Nonstructural barriers to adult vaccination.

Adult vaccination coverage remains low, despite vaccine recommendations, improved access, and reimbursement. Low vaccination coverage and an aging population at higher risk from vaccine-preventable diseases lead to preventable disability and deaths, straining healthcare systems. An Advisory Board meeting was, therefore, held to identify non-structural barriers to adult vaccination and discuss potential solutions to increase uptake. Many non-structural factors can influence vaccine uptake, such as heterogeneity in the population, (fear of) vaccine shortages, incentives, or mandates for vaccination, understanding of disease burden and personal risks, time and opportunity for healthcare providers (HCPs) to discuss and deliver vaccines during general practice or hospital visits, trust in the health system, and education. To address these barriers, push-pull mechanisms are required: to pull patients in for vaccination and to push HCP performance on vaccination delivery. For patients, the focus should be on lifelong prevention and quality of life benefits: personal conversations are needed to increase confidence and knowledge about vaccination, and credible communication is required to build trust in health services and normalize vaccination. For providers, quality measurements are required to prioritize vaccination and ensure opportunities to check vaccination status, discuss and deliver vaccines are not missed. Financial and quality-based incentives may help increase uptake.

What is the context?● As populations age, healthcare systems are increasingly struggling with the burden of adult disease. Multiple vaccines are already recommended for adults throughout their lifetime, and more are coming soon, however, even in countries with subsidized programs, few adults are fully vaccinated, leading to frequent cases of illness, disability, hospitalization, or death, which could have been prevented.What is new?● Experts from Europe and the US joined an Advisory Board meeting to find out what is stopping people from getting vaccinated, particularly when vaccines are free, and how this can be helped in future.● The decision to get vaccinated can vary for different subgroups of the population, and can be influenced by vaccine shortages, rules about vaccination, and understanding the disease severity and need for vaccination. In addition, doctors may not have enough time and opportunity to discuss and provide vaccines during visits or may not feel comfortable raising the issue of vaccination with their patients.● To overcome these issues, both patients and doctors must change. Patients need: greater awareness of how illness impacts overall health and quality of life; better conversations with their doctors to address vaccination concerns; and trustworthy information from health services. For providers, vaccination prioritization should be linked to quality measurements, with collaboration from trusted community members to reinforce the importance of prevention, thus ensuring opportunities are not missed to discuss prevention and vaccinate. Normalizing adult vaccination is important for this.What is the impact?● Taking a patient centered prevention approach will help protect adults and ease the burden of vaccine-preventable disease.

Coadministration of seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines: A systematic review of clinical studies.

The lifting of non-pharmaceutical measures preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (and other viruses, including influenza viruses) raises concerns about healthcare resources and fears of an increased number of cases of influenza and COVID-19. For the 2021-2022 influenza season, the WHO and >20 European countries promoted coadministration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. Recently, the French Health Authority recommended coupling the COVID-19 vaccination with the 2022-2023 influenza vaccination campaign for healthcare professionals and people at risk of severe COVID-19. The present systematic review examines published data on the safety, immunogenicity, efficacy/effectiveness, and acceptability/acceptance of coadministration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. No safety concerns or immune interferences were found whatever the vaccines or the age of vaccinated subjects (65- or 65+). No efficacy/effectiveness data were available. The results should reassure vaccinees and vaccinators in case of coadministration and increase vaccine coverage. Healthcare systems promoting coupled campaigns must provide the necessary means for successful coadministration.

The lifting of non-pharmaceutical measures recommended to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (and other viruses, including influenza viruses) raises concerns about healthcare resources, already under pressure. It also raises fears of an increase in the number of cases of influenza or COVID-19 infection during the winter season. For the 2021­2022 influenza season, the World Health Organization and several European countries promoted concomitant administration in distinct anatomic sites (i.e., coadministration) of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines to avoid additional stress on healthcare systems. In May 2022, the French Health Authority recommended coupling the COVID-19 vaccination with the 2022­2023 influenza vaccination campaign (i.e., starting COVID-19 vaccination at the date of influenza vaccination) for healthcare professionals and people at risk of severe COVID-19, in case of epidemic wave. Coadministration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines is one of the factors of success for a coupled campaign. The present systematic review examines all published data (articles or reports, clinical trials, or surveys) on the safety, immunogenicity, efficacy/effectiveness, and acceptability/acceptance of coadministration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. The PRISMA method was used to collect information. No safety concerns or immune interferences were found whatever the vaccines or the age of vaccinated subjects (65- or 65+). No efficacy/effectiveness data were available. Acceptability and acceptance were good but could be improved. By reassuring vaccinees and vaccinators, these results are expected to favor coadministration and ultimately increase vaccine coverage, thus offering better protection. Healthcare systems promoting coupled campaigns with coadministration must provide the necessary means for their successful implementation.

