Surgical site infection after valvular or coronary artery bypass surgery: 2008-2011 French SSI national ISO-RAISIN surveillance.

BACKGROUND: Multisite information regarding surgical site infection (SSI) rates for cardiac surgery programmes is not widely available. Ward characteristics that may affect outcomes have not been analysed previously. AIM: To determine individual- and ward-level factors associated with SSI occurrence after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valvular surgery. METHODS: A dataset from the French national SSI database ISO-RAISIN 2008-2011 was used. Only adult patients were included. A standardized questionnaire was completed for each patient who underwent surgery, and patients with and without SSI were characterized. Patients and ward risk factors for SSI were analysed using a multilevel logistic regression model with SSI as binary outcome (two levels: patient and ward). RESULTS: Out of 8569 patients from 39 wards, the SSI rate was 2.2%. Micro-organisms were isolated in 144 patients (74%): 35% coagulase-negative staphylococci (N = 51), 23% Staphylococcus aureus (N = 33), 6% Escherichia coli (N = 8). Higher probability of SSI was associated with the duration of preoperative hospitalization, the duration of follow-up, the duration of surgery >75th percentile and the SSI rate in the surgery ward. The residual heterogeneity between wards (median odds ratio: 1.53) was as relevant as duration of preoperative hospitalization (odds ratio: 1.57). CONCLUSION: Although patient risk factors were more strongly associated with SSI occurrence, this study provided evidence for the existence of a ward-level effect. This should be taken into account when considering possible corrective interventions.

[Multicenter survey on ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention in intensive care]. / Enquête multicentrique sur l'application des recommandations de prévention des pneumopathies acquises sous ventilation mécanique en réanimation.

OBJECTIVE: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common hospital-acquired infection in intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of the study was to evaluate the follow-up of the guidelines for VAP prevention. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, observational and multicenter study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During one year, all patients with mechanical ventilation over 48 hours were included in the CCLIN-Ouest Network. The demographic characteristics of the patients, the use of specific protocol for VAP prevention and the density of incidence of VAP were recorded. The use of a protocol for preventing VAP (absence, incomplete, complete and care bundle (i.e. complete prevention of VAP with weaning mechanical protocol and sedation protocol)) was collected. RESULTS: 26 ICU with 5742 patients were included. Ten ICU (38%; 2595 patients) had no protocol for VAP prevention, eight ICU (31%; 1821 patients) had an incomplete protocol, five ICU (19%; 561 patients) had a complete protocol and three ICU (12%; 765 patients) had a care bundle. The density of incidence of VAP was 14.8‰ (Interquartile range [IQR]: 10.2-0.1) for no protocol group, 15.6‰ [IQR: 12.6-6.2] for incomplete protocol group, 11.0‰ [IQR: 9.1-14.0] for complete protocol group and 12.9‰ [5-7,7-9,9-12] for care bundle group (P=0.742). CONCLUSIONS: The compliance to prevention of VAP was poor. Proposals for improving practice are discussed.

Probabilistic ecosystem model for predicting the nutrient concentrations in the Gulf of Finland under diverse management actions.

Many countries define legislative targets for the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems. Fulfilling these legally binding targets requires often large scale and expensive management actions. The expected benefits from alternative actions are commonly compared with deterministic ecosystem models. However, from a practical management point of view the uncertainty in model predictions and the probability to achieve the targets are as essential as the point estimates provided by the deterministic models. For this reason, we extend a deterministic ecosystem model into a probabilistic form. We use the model for predicting the probability to achieve the targets set by EU's Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Finnish coastal waters in the Gulf of Finland, one of the most eutrophicated areas of the Baltic Sea, under alternative management scenarios. Our results show that the probability to reach the WFD objectives for total phosphorus is generally less than or equal to 0.51 in all areas. However, for total nitrogen the probability varies substantially as it is practically zero in the western areas but almost 0.80 or higher in the eastern areas. It seems that especially with phosphorus, international co-operation is needed in order for Finland to fulfill the objectives of the WFD.

A multicentre analysis of catheter-related infection based on a hierarchical model.

