Good outcome of liver transplantation in patients with pre-existing renal cell carcinoma.

The presence of a pre-existing or recent extra-hepatic solid tumor was considered for a long time as an absolute contraindication to liver transplantation, by fear of futility with an unacceptable increase in non-liver-related mortality. However, cancer-related mortality in solid malignancies is heterogeneous, and experts suggest that case-by-case multidisciplinary decisions should be made. Here, we report the cases of 3 patients with favorable oncological and liver outcome in patients with renal cell carcinoma detected during pre-transplant evaluation that nonetheless underwent liver transplantation.

Training first-year medical residents to break bad news using healthcare role-play and trainees as simulated patients: Experience of the "ADIAMED" program from Lille University School of Medicine.

INTRODUCTION: Several studies suggest the relevance of healthcare simulation to prepare future doctors to deliver bad news. A such, we designed a role-play workshop to train first-year residents enrolled in Lille University School of Medicine to break bad news. The objective of this work is to report on our experience of this training and to assess its educational value through its capacity to satisfy residents' expectations, to induce a feeling of ease towards bad news disclosure, and to change trainees' preconceptions regarding these situations. METHODS: The training consisted of a 45-minute heuristic reflective activity, aimed at identifying residents' preconceptions regarding bad news disclosure, followed by 4 30-min role-plays in which they played the parts of the physician, the patient and/or their relatives. Trainees were asked to answer 2 questionnaires (pre- and post-training), exploring previous experiences, preconceived ideas regarding bad news disclosure and workshop satisfaction. RESULTS: Almost all residents felt very satisfied with the workshop, which they regarded as formative (91%) and not too stressful (89%). The majority felt "more capable" (53% vs. 83%) and "more comfortable" (27% vs. 62%) to deliver bad news, especially regarding "finding the right words" (12% vs. 22%). Trainees tended to overestimate their skills before the workshop and lowered their assessment of their performance after attending the training, especially when they played the role of a patient in the simulation. CONCLUSION: Healthcare role-play seems an interesting technique for training to breaking bad news. Placing residents in the role of patients or relatives is an active approach that encourages reflexivity.

Standardized one-day evaluation before urinary reconstructive surgery for neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction: Feasibility and impact on surgical strategy and care pathway.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a concept of standardized preoperative one-day evaluation before urinary reconstructive or diversion surgery for the treatment of neurogenic lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunction, and to evaluate its feasibility and its impact on the care pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients who underwent a one-day standardized evaluation before a urinary reconstructive or derivation surgery for the treatment of neurogenic LUT dysfunction between January 2017 and December 2021 in our institution were included. Data were collected retrospectively from standardized reports. The main outcome was the rate of completion of the tests and consultations planned during this evaluation. Secondary outcomes included the findings from the one-day evaluation and changes in the urological surgical strategy at different time points within one year. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-one patients benefited from this one-day standardized evaluation. The overall completeness rate of the data collected was 77.5%, increasing from 62.3% in 2017 to 89.3% in 2021. The urological surgical plan was modified for 19.1% of patients following this preoperative evaluation. The indication was then confirmed for 114 patients (87.0%) by the multidisciplinary meeting and was carried out unchanged during the following year for 89 patients (67.9%). An associated colostomy procedure was proposed for 18.3% of patients and was finally performed in 11.5%. CONCLUSION: A standardized multidisciplinary preoperative one-day evaluation before performing reconstructive or diversion surgery for the treatment of neurogenic LUT dysfunction seems feasible and makes it possible to optimize the surgical plan and adapt the course of care.

Predictive factors of postoperative septic complications after flexible ureteroscopy for urinary stones.