Incidence of Avoidable 30-Day Readmissions Following Hospitalization for Community-Acquired Pneumonia in France.

Importance: Rates of 30-day readmissions following hospitalization for pneumonia are used to publicly report on hospital performance and to set financial penalties for the worst-performing hospitals. However, the rate of avoidable readmission following hospitalization for pneumonia is undefined. Objective: To assess how often 30-day readmissions following hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are avoidable. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study analyzed the results of an independent review of readmissions following hospitalization for CAP within 30 days among patients discharged from 2 large hospitals in France in 2014. Structured clinical records including clinical information (ie, baseline characteristics, physical examination, laboratory findings, x-ray or computed tomography scan findings, discharge plan, and treatments) for both index and readmission stays were independently reviewed by 4 certified board physicians. All consecutive adult patients hospitalized in 2014 with a diagnosis of CAP in our 2 eligible hospitals were eligible. All analyses presented were performed in March 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures: Avoidable readmission within 30 days of discharge from index hospitalization. The likelihood that a readmission was avoidable was quantified using latent class analysis based on the independent reviews. A readmission was considered avoidable if Bayes posterior probability exceeded 50%. Results: The total analytical sample consisted of 1150 index hospital stays with a diagnosis of CAP, which included 651 (56.6%) male patients. The median (IQR) age for all patients was 77.8 (IQR, 62.7-86.4) years. Out of the 1150 index hospital stays, 98 patients (8.5%) died in hospital, and 108 (9.4%) unplanned readmissions were found. Overall, 15 readmissions had a posterior probability of avoidability exceeding 0.50 (13.9% of the 108 unplanned readmissions; 95% CI, 8.0%-21.9%). The median (IQR) delay between the hospital discharge index and readmission was considerably shorter when readmission was deemed avoidable (4 [6-21] days vs 12 [2-18] days; P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance: Only a small number of readmissions following hospitalization for CAP were deemed avoidable, comprising less than 10% of all readmissions. Shorter time interval between hospitalization discharge and readmission was associated with avoidability.

Estimating the burden of influenza-related and associated hospitalizations and deaths in France: An eight-season data study, 2010-2018.

BACKGROUND: In France, each year, influenza viruses are responsible for seasonal epidemics leading to 2-6 million cases. Influenza can cause severe disease that may lead to hospitalization or death. As severe disease may be due to the virus itself or to disease complications, estimating the burden of severe influenza is complex. The present study aimed at estimating the epidemiological and economic burden of severe influenza in France during eight consecutive influenza seasons (2010-2018). METHODS: Influenza-related hospitalization and mortality data and patient characteristics were taken from the French hospital information database, PMSI. An ecological approach using cyclic regression models integrating the incidence of influenza syndrome from the Sentinelles network supplemented the PMSI data analysis in estimating excess hospitalization and mortality (CépiDc-2010-2015) and medical costs. RESULTS: Each season, the average number of influenza-related hospitalizations was 18,979 (range: 8627-44,024), with an average length of stay of 8 days. The average number of respiratory hospitalizations indirectly related with influenza (i.e., influenza associated) was 31,490 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 24,542-39,012), with an average cost of €141 million (range: 54-217); 70% of these hospitalizations and 77% of their costs concerned individuals ≥65 years of age (65+). More than 90% of excess mortality was in 65+ subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of two complementary approaches allowed estimation of both influenza-related and associated hospitalizations and deaths and their burden in France, showing the substantial impact of complications. The present study highlighted the major public health burden of influenza and its severe complications, especially in 65+ subjects.

Relationship between serotypes, disease characteristics and 30-day mortality in adults with invasive pneumococcal disease.

