/YLG was when the prevalence of LTBI around TB was low (<5%) and TST specificity high (>90%). CONCLUSIONS: In France, for the diagnosis of LTBI after close contact with TB, the TST is more expensive and less effective than QFT. Although it is more expensive, QFT is more effective and cost-effective than TST+QFT under a wide range of realistic test performance scenarios.

[Retrospective study of 106 cases of varicella in immunocompetent adults. Parameters associated with varicella pneumonia]. / Etude rétrospective de 106 cas de varicelle chez l'adulte immunocompétent. Paramètres associés à la pneumonie varicelleuse.

INTRODUCTION: Varicella occurring in healthy adults may extend to the lungs. Diagnosing this complication is sometimes difficult because of the discrepancy between imaging and clinical presentation usually reported in this affection. METHOD: The authors report the result of a retrospective study on 106 immunocompetent patients including 48 cases of varicella pneumonia. This condition is defined as the presence of clinical signs of pneumonia and radiological and biological abnormalities consistent with viral pneumonitis. RESULTS: Comparison of the patients with or without varicella pneumonia (VP) showed that smoking was a risk factor for VP. Other parameters seem to be more associated with VP, such as fever greater than 38.3 degrees C, enanthem in the mouth, and biological hepatitis. In this study, 29.2% of the patients had received nonjustified acyclovir treatment because of missing specific criteria for the diagnosis of VP. CONCLUSION: An exact definition of VP and using parameters associated to VP would help to specify indication for hospitalization and acyclovir treatment. Careful monitoring of healthy patients with varicella is essential for an early detection of clinical signs requiring hospitalization.

Opportunistic infections in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: prevention and diagnosis.

Because of the increasing use of immunosuppressive and biological drugs, the occurrence of opportunistic infections has become a key safety issue for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Consequently, improvement of healthcare workers' knowledge of this domain is urgent. In this review, the preventive measures that would help to reduce the rate of opportunistic infections in patients with IBD are listed, and the management of situations frequently confronting doctors is considered. In the absence of national and international recommendations, the information given here should help doctors to optimise patient outcomes.

Additional direct medical costs associated with nosocomial infections after head and neck cancer surgery: a hospital-perspective analysis.

The clinical impact of surgical site infections (SSI) and postoperative pneumonia (PP) after head and neck cancer surgery has been assessed in the past, but little is known about their economic impact. The present study was designed to evaluate costs related to SSI and PP after head and neck cancer surgery with opening of mucosa. The incidence of SSI and PP was measured in a prospective cohort of 261 patients who had undergone head and neck cancer surgery. The additional direct medical costs related to these infections from the hospital perspective were determined based on postoperative length of stay. The mean direct hospital costs for patients with and without SSI or PP were compared. Of the 261 patients, 81 (31%), 21 (8%) and 13 (5%) developed SSI, PP or both, respectively. The additional lengths of stay attributable to SSI, PP or both were 16, 17 and 31 days, respectively, and additional direct medical costs related to these conditions were 17,000, 19,000 and 35,000 Euros. Nosocomial infections after head and neck cancer surgery significantly increase patients' length of stay and therefore generate additional direct medical costs. These results support the application of preventive interventions to reduce nosocomial infections in this setting.

[Risk factors for hepatitis C virus transmission to Health Care Workers after occupational exposure: a European case-control study]. / Facteurs de risque de transmission accidentelle du VHC au personnel soignant au décours d'un accident exposant au sang: une étude cas-témoins européenne.

BACKGROUND: Factors that influence the risk for HCV infection after occupational exposure to hepatitis C virus (HCV) have not yet been determined. The objective of this study was to assess potential risk factors for Hepatitis C seroconversion after occupational exposure to HCV. METHODS: We conducted a European matched case-control study from 01/01/1991 through 31/12/ 2002. Cases were Health Care Workers (HCWs) who were HCV seronegative at the time of exposure, sustained a documented exposure to HCV, and present documented HCV seroconversion temporally associated with the exposure. Controls-HCWs had a documented exposure to HCV, were HCV seronegative at the time of exposure, and remained so at least 6 months later. Controls were matched to cases for the center and the time period of the exposure occurrence. RESULTS: 60 cases and 204 controls were included. All cases were exposed to HCV-infected materials through percutaneous injuries. Those for whom information was available (61.6%) were exposed to viremic source patients. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis, in which HCV viral load was not introduced because of missing values, identified needle placed in the source patient's vein or artery (Odds Ratio [OR]=100.1; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=7.3-1365.7), deep injury (OR=155.2; 95%CI=7.1-3417.2), and HCW's gender (M vs. F: OR=3.1; 95%CI=1.0-10.0) as risk factors for HCV infection. In univariate unmatched analysis the risk of HCV transmission was increased 11-fold (C195%=1.1-114.1) in HCWs exposed to sources with a viral load>6 log10 copies/mL when compared to sources with a HCV viral load<4 log10 copies/mL. CONCLUSION: The risk of HCV transmission after percutaneous exposure increases with a larger volume of blood, and, a higher titer of HCV in the source patient's blood. The role of HCW's gender need to be further investigated. The results of this study have important implications for counselling and follow-up of HCWs after exposure.