The carbon footprint and wastage of intravitreal injections.

PURPOSE: The healthcare system emits greenhouse gas emissions and produces waste that in turn threatens the health of populations. The objective of our study was to measure the ecological threat related to intravitreal injections. METHODS: Emissions were separated into scope 2 corresponding to Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) of the building, and scope 3 corresponding to travels (patients and staff), and life cycle assessment (LCA) of medical devices (MD) and pharmaceutics. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and waste for a single injection were first measured through a waste audit, and secondly anticipated theoretically with a calculator. RESULTS: The average GHG emissions and waste measured were 277kgCO2eq/IVI and 0.5kg/IVI, respectively. Pharmaceuticals were responsible for 97% of total emissions. Emissions unrelated to pharmaceuticals counted for 8.4kgCO2eq/IVI. GHG emissions and waste estimated with the calculator were 276kgCO2eq/IVI and 0.5kg/IVI, respectively, showing that the calculator was accurate. CONCLUSION: Our study provides a puzzle piece to carbon footprint and waste assessment in the field of ophthalmology. It may help provide concrete data for future green vs. vision discussions.

[Scleritis and episcleritis]. / Sclérite et épisclérite.

Scleritis and episcleritis are rare ocular inflammatory diseases but deserve to be known by internists because of their frequent association with systemic autoimmune diseases. It is important to distinguish them between because their prognosis, therapeutic management and potential complications are very different. Episcleritis represents a superficial ocular inflammation with usually benign visual prognosis, no complication with local treatment, and is associated with a systemic autoimmune disease in rare cases. In contrast, scleritis is a potentially serious ophthalmological condition that can threaten the visual prognosis in the absence of appropriate systemic treatment. It is associated with an underlying disease in 40-50% of cases, in particular a systemic autoimmune disease (25-35% of cases) or an infectious cause (5-10% of cases). Rheumatoid arthritis and systemic vasculitides, particularly antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides, are the main autoimmune causes of scleritis and episcleritis. Scleritis can reveal the underlying autoimmune disease and requires systematic etiological investigations. Aggressive, complicated, refractory forms or those associated with a systemic autoimmune disease require glucocorticoids or even immunosuppressants, and close collaboration between ophthalmologists and internists is required. The development of biologic agents offers new effective therapeutic tools in the management of these difficult cases.

French recommendations for the management of non-infectious chronic uveitis.

This French National Diagnostic and Care Protocol (NDPC) includes both pediatric and adult patients with non-infectious chronic uveitis (NICU) or non-infectious recurrent uveitis (NIRU). NICU is defined as uveitis that persists for at least 3 months or with frequent relapses occurring less than 3 months after cessation of treatment. NIRU is repeated episodes of uveitis separated by periods of inactivity of at least 3 months in the absence of treatment. Some of these NICU and NIRU are isolated. Others are associated with diseases that may affect various organs, such as uveitis associated with certain types of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, adult spondyloarthropathies or systemic diseases in children and adults such as Behçet's disease, granulomatoses or multiple sclerosis. The differential diagnoses of pseudo-uveitis, sometimes related to neoplasia, and uveitis of infectious origin are discussed, as well as the different forms of uveitis according to their main anatomical location (anterior, intermediate, posterior or panuveitis). We also describe the symptoms, known physiopathological mechanisms, useful complementary ophthalmological and extra-ophthalmological examinations, therapeutic management, monitoring and useful information on the risks associated with the disease or treatment. Finally, this protocol presents more general information on the care pathway, the professionals involved, patient associations, adaptations in the school or professional environment and other measures that may be implemented to manage the repercussions of these chronic diseases. Because local or systemic corticosteroids are usually necessary, these treatments and the risks associated with their prolonged use are the subject of particular attention and specific recommendations. The same information is provided for systemic immunomodulatory treatments, immunosuppressive drugs, sometimes including anti-TNFα antibodies or other biotherapies. Certain particularly important recommendations for patient management are highlighted in summary tables.

The carbon footprint of cataract surgery in a French University Hospital.