PURPOSE: Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is responsible for substantial mortality and morbidity worldwide. We aimed to identify host and bacterial factors associated with 30-day mortality in 18-year-old patients hospitalized with IPD in France from 2013 to 2015. METHODS: This study analyzed data collected from consecutives IPD cases included in two parallel multi-center cohort studies: COMBAT study (280 patients with pneumococcal community-acquired bacterial meningitis) and SIIP study (491 patients with non-meningitis IPD). Factors associated with 30-day mortality were identified using logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the 771 enrolled patients (median age 66 years, IQR [52.0-79.7]), 592/767 (77.2%) had at least one chronic disease. Patients with meningitis were younger (60.2 vs 70.9 years; p < 0.001) and had fewer chronic diseases than those with non-meningitis IPD (73.3% vs 79.4%; p = 0.05). Non-vaccine serotypes were more frequent in meningitis patients than in those with other IPD (36.1% vs 23.1%; p < 0.001). The overall 30-day mortality was 16.7% and patients with concurrent meningitis and extra-cerebral IPD had the highest 30-day mortality rate (26.5%). On multivariate analyses, older age, history of malignant solid tumor, meningeal IPD and serotypes previously identified with high mortality potential were independently associated with 30-day mortality. Of the serotypes with high mortality potential, 80% were included in licensed (PCV13 or PPV23) vaccines. CONCLUSION: We observed an effect of both host factors and pneumococcal serotypes on 30-day mortality in IPD. This highlights the need for a focused strategy to vaccinate at-risk patients. CLINICAL TRIAL: ClinicalTrial. Gov identification number: NCT01730690.

Hesitancy towards COVID-19 Vaccination among Healthcare Workers: A Multi-Centric Survey in France.

Vaccination programs against COVID-19 are being scaled up. We aimed to assess the effects of vaccine characteristics on vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers in a multi-center survey conducted within French healthcare facilities from 1 December 2020 to 26 March 2021. We invited any healthcare workers naïve of COVID-19 vaccination to complete an online self-questionnaire. They reported on their socio-demographic characteristics, as well as their perception and beliefs towards vaccination. We measured their willingness to get vaccinated in eight scenarios for candidates' vaccines presented sequentially (1 to 4-point scale). Candidates' vaccines varied for efficacy (25%, 50%, 100%), length of immunization (1 year or lifetime), frequency (<1/100, <1/10,000), and severity (none, moderate, severe) of adverse events. We analyzed 4349 healthcare workers' responses with interpretable questionnaires. The crude willingness to get vaccinated was 53.2% and increased over time. We clustered the trajectories of responses using an unsupervised classification algorithm (k-means) and identified four groups of healthcare workers: those willing to get vaccinated in any scenario (18%), those not willing to get vaccinated at all (22%), and those hesitating but more likely to accept (32%) or reject (28%) the vaccination depending on the scenario. In these last two subgroups, vaccine acceptance was growing with age, educational background and was higher among men with condition. Compared to an ideal vaccine candidate, a 50% reduced efficacy resulted in an average drop in acceptance by 0.8 (SD ± 0.8, -23.5%), while it was ranging from 1.4 (SD ± 1.0, -38.4%) to 2.1 (SD ± 1.0, -58.4%) in case of severe but rare adverse event. The acceptance of a mandatory immunization program was 29.6% overall and was positively correlated to the willingness to get vaccinated, ranging from 2.4% to 60.0%. Even if healthcare workers represent a heterogeneous population, most (80%) could accept the vaccination against COVID-19. Their willingness to get the vaccine increased over time and as immunization programs became available. Among hesitant professionals, the fear of adverse events was the main concern. Targeted information campaigns reassuring about adverse events may increase vaccine coverage, in a population with a strong opinion about mandatory immunization programs.

Burden of pneumococcal pneumonia requiring ICU admission in France: 1-year prognosis, resources use, and costs.

