Field-testing the new anaphylaxis' classification for the WHO International Classification of Diseases-11 revision.

BACKGROUND: To consolidate the new classification model addressed to the allergic and hypersensitivity conditions according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11 revision timeline, we here propose real-life application of quality assurance methodology to evaluate sensitivity and accuracy of the 'Anaphylaxis' subsection. METHODS: We applied field-testing methodology by analysing all the consecutive inpatients' files documented as allergies from the University Hospital of Montpellier electronic database for the period of 1 year. The files clinically validated as being anaphylaxis were manually blind-coded under ICD-10 and current ICD-11 beta draft. The correspondence of coding and the impressions regarding sensibility were evaluated. RESULTS: From all 2318 files related to allergic or hypersensitivity conditions, 673 had some of the anaphylaxis ICD-10 codes; 309 files (46%) from 209 patients had anaphylaxis and allergic or hypersensitivity comorbidities description. The correspondence between the two coders was perfect for 162 codes from all 309 entities (52.4%) (Cohen-kappa value 0.63) with the ICD-10 and for 221 codes (71.5%) (Cohen-kappa value 0.77) with the ICD-11. There was a high agreement regarding sensibility of the ICD-11 usability (Cohen-kappa value 0.75). CONCLUSION: We here propose the first attempt of real-life application to validate the new ICD-11 'Anaphylaxis' subsection. Clearer was the improvement in accuracy reaching 71.5% of agreement when ICD-11 was used. By allowing all the relevant diagnostic terms for anaphylaxis to be included into the ICD-11 framework, WHO has recognized their importance not only to clinicians but also to epidemiologists, statisticians, healthcare planners and other stakeholders.

The use of a medico economic database as a part of French apheresis registry.

An apheresis registry is a part of each learned apheresis society. The interest in this is obvious, in terms of knowledge of the practice of apheresis, adverse events, and technical issues. However, because of the weight of data entry it could never be exhaustive and some data will be missing. While continuing our registry efforts and our efforts to match with other existing registries, we decided to extend the data collection to a medico-economic database that is available in France, the Programme de Médicalisation du Système d'Information (PMSI) that has covered reimbursement information for each public or private hospital since 2007. It contains almost all apheresis procedures in all apheresis fields, demographic patient data, and primary and related diagnoses, among other data. Although this data does not include technical apheresis issues or other complications of the procedures, its interest is great and it is complementary to the registry. From 2003-2014, we have recorded 250,585 apheresis procedures, for 48,428 patients. We showed that the data are reliable and exhaustive. The information shows a perfect real life practice in apheresis, regarding indications, the rhythm and the duration of apheresis treatment. This prospective data collection is sustainable and allows us to assess the impact of healthcare guidelines. Our objective is to extend the data collection and match it to other existing databases; this will allow us to conduct, for example, a cohort study specifically for ECP.

Role of comorbid conditions in asthma hospitalizations in the south of France.

BACKGROUND: Reasons for asthma hospitalizations are dynamic and complex. Comorbid conditions are important contributors to most chronic diseases today. We aim to characterize and describe risk factors associated with hospitalizations due to asthma in the Languedoc-Roussillon region (France) in 2009. METHODS: Programme de Médicalisation des Systèmes d'Information (PMSI) data records from 2009 were sorted using selected International Classification of Diseases (ICD10) codes eliciting three groups of asthma hospitalizations according to acute severity. All available data including demographics, comorbid conditions, past hospitalizations either related or unrelated to asthma, seasonality and distance to medical facilities were used to compare the subjects within the three groups. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred and eighty-nine hospitalizations due to asthma exacerbation were found, concerning 1122 patients. We observed significant differences within the groups, using univariate analysis, concerning duration of hospitalizations (mean ± SD, 4.9 ± 5.9 days vs 6.4 ± 6.8 vs 15.8 ± 16.8, P < 0.001), deaths (percentage, 0.03% vs 1.50% vs 9.20%, P < 0.001) and numbers of comorbid conditions (0.80 ± 0.95 vs 0.75 ± 0.97 vs 1.74 ± 1.36, P < 0.001). Recurrent admissions for asthma during the period 2006-2008 were significantly more frequent in the more severe group (1.93 ± 3.91 vs 2.56 ± 4.47 vs 2.81 ± 3.97, P = 0.006). In the multivariate model, age and number of comorbid conditions were independently associated with severe hospitalizations and deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Asthma hospitalizations can be appropriately assessed using PMSI coding databases. In this study, age and the presence of comorbid conditions are the major risk factors for asthma hospitalizations and deaths.