PURPOSE: To assess the carbon footprint of cataract surgery in a French university hospital. SETTING: Operating room of Cochin University Hospital, Paris, France. DESIGN: Single-center component analysis. METHODS: One day of surgery was used as a reference. Greenhouse gases (GHG) related to patient and staff transportation were calculated based on the distance travelled and the means of transportation used. The annual consumption of energy (heating and electricity) of our building was converted in kg equivalent of carbon dioxide (CO2eq), and the principle of proportionality was used to calculate what was used for a single cataract procedure. GHG emissions related to the life cycle assessment (LCA) of the equipment used and the sterilization process were calculated. RESULTS: The LCA of disposable items accounted for 59.49kg (73.32%) of CO2eq for each procedure. A single procedure generated 2.83±0.10kg of waste. The average CO2eq produced by the transportation of the patients to and from our center, adjusted for one procedure, was 7.26±6.90kg (8.95%) of CO2eq. The CO2eq produced by the sterilization of the phacoemulsifier handpiece was 2.12kg (2.61%). The energy consumption of the building and staff transportation accounted for the remaining CO2eq emissions, 0.76kg (0.93%) and 0.08kg (0.10%) respectively. Altogether, the carbon footprint of one cataract procedure in our center was 81.13kg CO2eq - the equivalent of an average car driving 800km. CONCLUSION: Our data provide a basis to quantify cataract surgery as a source of GHG and suggests that reductions in emissions can be achieved.

Risk of hospitalization and death for healthcare workers with COVID-19 in nine European countries, January 2020-January 2021.

This article presents and compares coronavirus disease 2019 attack rates for infection, hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death in healthcare workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs in nine European countries from 31st January 2020 to 13th January 2021. Adjusted attack rate ratios in HCWs (compared with non-HCWs) were 3.0 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.2-4.0] for infection, 1.8 (95% CI 1.2-2.7) for hospitalization, 1.9 (95% CI 1.1-3.2) for ICU admission and 0.9 (95% CI 0.4-2.0) for death. Among hospitalized cases, the case-fatality ratio was 1.8% in HCWs and 8.2% in non-HCWs. Differences may be due to better/earlier access to treatment, differential underascertainment and the healthy worker effect.

Patients' perception of the open-space operating hall for cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To assess the perception of patients undergoing cataract surgery under topical anesthesia in an open-space operating hall. METHODS: The study was set in the department of ophthalmology, Cochin Paris Descartes University Hospital, in a newly built open-space operating hall dedicated to ophthalmic surgery. It was a prospective study of consecutive patients undergoing cataract surgery by 11 surgeons. Our population study comprised 250 patients operated in an open-space operating hall with 3 surgical areas. Only first-eye standard cataract surgeries performed under topical anesthesia were included. Responses to a face-to-face questionnaire administered by a single interviewer to patients before their discharge on the day of their surgery were analyzed. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients (21%) knew beforehand that their procedure would take place in an open-space operating hall, 118 (47%) realized that they were in such an environment on the occasion of their surgery and 80 (32%) did not notice. Conversations and noises unrelated to their own surgeries were overheard respectively by 15 (6%) and 37 (15%) patients. Of the 250 patients, 237 (95%) did not report any discomfort associated with the fact that their procedure had been performed in an open-space operating hall. CONCLUSIONS: Cataract surgery performed in an open-space setting did not seem to affect the patients' comfort during the procedure.

[Sarcoidosis]. / Sarcoïdose.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatosis characterized by the formation of epithelioid and giant cell granulomas without caseous necrosis. To make the diagnosis, it is necessary to prove systemic granulomatosis involving at least two organs; but in practice, a combination of clinical, paraclinical and histologic findings is used. It affects predominantly women with a bimodal age distribution: 25-29years and 65-69years. The most commonly affected organs are the mediastinal lymphatic system, lungs, skin and eyes. Ophthalmological involvement is present in 20 to 50% of cases. The typical ocular presentation is that of granulomatous uveitis associated with venous retinal vasculitis and lesions of peripheral multifocal choroiditis. This ophthalmological presentation, although very evocative, is not always associated with systemic disease. The diagnosis of ocular sarcoidosis is then presumed in the absence of histological evidence. Algorithms combining ophthalmological and systemic signs have been proposed in cases of isolated uveitis. They make it possible to establish the diagnosis of ocular sarcoidosis with various levels of probability. The absence of significant granulomas on a systemic level during primary ocular involvement remains the main hypothesis to explain these diagnostic difficulties. Treatment is well described, as the uveitis of sarcoidosis is most often steroid responsive. In the case of corticosteroid-dependent uveitis, the first-line immunosuppressant remains methotrexate. The use of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha is an interesting alternative in patients whose ocular sarcoidosis is refractory to conventional immunosuppressants.

Sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatosis characterized by the formation of epithelioid and giant cell granulomas without caseous necrosis. To make the diagnosis, it is necessary to prove systemic granulomatosis involving at least two organs; but in practice, a combination of clinical, paraclinical and histologic findings is used. It affects predominantly women with a bimodal age distribution: 25-29 years and 65-69 years. The most commonly affected organs are the mediastinal lymphatic system, lungs, skin and eyes. Ophthalmological involvement is present in 20 to 50% of cases. The typical ocular presentation is that of granulomatous uveitis associated with venous retinal vasculitis and lesions of peripheral multifocal choroiditis. This ophthalmological presentation, although very evocative, is not always associated with systemic disease. The diagnosis of ocular sarcoidosis is then presumed in the absence of histological evidence. Algorithms combining ophthalmological and systemic signs have been proposed in cases of isolated uveitis. They make it possible to establish the diagnosis of ocular sarcoidosis with various levels of probability. The absence of significant granulomas on a systemic level during primary ocular involvement remains the main hypothesis to explain these diagnostic difficulties. Treatment is well described, as the uveitis of sarcoidosis is most often steroid responsive. In the case of corticosteroid-dependent uveitis, the first-line immunosuppressant remains methotrexate. The use of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha is an interesting alternative in patients whose ocular sarcoidosis is refractory to conventional immunosuppressants.

[Induced drug uveitis and drug side effects in ophthalmology]. / Uvéite médicamenteuse et effets indésirables des médicaments en ophtalmologie.

Ocular drug side effects are very varied and can affect all the structures of the eye. The purpose of this review is to help clinicians: (i) to evoke this drug-induced toxicity yearly in the course of an unexplained ocular injury, before its damage become irreversible, (ii) to be able to recognize induced paradoxical ocular inflammation, mimicking an inflammatory pathology flare-up, especially in patient under anti-TNF regimen and (iii) to propose a more in-depth knowledge on recently described ocular toxicities from targeted cancer therapy, mainly the tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

[Uveitis: Diagnostic work-up. Recommendations from an expert committee]. / Prise en charge diagnostique des uvéites : recommandations d'un groupe d'experts.

INTRODUCTION: Diagnostic work-up of uveitis involves many uncertainties. Search for an etiology should take into account the epidemiology of uveitis and focus on the most severe diseases or those, which can be treated. This work was undertaken to establish recommendations for the diagnosis work-up of uveitis. METHODS: Recommendations were developed by a multidisciplinary panel of 15 experts, including internists, ophthalmologists and a rheumatologist and are based on a review of the literature with regard to effectiveness of investigations and the results of the ULISSE study, which is the first prospective study assessing the efficiency of a standardized strategy for the etiological diagnosis of uveitis. Children, immunocompromised patients, severe retinal vasculitis and specific ophthalmological entities are excluded from these recommendations. RESULTS: Investigations should be first guided by the history and physical examination. Serological screening for syphilis is the only test appropriate in all forms of uveitis. If no diagnosis is made after this stage, we propose investigations guided by the anatomic characteristics of uveitis. It includes HLA B27 testing (in unilateral acute anterior non-granulomatous uveitis), serum angiotensin converting enzyme, interferon-gamma release assay and chest CT (chronic uveitis), cerebral MRI and anterior chamber tap with IL10 analysis (intermediate or posterior uveitis in patients over 40 years). Investigations ordered in the absence of orientation are almost always unhelpful. CONCLUSIONS: We propose a strategy for the etiologic diagnosis of uveitis. The recommendations should be updated regularly. The efficiency of more invasive investigations has yet to be evaluated.

[Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease]. / La maladie de Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada.

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is defined as a severe bilateral, chronic granulomatous panuveitis associated with serous retinal detachments, disk edema, and vitritis, with central nervous system, auditory, and integumentary manifestations. It is an autoimmune inflammatory condition mediated by T cells that target melanocytes in individuals genetically susceptible to the disease. Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease presents clinically in 4 different phases: prodromal, acute inflammatory, chronic, and recurrent, with extraocular manifestations including headache, meningitis, hearing loss, poliosis, and vitiligo. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows earlier diagnosis of VKH disease by revealing heterogeneous exudative detachments of the retina in the acute stage and choroidal thickening, and by demonstrating choroidal thinning in the chronic stage. Treatment of this disease is initially with intravenous corticosteroids, with, if needed, a transition to immunosuppressant drugs for long-term control. Patients with VKH disease can have good final visual outcomes if treated promptly and aggressively.