BACKGROUND: Flexible ureteroscopy (fURS) is one of the recommended treatments for urinary stones. Urosepsis is one of the most frequent complications of fURS however its predictive factors remain uncertain. Our objective was to assess the septic complications rates of fURS and to determinate predictive factors of these complications in patients undergoing fURS. METHODS: Our retrospective analysis included all patients admitted for any fURS for stone disease in our center from December 2009 to April 2013. Patients' medical history, urine culture, stone composition, surgical and anesthetic characteristics were collected. The primary endpoint was defined by the presence of any septic complication (i.e. postoperative fever, urosepsis, septic shock or death). We used multivariate logistic regression to assess predictive factors of septic complication related to fURS. RESULTS: Two hundred and eighty-two patients were included in this study. Urosepsis rate was 9.8% while 18.9% developed postoperative hyperthermia (>37.5°C). In multivariate analysis, the predictive risk factors of septic complication were: a neurologic disorder (OR=6.1; CI95%: 2.9-17.1), a history of urinary tract infection (UTI) (OR=19.6; CI95%: 7.3-52.1), exposure to peroperative nitrous oxide (OR=3.2; CI95%: 1.5-6.8) and intraoperative use of a laser (OR=8.0; CI95%: 13.0-30.3). CONCLUSION: The use of fURS is associated with relatively frequent septic complications. Patients with neurologic disorders or a history of UTI carry an increased risk of postoperative complications. Limitations should be drawn with the use of peroperative nitrous oxide. These results should be further validated. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3. Retrospective cohort study.

Effects at 3 months of a large-scale simulation-based training for first year medical residents on the knowledge of suicide.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a leading yet underestimated cause of death in the world and in France. The goal of our study was to determine the impact at 3 months of a large-scale simulation program on suicide risk assessment for first-year medical residents. METHODS: All the first-year medical residents participated in the simulation program that included a session on suicide risk assessment. The scenario was carried out by a standardized patient (professional actor) who had a normal check-up at the ER after a chest pain. He verbalized suicidal thoughts to an ER nurse due to a recent divorce and social difficulties, who then reported it to the resident. The latter had to assess suicide risk on his own. The QECS "Questionnaire de connaissances relatives au suicide" was used to assess knowledge of suicide before the training session (T0) and 3 months later (T1). A pre/post comparison was performed with a paired t-test. RESULTS: 420 residents participated in this study. A total of 273 matching questionnaires was obtained. A statistically significant theoretical knowledge improvement was found at 3 months of the session for all the residents. LIMITATIONS: The absence of a control group and data loss were some of the major limitations of our study. Another limitation corresponds to the lack of additional questions, such as levels of interest, former and recent training, level of experience, attitudes, and self-competency in suicide risk assessment before and after the simulation program that could have helped to interpret the obtained results and their variation. Moreover, the exact effects of this increased knowledge on clinical practice has not been measured in our study. CONCLUSION: This is an unprecedented, large-scale attempt in France to allow all the medical residents to practice suicide risk assessment. This simulation-based training had a positive impact at 3 months on the knowledge of suicide in medical residents.

High incidence of postoperative infections after pancreaticoduodenectomy: A need for perioperative anti-infectious strategies.

OBJECTIVES: Postoperative infections occur frequently after pancreaticoduodenectomy, especially in patients with bile colonization. Recommendations for perioperative anti-infectious treatment are lacking, and clinical practice is heterogenous. We have analyzed the effects of bile colonization and antibiotic prophylaxis on postoperative infection rates, types and therapeutic consequences. METHODS: Retrospective observational study in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy with intraoperative bile culture. Data on postoperative infections and non-infectious complications, bile cultures and antibiotic prophylaxis adequacy to biliary bacteria were collected. RESULTS: Among 129 patients, 53% had a positive bile culture and 23% had received appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis. Postoperative documented infection rate was over 40% in patients with or without bile colonization, but antibiotic therapy was more frequent in positive bile culture patients (77% vs. 57%, P=0,008). The median duration of antibiotic therapy was 11 days and included a broad-spectrum molecule in 42% of cases. Two-thirds of documented postoperative infections involved one or more bacteria isolated in bile cultures, which was associated with a higher complication rate. While bile culture yielded Gram-negative bacilli (57%) and Gram-positive cocci (43%), fungal microorganisms were scarce. Adequate preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis according to bile culture was not associated with reduced infectious or non-infectious complication rates. CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy experience a high rate of postoperative infections, often involving bacteria from perioperative bile culture when positive, with no preventive effect of an adequate preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Increased postoperative complications in patients with bile colonization may render necessary a perioperative antibiotic treatment targeting bile microorganisms. Further prospective studies are needed to improve the anti-infectious strategy in these patients.

Traces pilot pharmacokinetic study dataset.