PURPOSE: To decrease intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired catheter-related infections (CRI), it is essential that healthcare workers receive training and that quality improvement programmes are in place. The aim of our study was to evaluate risk factors for catheter colonisation and infection, focussing specifically on local care bundles. METHODS: Data were collected prospectively in 51 ICUs [7,188 patients, 8,626 central venous catheters (CVCs)] during two 6-month periods in 2007 and 2008, using a standardized questionnaire on catheter insertion, care and removal. Colonisation and CRI incidence were 6.1 and 2.2/1,000 CVC-days, respectively. A hierarchical mixed logistic model was used to identify risk factors for CRI and colonisation. RESULTS: Written CVC protocols were available in 46 (90 %) ICUs and were strictly followed in 38 ICUs. Factors significantly associated with CRI fell into three overall categories: (1) patient-related factors-immunosuppression [odds ratio (OR) 1.42, p = 0.02], medical diagnosis at admission (OR 1.64, p = 0.03) and trauma patient (OR 2.54, p < 0.001); (2) catheter-related factors-catheter rank (OR 1.7, p < 0.0001, non-subclavian catheter (OR 2.1, p < 0.001) and longer time with the catheter (p < 10(-4)); (3) centre-related factors-quantitative tip culture method (OR 2.55, p = 0.005) and alcohol-based povidone-iodine [OR 0.68, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.96] or alcohol-based chlorhexidine preparations (OR 0.69, 95 % CI 0.34-1.39) as compared to an aqueous povidone-iodine preparation (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We identified several risk factors for CRI that are amenable to improvement (preference for the subclavian route and use of an antiseptic solution containing alcohol). However, several patient-related factors were also found, and the use of quantitative catheter culture methods increased culture sensitivity, thereby increasing the CRI rate. Case-mix issues and the culture method should be taken into account when assessing the risk of CRI across centres.

Nosocomial urinary tract infection in the intensive care unit: when should Pseudomonas aeruginosa be suspected? Experience of the French national surveillance of nosocomial infections in the intensive care unit, Rea-Raisin.

Individual and ward risk factors for P. aeruginosa-induced urinary tract infection in the case of nosocomial urinary tract infection in the intensive care unit were determined with hierarchical (multilevel) logistic regression. The 2004-2006 prospective French national intensive care unit nosocomial infection surveillance dataset was used and 3252 patients with urinary tract infection were included; 16% were infected by P. aeruginosa. Individual risk factors were male sex, duration of stay, antibiotics at admission and transfer from another intensive care unit. Ward risk factors were patient turnover and incidence of P. aeruginosa-infected patients.

Identifying new risk factors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia in intensive care units: experience of the French national surveillance, REA-RAISIN.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important pathogen of complicated pneumonia in intensive care units (ICUs). Our objective was to determine 'patient' and 'ward' risk factors for P. aeruginosa pneumonia among patients with nosocomial pneumonia in ICU. Data from the 2004-2006 prospective French national nosocomial infection surveillance in ICUs (REA-RAISIN) were used, including patients admitted for >48 h in ICU and who developed nosocomial pneumonia. Only first pneumonia was considered and categorised as either P. aeruginosa pneumonia or other micro-organism pneumonia. Multilevel logistic regression model (patient as first level and ward as second) with P. aeruginosa pneumonia as binary outcome was performed. Of 3,837 included patients from 201 different wards, 25% had P. aeruginosa pneumonia. P. aeruginosa was significantly more frequent in late onset pneumonia. Higher probability of P. aeruginosa pneumonia was associated with higher age and length of mechanical ventilation, antibiotics at admission, transfer from a medical unit or ICU, and admission in a ward with higher incidence of patients with P. aeruginosa infections. Lower probability of P. aeruginosa was associated with traumatism and admission in a ward with high patient turnover. Our analyses identified a patient's profile and some ward elements that could make suspect P. aeruginosa in case of nosocomial pneumonia.

Reducing surgical site infection incidence through a network: results from the French ISO-RAISIN surveillance system.