Measuring agreement for ordered ratings in 3 x 3 tables.

OBJECTIVES: When two raters consider a qualitative variable ordered according to three categories, the qualitative agreement is commonly assessed with a symmetrically weighted kappa statistic. However, these statistics can present paradoxes, since they may be insensitive to variations of either complete agreements or disagreements. METHODS: Agreement may be summarized by the relative amounts of complete agreements, partial and maximal disagreements beyond chance. Fixing the marginal totals and the trace, we computed symmetrically weighted kappa statistics and we developed a new statistic for qualitative agreements. Data sets from the literature were used to illustrate the methods. RESULTS: We show that agreement may be better assessed with the unweighted kappa index, kappa(c), and a new statistic zeta, which assesses the excess of maximal disagreements with respect to the partial ones, and does not depend on a particular weighting system. When zeta is equal to zero, maximal and partial disagreements beyond chance are equal. With its estimated large sample variance, we compared the values of two contingency tables. CONCLUSIONS: The (kappa(c), zeta) pair is sensitive to variations in agreements and/or disagreements and enables locating the difference between two qualitative agreements. The qualitative agreement is better with increasing values of kappa(c) and zeta.

[Home care for acute pulmonary embolism: Feasibility and general practitioner acceptability]. / Évaluation de l'acceptabilité du point de vue du médecin traitant et de la faisabilité de la prise en charge ambulatoire de l'embolie pulmonaire.

BACKGROUND: In France, initial management of pulmonary embolism (PE) is performed in the hospital setting. The latest international guidelines suggest that PE at low risk of mortality can be treated in the ambulatory care setting. This means that ambulatory care pathways and general practitioner (GP) opinions concerning such a change in practice need to be determined. OBJECTIVES: To determine: (1) rate of patients eligible for an ambulatory management of their PE and reasons for hospitalization of PE at low risk of mortality; (2) acceptability for GPs of PE home care and patient's desired care pathway. METHODS: Two-part prospective observational study conducted in Montpellier University Hospital from May 2012 to August 2013: (1) in-hospital study including all consecutive patients with non-hospital acquired PE; (2) telephonic survey on PE patient's ambulatory care pathway conducted among GPs. RESULTS: In-hospital study: 99.1% (n=211) of included patients were hospitalized and only 14.1% (n=30) had all criteria for home care. Patient's pathway survey: 68.3% (n=112) of GPs, particularly those aged 40-54 years and those who had already managed patients alone after hospital discharge, were in favour of home care for PE. One hundred and thirty-nine (84.8%) GPs wanted a collaborative management with an expert thrombosis physician and an outpatient follow-up visit at one week. CONCLUSION: Few patients managed at Montpellier University Hospital are eligible for ambulatory management of their PE. GPs have a favorable opinion of home care for PE if it is conducted in collaboration with an expert thrombosis physician.

Comparison of hydrophobic heat and moisture exchangers with heated humidifier during prolonged mechanical ventilation.

Inspired gases must be warmed and humidified during mechanical ventilation. In a prospective randomized study we compared the performance of a heated humidifier (HH) (Draegger Aquaport) and a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) (Pall Filter BB 2215). A total of 116 patients requiring mechanical ventilation (Servo 900 C Siemens) were enrolled into the study and were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Patients in group I were ventilated with a traditional breathing circuit with HH and patients in group II using a simplified circuit with HME. Pre-existing and hospital acquired atelectasis and pneumonia, occurrence of endotracheal tube (ET) occlusion and ventilatory parameters (respiratory rate, tidal volume) were studied. No statistical difference was found between groups for each parameter except the greater frequency of ET occlusions in the II group (0/61 vs 9/55) (p = 0.0008). Pall Filter (PF), a hydrophobic filter, humidifies the dry gases from the condensed water which is put down on the HME surfaces during cooling of saturated expired gases. This purely physical property is linked to the magnitude of the thermic gradient between the expired gases and the ambiant temperature. Performance impairment of PF in our study might be due to high ambiant temperature in the intensive care unit (usually around 28 degrees C) which reduces thermic gradient and water exchanges. We conclude that efficiency of PF may be weak in some conditions of ambiant temperature.

Morpho-semantic analysis and translation of medical compound terms.

This paper describes an automatic procedure for morphosemantic analysis and translation of compound medical terms. This analysis is of interest for the automatic indexation of medical discharge reports and summaries. Since words with the suffix -osis may have many different semantic interpretations, such -osis forms are taken as examples for a general method that avoids the difficulties in interpreting medical terms as reported in other studies.