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), especially pneumococcal CAP (P-CAP), is associated with a heavy burden of illness as evidenced by high rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mortality, and costs. Although well-defined acutely, determinants influencing long-term burden are less known. This study assessed determinants of 28-day and 1-year mortality and costs among P-CAP patients admitted in ICUs. METHODS: Data regarding all hospital and ICU stays in France in 2014 were extracted from the French healthcare administrative database. All patients admitted in the ICU with a pneumonia diagnosis were included, except those hospitalized for pneumonia within the previous 3 months. The pneumococcal etiology and comorbidities were captured. All hospital stays were included in the cost analysis. Comorbidities and other factors effect on the 28-day and 1-year mortality were assessed using a Cox regression model. Factors associated with increased costs were identified using log-linear regression models. RESULTS: Among 182,858 patients hospitalized for CAP in France for 1 year, 10,587 (5.8%) had a P-CAP, among whom 1665 (15.7%) required ICU admission. The in-hospital mortality reached 22.8% at day 28 and 32.3% at 1 year. The mortality risk increased with age > 54 years, malignancies (hazard ratio (HR) 1.54, 95% CI [1.23-1.94], p = 0.0002), liver diseases (HR 2.08, 95% CI [1.61-2.69], p < 0.0001), and the illness severity at ICU admission. Compared with non-ICU-admitted patients, ICU survivors remained at higher risk of 1-year mortality. Within the following year, 38.2% (516/1350) of the 28-day survivors required at least another hospital stay, mostly for respiratory diseases. The mean cost of the initial stay was €19,008 for all patients and €11,637 for subsequent hospital stays within 1 year. One-year costs were influenced by age (lower in patients > 75 years old, p = 0.008), chronic cardiac (+ 11% [0.02-0.19], p = 0.019), and respiratory diseases (+ 11% [0.03-0.18], p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: P-CAP in ICU-admitted patients was associated with a heavy burden of mortality and costs at one year. Older age was associated with both early and 1-year increased mortality. Malignant and chronic liver diseases were associated with increased mortality, whereas chronic cardiac failure and chronic respiratory disease with increased costs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: N/A (study on existing database).

Where are the keys to improve vaccine uptake in adults and elders in European countries?

Improving vaccination of the elderly is one of the most important challenges in the coming years, as it was for infant's decades ago. Insufficient vaccine uptake in the elderly can be considered a concern with regard to the burden of vaccine preventable diseases in this growing population. The purpose of this paper is to have an overview on the different steps involved in decision policy making from the regulatory agencies until people are vaccinated. Examples of different policies within European countries will be compared for influenza, streptococcal and zoster infections. For each step, key improvements to increase vaccine uptake in this specific population will be proposed.

Development of a risk prediction model of potentially avoidable readmission for patients hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia: study protocol and population.

INTRODUCTION: 30-day readmission rate is considered an adverse outcome reflecting suboptimal quality of care during index hospitalisation for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, potentially avoidable readmission would be a more relevant metric than all-cause readmission for tracking quality of hospital care for CAP. The objectives of this study are (1) to estimate potentially avoidable 30-day readmission rate and (2) to develop a risk prediction model intended to identify potentially avoidable readmissions for CAP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study population consists of consecutive patients admitted in two hospitals from the community or nursing home setting with pneumonia. To qualify for inclusion, patients must have a primary or secondary discharge diagnosis code of pneumonia. Data sources include routinely collected administrative claims data as part of diagnosis-related group prospective payment system and structured chart reviews. The main outcome measure is potentially avoidable readmission within 30 days of discharge from index hospitalisation. The likelihood that a readmission is potentially avoidable will be quantified using latent class analysis based on independent structured reviews performed by four panellists. We will use a two-stage approach to develop a claims data-based model intended to identify potentially avoidable readmissions. The first stage implies deriving a clinical model based on data collected through retrospective chart review only. In the second stage, the predictors comprising the medical record model will be translated into International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision discharge diagnosis codes in order to obtain a claim data-based risk model.The study sample consists of 1150 hospital stays with a diagnosis of CAP. 30-day index hospital readmission rate is 17.5%. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol was reviewed by the Comité de Protection des Personnes Sud Est V (IRB#6705). Efforts will be made to release the primary study results within 6 months of data collection completion. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT02833259).

Pharmacy-based interventions to increase vaccine uptake: report of a multidisciplinary stakeholders meeting.

BACKGROUND: Despite the existence of efficacious vaccines, the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases remains high and the potential health benefits of paediatric, adolescent and adult vaccination are not being achieved due to suboptimal vaccine coverage rates. Based on emerging evidence that pharmacy-based vaccine interventions are feasible and effective, the European Interdisciplinary Council for Ageing (EICA) brought together stakeholders from the medical and pharmacy professions, the pharmaceutical industry, patient/ageing organisations and health authorities to consider the potential for pharmacy-based interventions to increase vaccine uptake. We report here the proceedings of this 3-day meeting held in March 2018 in San Servolo island, Venice, Italy, focussing firstly on examples from countries that have introduced pharmacy-based vaccination programmes, and secondly, listing the barriers and solutions proposed by the discussion groups. CONCLUSIONS: A range of barriers to vaccine uptake have been identified, affecting all target groups, and in various countries and healthcare settings. Ease of accessibility is a potentially modifiable determinant in vaccine uptake, and thus, improving the diversity of settings where vaccines can be provided to adults, for example by enabling community pharmacists to vaccinate, may increase the number of available opportunities for vaccination.