Surgical-site infections (SSIs) are a key target for nosocomial infection control programmes. We evaluated the impact of an eight-year national SSI surveillance system named ISO-RAISIN (infection du site opératoire - Réseau Alerte Investigation Surveillance des Infections). Consecutive patients undergoing surgery were enrolled during a three-month period each year and surveyed for 30 days following surgery. A standardised form was completed for each patient including SSI diagnosis according to standard criteria, and several risk factors such as wound class, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, operation duration, elective/emergency surgery, and type of surgery. From 1999 to 2006, 14,845 SSIs were identified in 964,128 patients (overall crude incidence: 1.54%) operated on in 838 participating hospitals. The crude overall SSI incidence decreased from 2.04% to 1.26% (P<0.001; relative reduction: -38%) and the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system (NNIS)-0 adjusted SSI incidence from 1.10% to 0.74% (P<0.001; relative reduction: -33%). The most significant SSI incidence reduction was observed for hernia repair and caesarean section, and to a lesser extent, cholecystectomy, hip prosthesis arthroplasty, and mastectomy. Active surveillance striving for a benchmark throughout a network is an effective strategy to reduce SSI incidence.

[Human leptospirosis in French Polynesia. Epidemiological, clinical and bacteriological features]. / La leptospirose humaine en Polynésie Francaise: aspects epidémiologiques, cliniques et bactériologiques.

Leptospirosis is a severe zoonotic disease that constitutes a major public health problem for the island populations of French Polynesia. Due to protean clinical manifestations and the risk of misdiagnosis with dengue fever, endemic viral disease, laboratory studies are necessary to confirm diagnosis of leptospirosis. At the request of the Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network, a prospective study was conducted in the population of Raieatea in the Windward Islands and the Marquis Islands to determine the epidemiological features of the disease and to define appropriate control measures. A total of 113 patients were enrolled in study between March 2004 and March 2005. Thirty-three cases were confirmed based on demonstration of serum DNA or seroconversion. The estimated annual incidence of leptospirosis was 1.7 per 1000 inhabitants. Cases involved mainly (75%) young men (mean age, 30.5 years) and occurred predominantly during the rainy season. Swimming in fresh water was the only factor showing significant correlation (p < 0.02) with positive diagnosis of leptospirosis. The most frequently identified serotype was Leptospira icterohemorrahgiae (43% of strains), thus suggesting that the rat was the most common human transmission vector. However other serotypes were found, underlining the presence of diverse reservoirs and casting doubt on the efficacy of immunization using a monovalent vaccine. These findings also indicate that enhancement of prevention and control measures for leptospirosis is needed.

Prognostic factors associated with severe leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis is an anthropozoonosis caused by Leptospira interrogans. It occurs worldwide and is endemic in French Polynesia. Leptospirosis is associated with a large variety of clinical symptoms. Most infections caused by leptospires are either sub-clinical or of very mild severity, but 5-10% of infections result in multiple organ damage, including kidney, liver and lung lesions. Among 71 patients hospitalised in Papeete for severe leptospirosis during a period of 2 years, the main risk-factors for a severe outcome were hypotension, oliguria and an abnormal chest auscultation at the first physical examination. Survival depends on rapid diagnosis and early appropriate management. Well-defined criteria may help physicians to improve the timely treatment of high-risk patients.

[Clinical guidelines: what are the viewpoints of physicians and housestaff working in hospital medical departments?]. / Recommandations de pratique clinique: le point de vue des médecins et des internes des services hospitaliers de médecine adulte.

BACKGROUND: Factors facilitating use of clinical guidelines by physicians working in French public hospitals are unknown. We wanted to ascertain the desires of physicians and housestaff working in medical departments. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions and free comment was conducted in the two academic regional hospitals and the 20 district hospitals of Brittany. The following items were noted: individual and professional characteristics, use of and opinion about clinical guidelines, perceived usefulness of specific attributes of guidelines or implementation efforts. The results are shown separately for physicians and housestaff. The statistical significance of associations between physician characteristics and their opinions was tested by using the chi-square test. RESULTS: 390 out of 783 responded (50%). Nine housestaff and eight physicians out of ten responders found more positive than negative points to guidelines (decision making tool, standardization of practices, versus rigidity, lack of freedom in practice). One out of three reported using them regularly. Guidelines focusing on general medicine, covering both diagnosis and treatment, developed at the national level with local adaptation, synthetic and pocket-sized guide-book given directly to the housestaff by the department's physicians, were more likely to be used. One physician out of two would use more guidelines from specialty organizations, or would use them as a self-training tool in practices evaluation. CONCLUSION: Implementation of guidelines in hospital medical departments should take into account the housestaff demands as well as the need for the physicians' implication.