[Value of x-ray CT used in thin sections for evaluating sarcoidosis. Apropos of 57 cases. Comparison with other methods]. / L'intérêt de la TDM en coupes millimétriques pour l'évaluation des sarcoïdoses. A propos de 57 cas. Comparaison aux autres méthodes.

The authors have staged by CT 57 cases of sarcoidosis. In all cases CT has given superior semiologic pattern in comparison with plain-films which are the classical baseline references (Turiaf)...up to date. 30% of type I sarcoidosis are staged as type II by thin-section CT slices. This radio-clinic evaluation must be continued on months to find if this group is an homogeneous one in the prognostic meaning and if cortico-therapy is useful. The authors propose a systematic CT evaluation of sarcoidosis in 1987 and a CT actualization of the radiologic classification of the disease.

[Pulmonary opacities in the shape of ribbon streamers. Apropos of a case]. / Opacités pulmonaires rubanées "en serpentins". A propos d'une observation.

The authors report a case of chronic interstitial pneumonia with a very unusual appearance (on plain films and CT); in fact such ribbon-like linear opacities with concentric and pseudo-cavitary disposition have not been previously described. They are comparable but different from the linear opacities described by Carrington in some cases of chronic eosinophilic interstitial pneumonia, which are vertical and peripheral. They are also different from the curvilinear sub-pleural opacities reported in some cases of asbestosis. On the basis of the anatomic findings they discuss the specificity of such radiologic patterns or their sole value as an evolutive state.

[Abdominal and pelvic segmented T1-weighted echo-planar imaging and MRI. Comparison with T1-TSE and T2-UTSE sequences]. / Echo-planar segmentaire pondéré T1 en IRM abdominale et pelvienne. Comparaison avec les séquences T1 TSE et T2 UTSE.

PURPOSE: To assess, quantitatively and qualitatively, the diagnostic value of a segmented EPI T1W sequence compared to T1W and T2W TSE sequences. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective analysis of abdominal and pelvic MRI examinations of 70 patients (44 women, 26 men, mean age of 61 years), was performed on a 0.5 T supraconductive magnet with 15 mT/m gradients. The sequences were randomized and compared in a blinded fashion by 3 independent reviewers: TSE T1W (TR/TE = 500/12 ms, NSA = 6, turbo factor 5, 3:49 min), EPI T1W (TR/TE = 500/30 ms, NSA = 6, EPI factor = 7, 2:13 min) and UTSE T2W (TR/TE = 1600-2500/100, NSA = 6, turbo factor = 31, 2:20 min). RESULTS: Quantitatively, no significant difference was found between T1W sequences for signal to noise ratio. The EPI T1W sequence had lower signal but stronger enhancement after gadolinium injection. Qualitatively, EPI T1W had significantly less flow artefacts (p < 0.001, wilcoxon test), and more chemical shift artifact (p < 0.01). For lesion detection, differences were not statistically significant between T1W sequences or between paired T1W and T2W sequences (sensitivity and specificity 84 and 86% for TSE T1W 76 and 86% for EPI T1W, 78 and 79% for UTSE T2W, 90 and 65% for TSE T1W-UTSE T2W, 88 and 65% for EPI T1W-UTSE T2W). Kappa concordance test (0.686) and Mac Nemar symmetry test (3.55) were high between T1W sequences. CONCLUSION: The segmented EPI T1W sequence used had equivalent results compared to the TSE T1W sequence, it allows a 40% reduction in acquisition time and this without difference in the diagnostic performances of the reviewers.

[X-ray computed tomography in mediastinal lymph node tuberculosis. Apropos of 3 cases]. / L'apport de la TDM dans la tuberculose ganglionnaire médiastinale. A propos de 3 observations.

About three cases of isolated mediastinal nodal tuberculosis--one of them leading to an erroneous diagnosis--the authors try to evaluate the semiologic criteria of this disease by C.T. scan.

[Pulmonary embolism: contribution of spiral x-ray computed tomography]. / Embolie pulmonaire: apport de la tomodensitométrie hélicoïdale.