Factors Associated With Severe Nonmeningitis Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Adults in France.

BACKGROUND: In France, pneumococcal vaccination in adults is recommended for risk groups (chronic conditions/immunosuppression). We conducted a study on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in adults to identify factors associated with disease severity and death. METHODS: We included IPD cases, excluding meningitis, from 25 acute care hospitals in 6 regions. We defined severe cases as those with shock or severe sepsis or intensive care unit admission/mechanical ventilation. We included deaths occurring within 30 days of hospitalization. Infectious disease specialists collected clinical/microbiological data on cases. RESULTS: During 2014-2017, 908 nonmeningitis IPD cases were diagnosed; 48% were severe, 84% had comorbidities, 21% died. Ninety percent of cases with comorbidities who previously sought health care were not vaccinated against pneumococcus. Compared with previously healthy cases, the risk of severe IPD increased from 20% (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-1.4) in cases with 1-2 chronic diseases to 30% (aRR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0-7.0) in those with >2 chronic diseases. Among risk groups, 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) serotypes and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) nonPCV13 serotypes were more likely to induce severe IPD compared with nonvaccine serotypes (aRR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.3-1.9; aRR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0-1.5, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a cumulative effect of concurrent comorbidities on severe IPD. Vaccine serotypes were more likely to induce severe IPD among risk groups. The missed opportunities for vaccination underscore the need to enhance vaccination in risk groups.

[Quadrivalent influenza vaccine: What is changed and what are the benefits?] / Vaccin grippal quadrivalent : quels changements pour quels bénéfices ?

Currently, circulating viruses responsible for annual seasonal influenza epidemics belong to two influenza A subtypes, A(H1N1) and A(H3N2), and to two antigenically distinct type B lineages, B/Yamagata and B/Victoria lineages. Like diseases due to influenza A virus, influenza B virus diseases may have severe consequences and should be prevented. Until now, in France, the vaccines used to prevent seasonal influenza were trivalent, systematically targeting viruses belonging to both A subtypes and to one or other of the B lineages. The protective efficacy of trivalent vaccines is diminished during the seasons when viruses belonging to both B lineages cocirculated or when the circulating dominant type B virus belonged to a lineage different from that targeted by the vaccine strain. By targeting viruses belonging to both B lineages, quadrivalent vaccines improve the antigenic concordance between circulating and vaccine type B strains. Three inactivated quadrivalent vaccines are authorized for marketing in France and should be available for the 2018-2019 season. It is expected that, by providing enlarged protection, these quadrivalent influenza vaccines will improve vaccine efficacy, the confidence in immunization of the public, the satisfaction of health professionals, and ultimately will help to complete immunization coverage.

Burden of pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia in adults across Europe: A literature review.

BACKGROUND: The burden of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) among adults in Europe is poorly defined. METHODS: Structured searches of PubMed were conducted to identify the incidence of pneumococcal CAP among adults across Europe. RESULTS: The overall incidence rates for CAP was 68-7000 per 100,000 and the incidence in hospitalised CAP cases of all causes was 16-3581 per 100,000. In general the incidence of CAP increased consistently with age. Available data indicated higher burdens of pneumococcal CAP caused in groups with more comorbidities. Most cases of pneumococcal CAP (30%-78%) were caused by serotypes covered by PCV13 vaccine; the incidence of PCV13-related pneumonia decreased after the introduction of childhood vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a high burden adult pneumococcal CAP in Europe despite use of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, particularly in elderly patients with comorbidities. CAP surveillance presented wide variations across Europe. Pneumococcal CAP has to be monitored very carefully due to the possible effect of current vaccination strategies.

Health related quality of life in patients with community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia in France.