[Clinical practice guidelines, what do the internists think?]. / Recommandations de pratiques cliniques, qu'en pensent les internes?

OBJECTIVE: Study the opinion and expectations of the internists in the public hospitals in the Brittany area regarding Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG). METHODS: Cross-sectional survey using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire, with closed questions concerning age, gender and status (internist in general medicine (IGM) or internist specialization student [ISS]), years and context of practice, the personal opinion of the residents regarding the CPG, the nature of those that they apply, their opinion on the interest and foreseeable impact of efforts in improvements and elaboration and prompting to use the guidelines. Descriptive analysis and statistics (chi 2) were made of the associations between the replies concerning the CPG and the characteristics of the internists. RESULTS: Among the 106 questionnaires analysed (reply rate: 50%), 96 internists (90%) felt that the advantages of the CPG were greater than their inconveniences and 66 (62%) claimed they applied the CPG in routine practice. Eighty-five (80%) considered efforts to improve the elaboration of CPG were of interest and 97 (91%) replied likewise regarding their accompanied diffusion. Guidelines concerning both diagnosis and treatment of common diseases, developed on national level and adapted locally, presented in summarized pocket-sized form and transmitted directly by the physicians of the department would have the best chance of being used. CONCLUSION: Any program aimed at developing the use of CPG in hospital departments should take into account the enthusiasm of the internists, but also the implication of senior physicians required in their specific accompanied diffusion.

[Endarteriectomy of the femoral tripod: long-term results and analysis of failure factors]. / Endartériectomie du trépied fémoral: résultats à long terme et analyse des facteurs d'échec.

STUDY AIM: The aim of this retrospective study was to report immediate and long term results of endarteriectomies of the common femoral artery (CFA) and/or femoral tripod and to analyse predictive factors of failure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1982 and 1995, 110 endarteriectomies were performed in 101 patients, 52% of them in limb salvage situation. The arteriogram showed a thrombosis or stenosis of the common femoral artery in 100% of cases. There was a stenosis of the deep femoral artery (DFA) in 79% of cases. The superficial femoral artery (SFA) was thrombosed in 40% of cases. One artery only of the lower leg was permeable in 43.3% of cases. Run off was judged bad in 38% of patients. RESULTS: The endarteriectomy could be realised in 93 patients (84.5%). It concerned the only common femoral artery in 20% of cases (patch angioplasty in 55% of cases), common and deep femoral arteries in 50.5% of cases (82% of patch), CFA, DFA and SFA at its origin in 29.1% of cases (93% of patch). Perioperative mortality rate was 1%. Local morbidity rate was 21.6% with 18% of minor complications and 3.6% of complications requiring a second operation. There were 2% of vascular complications (1 thrombosis and 1 false-aneurysm). Mean follow-up was 43 months in 90 patients. There were restenosis or thrombosis (5.5%), false-aneurysms (2.2%) and amputations (6.6%). Femoro-popliteal (10%) and iliac complementary bypasses (6.6%) were necessary. Permeability was 94.9% at 3 years and 88.8% at 5 years. Clinical results were considered good in 80.7% of the cases at 3 years and in 71.7% at 5 years. With univariate analysis, the predictive factors for failure were: limb salvage (P < 0.01), altered popliteal run off (P < 0.03) and extended distortion of the deep femoral artery (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Isolated endarteriectomy of the femoral tripod is a low risk and effective technique. A femoropopliteal revascularisation should be associated in case of a major alteration of the deep femoral artery.

[Juvenile breast hypertrophy: analysis of long-term results of reductive mammoplasty]. / Hypertrophie mammaire juvénile: analyse des résultats à long terme des plasties mammaires de réduction.