PURPOSE: Spiral computed tomography was compared retrospectively with digital subtraction pulmonary angiography (PA) in 45 patients suspected of having acute or chronic pulmonary embolism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 45 patients in whom the presence of acute or chronic pulmonary embolism was suspected underwent examination by spiral CT and PA. Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism was based on the direct visualization of intraluminal clots. The study of the agreement between the two methods was based on the Kappa test. In 35 cases, pulmonary emboli were proved. Acute pulmonary emboli were present in 28 cases and chronic in 7 cases. RESULTS: Spiral computed tomography represents an excellent way to detect acute pulmonary embolism. In the chronic form, spiral CT is better than PA to detect intraluminal clots. However, Spiral CT can fail to detect small embole in the peripheral arterial bed. In the 10 patients without pulmonary embolism, the spiral CT proved diagnosis pulmonary oedema (n = 3), lymphangitic carcinoma (n = 4), pleural effusion (n = 3). CONCLUSION: This study suggest that the spiral CT examination is accurate for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism specifically in case of suspected important embolism. The advantages of spiral CT are multiple (non invasive, wide diagnosis spectrum). However, may be a limitation to is use is insufficient distal thrombi detection. This eventuality (5 to 10% in the Pioped study) justify the practice of pulmonary angiography. Spiral CT improvements should reduce this insufficiency in the next future.

[Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Apropos of a case. The value of mm.-thick CAT scan sections. A pulmonary lobe anatomic approach]. / Protéinose alvéolaire pulmonaire. A propos d'un cas. Apport des coupes millimétriques TDM. Approche de l'anatomie lobulaire pulmonaire.

Is by its acinar-shadows and interstitial enhancement a pathologic situation of optimal value for the study of alveolar and lobular anatomy. Millimetric slices with high resolution C.T. Scanning seem to be Gough anatomic preparations and are very favourable for the inner anatomy pulmonary study.

[Pregnancy and asthma]. / Grossesse et asthme.

One in a hundred pregnant females has asthma. Pregnancy may change the course of the asthma and inversely foetal and obstetric prognosis may be affected by the illness and by the potentially deleterious effect of treatment. The maternal physiological changes which occur during pregnancy throw little light on the variations in asthma during pregnancy. Clinical studies in the literature suggest that the quality of follow-up and treatment in patients allows for a satisfactory outcome in pregnancy and that it is an important prognostic factor. Overall, taking account of the pregnancy and confinement the therapeutic approach of the thoracic physician differs little from that in management outside pregnancy. The first objective is to relieve the bronchial obstruction. Broncho-dilator therapy with beta-agonist and by theophylline remains usable in most cases. The side effects of steroid therapy ought to be balanced against the advantages, in order to maintain a normal physiological state. Immunotherapy, and antibiotics should be adapted appropriately for the pregnancy and for their respective contra-indications. Finally, the prevention of atopy should be envisaged.

[Effect of positive end expiratory pressure on arterial oxygenation during bronchoalveolar lavage for proteinosis]. / Effet d'une pression expiratoire positive sur l'oxygénation artérielle en cours de lavage bronchoalvéolaire pour protéinose.

To maintain good cellular oxygenation during bronchopulmonary lavage for alveolar proteinosis is often a difficult problem to solve. A case is reported of alveolar proteinosis in whom four lavages were performed. Details of the technique are discussed, as are the problems with expedients used to improve PaO2. The use of a 10 cmH2O positive end-expiratory pressure was useful only during the "in-phase"; in the "out-phase", it worsened the PaO2. PaO2 during lavage in patients with alveolar proteinosis can only be improved by three ways: cancellation of the shunt during lung filling and, during the "out-phase", an increase in FIO2 or pulmonary artery occlusion by a balloon.

[The Relative Complexity Index beta: value of each parameter]. / ICR bêta: valeur de chaque paramètre.

The French health policy PMSI project (Program for a Medical Information System) is mainly aimed at development of cost analysis based on diagnosis related groups. An indicator of the relative costs of anaesthetics, the relative complexity index (ICR beta), was defined as the result of a computation of different indexes of surgical and anaesthetic procedures such as duration, patients ASA status, degree of emergency, stay in the recovery room. The aims of this study were 1) to analyze relative part of each index in ICR beta value and in ICR beta variance and 2) to assess the value of ICR beta as a cost or a complexity index. The study included 14,435 anaesthetics analyzed with the Dunn and Clarks multiple linear regression. Mean ICR beta was 267.28. The duration of the procedure accounted for 46% of the ICR beta value and surgery for 25%. The anaesthesia and the recovery accounted for 15% of the ICR beta value, but only for 0.0341 and 0.0347 respectively of the ICR beta variance. The product of the surgical procedure index by the ASA status index accounted for 0.259 of the ICR beta variance and the duration index for 0.650. The comparison of homogeneous groups with regard to the surgical procedure shows that intravenous anaesthesia accounts for 12.4% of the ICR beta value, inhalational anaesthesia for 13.84%, but exceeds 15% for regional anaesthesia (44.5% for caudal anaesthesia). For appendectomies (n = 114) duration index is still an important parameter in ICR beta variance (delta R2 = 0.354) but equivalent to the emergency index (delta R2 = 0.363).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)