BACKGROUND: Community Acquired Pneumococcal Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes serious health problems and can lead to complications and death. The aim of this study was to observe and analyze health related quality of life after a hospital episode for patients with community acquired pneumococcal pneumonia in France. METHODS: A total of 524 individuals were enrolled prospectively in the study and were followed for 12 months after hospital discharge. Presence of streptococcus pneumoniae was confirmed by microbiological sampling. Quality of life was reported at four different points of time with the EQ-5D-3 L health states using the French reference tariff. Complete data on all four periods was available for 269 patients. We used descriptive and econometric analysis to assess quality of life over time during follow-up, and to identify factors that impact the utility indexes and their evolution through time. We used Tobit panel data estimators to deal with the bounded nature of utility values. RESULTS: Average age of patients was 63 and 55% of patients were men. Negative predictors of quality of life were the severity of the initial event, history of pneumonia, smokers, age and being male. On average, quality of life improved in the first 6 months after discharge and stabilized beyond. At month 1, mean utility index was 0.53 (SD: 0.34) for men and 0.45 (SD: 0.34) for women, versus mean of 0.69 (SD: 0.33) and 0.70 (SD: 0.35) at Month 12. "Usual activities" was the dimension the most impacted by the disease episode. Utilities for men were significantly higher than for women, although male patients were more severe. Individuals over 85 years old did not improve quality of life during follow-up, and quality of life did not improve or deteriorated for 34% of patients. We found that length of hospital stay was negatively correlated with quality of life immediately after discharge. CONCLUSION: This study provides with evidence that quality of life after an episode of community acquired pneumococcal pneumonia improves overall until the sixth month after hospital discharge, but older patients with previous history of pneumonia may not experience health gains after the initial episode.

Costs associated with community acquired pneumonia in France.

OBJECTIVES: Pneumocost is a prospective study that aimed at documenting the costs of the management of patients hospitalized with a pneumococcal pneumonia and the post-discharge costs during a 6-month period in the French context. METHODS: Billing data were used to document hospital costs. Resource use during the follow-up period was collected through phone interviews at month 1, 3 and 6. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses were performed. We used generalized linear models with log-link functions to estimate parameters associated with hospital and follow-up costs of patients. RESULTS: Five hundred twenty-four patients were enrolled in 40 public centers from October 2011 to April 2014. Average age was 63 (SD 17); 55.0% of them were male. Average length of stay was 15 days (SD 23). Average cost of stay for the French Sickness Fund was €7293 (SD €7363). Average cost of follow-up was €1242 (SD €3000) and decreased steadily through time. When controlling for patient's socioeconomic characteristics, severity of disease and hospital stay, results showed a concave relationship between hospital costs and age. Obesity, the severity of the disease and comorbidities were associated with constantly increasing inpatient costs. Concerning follow-up costs, we found the same concave relationship with age, while gender, a history of pneumonia and severity of the disease were the most important predictors of high costs after discharge. CONCLUSION: Pneumocost is the first French study providing a robust estimation of the cost of managing invasive pneumococcal pneumonia in the French context.

Tolerance of subcutaneously administered antibiotics: a French national prospective study.

Background/ Objective: Although poorly documented, subcutaneous (SC) administration of antibiotics is common practice in France especially in Geriatrics Departments. The aim of this study was to determine the tolerance of such a practice. Design: Prospective observational multicentre study. Methods: Sixty-six physicians accepted to participate from 50 French Infectious Diseases and Geriatrics Departments. From May to September 2014, patients treated at least one day with SC antibiotics could be included. Modalities of subcutaneous administration, occurrence of local and systemic adverse effects (AE) and clinical course were collected until the end of the treatment. Results: Two hundred-nineteen patients (83.0 [19­104] yo) were included. Ceftriaxone (n = 163, 74.4%), and ertapenem (n = 30, 13.7%) were the most often prescribed antibiotics. The SC route was mainly used because of poor venous access (65.3%) and/or palliative care (32.4%). Fifty patients (22.8%) experienced at least one local AE that led to an increased hospital stay for two patients (4.0%) and a discontinuation of the SC infusion in six patients (12.0%). A binary logistic regression for multivariate analysis identified the class of antibiotic (p = 0.002) especially teicoplanin and the use of rigid catheter (p = 0.009) as factors independently associated with AE. In over 80% of cases, SC antibiotics were well tolerated and associated with clinical recovery. Conclusions: SC administration of antibiotics leads to frequent but local and mild AE. Use of non-rigid catheter appears to be protective against AE. As it appears to be a safe alternative to the intravenous route, more studies are needed regarding efficacy and pharmacokinetics.

Antibiothérapie du sujet âgé : On peut toujours mieux faire.