UNLABELLED: Reduction mammaplasty has now become routine surgery with good results in middle-aged women. However the scars it leaves, its psychological and functional (breastfeeding) impact could limited its indications in teenage girls. AIM: The purpose of our study was to report the long-term results of reduction mammaplasty in teenage girls and to assess their consequences. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 65 reduction mammaplasty carried out between 1981 and 1997 in 15 to 17 years old girls. The study was based on data in their medical records and answers to a questionnaire which was sent to each patient. RESULTS: Average followup was 8.1 years. The reduction technique with superior pedicle were mainly used. Average breast tissue excised was 1050 g. Minor complications occurred in three cases. Eleven revisions had to be carried out with 1.6 years on average after primary surgery. The psychological and functional complaints observed preoperatively disappeared in more than 90% of the cases. In over 80% of the cases the patients were pleased or very pleased with the shape, the volume kept and the symmetry. Scars were well accepted in 83% of the cases. Seventeen women were given birth to 25 children. Five of whom breast-fed their babies, while six refused because of their breast surgery history. Although information about breast-feeding after such surgery is systematically given, 41 women claimed they had not received it. CONCLUSION: Reduction mammaplasty is reliable in teenage girls. Patients are generally satisfied and the remaining scar is well accepted. Breast-feeding is possible after this surgery and information on that point ought to be better developed.

[Critical analysis of health priorities determination in France]. / Analyse critique de la détermination des priorités de santé en France.

Since the mid 1970's, reforms to the health care system were aimed at controlling expenditures. Furthermore, there was not much of a relationship between public health policies and expenditure control policies. The reforms of 1996 aimed to introduce a new paradigm. The French health care system, based until then upon the biomedical model, now must adopt public health tools: Definition of health objectives; Development of priorities; Evaluation; Allocation of resources based on needs; Public debates. The objective of this study is to evaluate the move toward defining priorities, three years after the introduction of this reform. The study focused on the type of priorities implemented (e.g. implicit or explicit priorities, access to health care services, or severity of health problems) and their links to the allocation of resources; and the practical development of priorities (e.g. political or technocratic procedure, the role of public debates). In France, priorities are defined by health problem and not by service. They are explicit, but the link to allocation of resources isn't clear. Despite a wide consultation, the system of defining priorities is more technocratic than political. Moreover, the system is more concerned with including health professionals (doctors, administrators) in this new approach to public health, than with taking public opinion into account.

A first evaluation of a pedagogical network for medical students at the University Hospital of Rennes.

A pedagogical network has been developed at University Hospital of Rennes from 1996. The challenge is to give medical information and informatics tools to all medical students in the clinical wards of the University Hospital. At first, nine wards were connected to the medical school server which is linked to the Internet. Client software electronic mail and WWW Netscape on Macintosh computers. Sever software is set up on Unix SUN providing a local homepage with selected pedagogical resources. These documents are stored in a DBMS database ORACLE and queries can be provided by specialty, authors or disease. The students can access a set of interactive teaching programs or electronic textbooks and can explore the Internet through the library information system and search engines. The teachers can send URL and indexation of pedagogical documents and can produce clinical cases: the database updating will be done by the users. This experience of using Web tools generated enthusiasm when we first introduced it to students. The evaluation shows that if the students can use this training early on, they will adapt the resources of the Internet to their own needs.

Medical Informatics Training and Research at Rennes University School of Medicine.

The University of Rennes Medical School has offered Medical informatics training since 1988; at the same time, research in medical informatics was started. This paper describes the teaching programs at both the undergraduate level and at the graduate level. Research topics comprise fundamental research on biomedical models, ontologies for medical knowledge representations, natural language processing, and research for diagnosis and therapeutic aids. We have developed a local area network which communicates between the School of Medicine and the University Hospital, both internally (Intranet) and externally by access to the National Research network (RENATER) in France, which is connected to the internet.

A network of web multimedia medical information servers for a medical school and university hospital.

Modern medicine requires a rapid access to information including clinical data from medical records, bibliographic databases, knowledge bases and nomenclature databases. This is especially true for University Hospitals and Medical Schools for training as well as for fundamental and clinical research for diagnosis and therapeutic purposes. This implies the development of local, national and international cooperation which can be enhanced via the use and access to computer networks such as Internet. The development of professional cooperative networks goes with the development of the telecommunication and computer networks and our project is to make these new tools and technologies accessible to the medical students both during the teaching time in Medical School and during the training periods at the University Hospital. We have developed a local area network which communicates between the School of Medicine and the Hospital which takes advantage of the new Web client-server technology both internally (Intranet) and externally by access to the National Research Network (RENATER in France) connected to the Internet network. The address of our public web server is http:(/)/www.med.univ-rennesl.fr.