The dataset displays the pharmacokinetics data obtained from the TRACES pilot study. The nine patients included were undergoing haemorrhagic caesarean section (blood loss > 800 mL) and receiving a single i.v dose of tranexamic acid (0.5, 1 or 2 g over 1 min). The dataset gathers the tranexamic acid blood and urinary concentrations. With these first elements, a pharmacokinetic compartment model was built as described in Gilliot et al. and the individual pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated. In parallel, the patients anthropometric, biological, and clinical characteristics were collected. The correlation between the patient data and the estimated individual pharmacokinetic parameters were tested. The correlation tests revealed that the dose, the height, the body weight, and the ideal bodyweight had and impact on the volume of distribution of tranexamic acid. According to these results, these latter covariates were explored using a multi-regression analysis in Gilliot et al.

Hypothesis for a partially non urinary elimination of tranexamic acid in haemorrhagic caesarean section: Traces pilot pharmacokinetic study: Pharmacokinetics of tranexamic acid in obstetrics.

BACKGROUND: In previous studies, the choice of doses of tranexamic acid was empirically defined as no pharmacokinetic study had been conducted in haemorrhagic caesarean section. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to build a pharmacokinetic model in patients receiving a single 0.5, 1 or 2 g intravenous bolus. METHOD: A preliminary monocentric open study was performed in the Lille centre. Blood samples and one urinary sample were collected in the 6 h following the injection. Nine patients were included. Tranexamic acid concentration was measured using liquid chromatography system coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We used Monolix 2019R1 for population pharmacokinetic modelling. A structural model was constructed followed by the investigation of potential covariates. RESULTS: Data were best described with a two-compartment model with a double first-order elimination from the central compartment. The model was improved when the variable ideal weight per dose was affected as a covariate for the apparent volume of distribution. Assuming a dose of 1 g and a height of 160 cm, the pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated at 10.26 L.h-1 for total clearance, 11.5 L for the volume of the central compartment, 15.8 L for the volume of the second compartment, a diffusional clearance of 30.36 L.h-1 , and a urinary excretion fraction of 25.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The population pharmacokinetic model of tranexamic acid in haemorrhagic caesarean section was successfully established in our tiny sample of patients. The results of this preliminary TRACES pharmacokinetic study suggested that elimination of tranexamic acid is partially non urinary in contrast with healthy patients.

Post-operative consequences of hemodynamic optimization.

Hemodynamic optimization begins with a medical assessment to identify the high-risk patients. This stratification is needed to customize the choice of hemodynamic support that is best adapted to the patient's level of risk, integrating the use of the least invasive procedures. The macro-circulatory hemodynamic approach aims to maintain a balance between oxygen supply (DO2) and oxygen demand (VO2). Volume replacement plays a crucial role based on the titration of fluid boluses according to their effect on measured stroke volume or indices of preload dependency. Good function of the microcirculatory system is the best guarantee to achieve this goal. An assessment of the DO2/VO2 ratio is needed for guidance in critical situations where tissue hypoxia may occur. Overall, all of these strategies are based on objective criteria to guide vascular replacement and/or tissue oxygenation in order to improve the patient's post-operative course by decreasing morbidity and hospital stay.

An in vitro evaluation of infusion methods using a syringe pump to improve noradrenaline administration.

BACKGROUND: International guidelines recommend noradrenaline (NA) as the vasopressor of choice to treat septic shock. The aim of this study was to determine the best way to infuse patients with NA. METHODS: The in vitro study was designed to measure NA concentration at the end of each studied assembly line. Three infusion systems used the double pump method and three single pumps, which differed as regards NA concentrations (0,2 - 0,5 - 1 mg/h), dead space volume of the devices and the use of saline. Infusion systems were compared according to the time necessary to reach an NA mass flow rate steady-state plateau after the onset of infusion or after a flow change. RESULTS: Times were significantly different between the six methods for infusing NA. The system using the double syringe method with a standard extension set was the longest to reach the steady state after the onset of infusion [40.00 min (19.57 - 49.22)]. The steady-state plateau was obtained most rapidly with the double-syringe pump systems using very low dead-space volume extension sets and single-syringe pump systems containing diluted noradrenaline at the beginning of NA infusion. CONCLUSION: A combination of a low dead-space volume extension set and a double pump method with a constant saline flow rate at 5 ml/h might be the solution to provide the most reliable NA infusion delivery.