Antimicrobials are among the most prescribed drugs and their prescription increases with age, due to frailty and accrued risk factors for acquiring infections. Antimicrobial prescription in elderly patients must not only account for the risk of toxicity due to drug overexposure, but also of treatment failure or promotion of antimicrobial resistance due to under-dosage. This paper reviews the main antimicrobial, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variations induced by aging, comorbidities and polypharmacy, and how to take them into account to optimize antimicrobial prescription in elders.

Recommended immunization schedules for adults: Clinical practice guidelines by the Escmid Vaccine Study Group (EVASG), European Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS) and the World Association for Infectious Diseases and Immunological Disorders (WAidid).

Rapid population aging has become a major challenge in the industrialized world and progressive aging is a key reason for making improvement in vaccination a cornerstone of public health strategy. An increase in age-related disorders and conditions is likely to be seen in the near future, and these are risk factors for the occurrence of a number of vaccine-preventable diseases. An improvement in infectious diseases prevention specifically aimed at adults and the elderly can therefore also decrease the burden of these chronic conditions by reducing morbidity, disability, hospital admissions, health costs, mortality rates and, perhaps most importantly, by improving the quality of life. Among adults, it is necessary to identify groups at increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases and highlight the epidemiological impact and benefits of vaccinations using an evidence-based approach. This document provides clinical practice guidance on immunization for adults in order to provide recommendations for decision makers and healthcare workers in Europe. Although immunization is considered one of the most impactful and cost-effective public health measures that can be undertaken, vaccination coverage rates among adults are largely lower than the stated goal of ≥ 95% among adults, and stronger efforts are needed to increase coverage in this population. Active surveillance of adult vaccine-preventable diseases, determining the effectiveness of the vaccines approved for marketing in the last 5 y, the efficacy and safety of vaccines in immunocompromised patients, as well as in pregnant women, represent the priorities for future research.

Is herpes zoster an additional complication in old age alongside comorbidity and multiple medications? Results of the post hoc analysis of the 12-month longitudinal prospective observational ARIZONA cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the burden of comorbidity, polypharmacy and herpes zoster (HZ), an infectious disease, and its main complication post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) in young (50-70 years of age: 70-) and old (≥ 70 years of age: 70+) patients. DESIGN: Post hoc analysis of the results of the 12-month longitudinal prospective multicentre observational ARIZONA cohort study. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: The study took place in primary care in France from 20 November 2006 to 12 September 2008. Overall, 644 general practitioners (GPs) collected data from 1358 patients aged 50 years or more with acute eruptive HZ. OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of HZ-related pain or PHN (pain persisting >3 months) was documented at day 0 and at months 3, 6, and 12. To investigate HZ and PHN burden, pain, quality of life (QoL) and mood were self-assessed using validated questionnaires (Zoster Brief Pain Inventory, 12-item Short-Form health survey and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, respectively). RESULTS: As compared with younger patients, older patients more frequently presented with comorbidities, more frequently took analgesics and had poorer response on all questionnaires, indicating greater burden, at inclusion. Analgesics were more frequently prescribed to relieve acute pain or PHN in 70+ than 70- patients. Despite higher levels of medication prescription, poorer pain relief and poorer response to all questionnaires were reported in 70+ than 70- patients. CONCLUSIONS: Occurrence of HZ and progression to PHN adds extra burden on top of pharmacological treatment and impaired quality of life, especially in older patients who already have health problems to cope with in everyday life.

Herpes zoster epidemiology, management, and disease and economic burden in Europe: a multidisciplinary perspective.

Herpes zoster (HZ) is primarily a disease of nerve tissue but the acute and longer-term manifestations require multidisciplinary knowledge and involvement in their management. Complications may be dermatological (e.g. secondary bacterial infection), neurological (e.g. long-term pain, segmental paresis, stroke), ophthalmological (e.g. keratitis, iridocyclitis, secondary glaucoma) or visceral (e.g. pneumonia, hepatitis). The age-related increased incidence of HZ and its complications is thought to be a result of the decline in cell-mediated immunity (immunosenescence), higher incidence of comorbidities with age and social-environmental changes. Individuals who are immunocompromised as a result of disease or therapy are also at increased risk, independent of age. HZ and its complications (particularly postherpetic neuralgia) create a significant burden for the patient, carers, healthcare systems and employers. Prevention and treatment of HZ complications remain a therapeutic challenge despite recent advances. This is an overview of the multidisciplinary implications and management of HZ in which the potential contribution of vaccination to reducing the incidence HZ and its complications are also discussed.