Similar white matter but opposite grey matter changes in schizophrenia and high-functioning autism.

OBJECTIVE: High-functioning autism (HFA) and schizophrenia (SZ) are two of the main neurodevelopmental disorders, sharing several clinical dimensions and risk factors. Their exact relationship is poorly understood, and few studies have directly compared both disorders. Our aim was thus to directly compare neuroanatomy of HFA and SZ using a multimodal MRI design. METHODS: We scanned 79 male adult subjects with 3T MRI (23 with HFA, 24 with SZ and 32 healthy controls, with similar non-verbal IQ). We compared them using both diffusion-based whole-brain tractography and T1 voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS: HFA and SZ groups exhibited similar white matter alterations in the left fronto-occipital inferior fasciculus with a decrease in generalized fractional anisotropy compared with controls. In grey matter, the HFA group demonstrated bilateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate increases in contrast with prefrontal and left temporal reductions in SZ. CONCLUSION: HFA and SZ may share common white matter deficits in long-range connections involved in social functions, but opposite grey matter abnormalities in frontal regions that subserve complex cognitive functions. Our results are consistent with the fronto-occipital underconnectivity theory of HFA and the altered connectivity hypothesis of SZ and suggest the existence of both associated and diametrical liabilities to these two conditions.

European Antibiotic Awareness Day: a five-year perspective of Europe-wide actions to promote prudent use of antibiotics.

Following the European Union (EU) Council Recommendation on prudent use of antimicrobial agents in human medicine in 2001, and the success of national campaigns, i.e. Belgium and France, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) decided to establish the European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) on 18 November as platform to support national campaigns across Europe. This article provides an overview of EAAD tools, materials, and activities developed during the first five years. It shows that EAAD has been successful due to good cooperation between ECDC and national institutions, strong political and stakeholder support and evidence-based development of campaign materials. EAAD has provided a platform for pre-existing national campaigns and encouraged similar campaigns to develop where neither political support had been secured, nor financial support had been available. As a result, participating countries have continuously expressed strong support for ECDC to continue its work on EAAD. This has been endorsed by a steadily increasing number of countries participating and the growing interest of varied professional and stakeholder organisations. We conclude that EAAD should continue to act as catalyst for discussion and as mechanism to raise awareness of the public and prescribers about prudent use of antibiotics.

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Europe: a survey among national experts from 39 countries, February 2013.

The spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) is a threat to healthcare delivery, although its extent differs substantially from country to country. In February 2013, national experts from 39 European countries were invited to self-assess the current epidemiological situation of CPE in their country. Information about national management of CPE was also reported. The results highlight the urgent need for a coordinated European effort on early diagnosis, active surveillance, and guidance on infection control measures.

Multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant and pandrug-resistant bacteria: an international expert proposal for interim standard definitions for acquired resistance.

Many different definitions for multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR) and pandrug-resistant (PDR) bacteria are being used in the medical literature to characterize the different patterns of resistance found in healthcare-associated, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. A group of international experts came together through a joint initiative by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to create a standardized international terminology with which to describe acquired resistance profiles in Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., Enterobacteriaceae (other than Salmonella and Shigella), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp., all bacteria often responsible for healthcare-associated infections and prone to multidrug resistance. Epidemiologically significant antimicrobial categories were constructed for each bacterium. Lists of antimicrobial categories proposed for antimicrobial susceptibility testing were created using documents and breakpoints from the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). MDR was defined as acquired non-susceptibility to at least one agent in three or more antimicrobial categories, XDR was defined as non-susceptibility to at least one agent in all but two or fewer antimicrobial categories (i.e. bacterial isolates remain susceptible to only one or two categories) and PDR was defined as non-susceptibility to all agents in all antimicrobial categories. To ensure correct application of these definitions, bacterial isolates should be tested against all or nearly all of the antimicrobial agents within the antimicrobial categories and selective reporting and suppression of results should be avoided.

Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus: bad news and good news from the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net, formerly EARSS), 2002 to 2009.

Based on data collected by the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net) and the former EARSS, the present study describes the trends in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and occurrence of invasive infections caused by Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in the period from 2002 to 2009. Antimicrobial susceptibility results from 198 laboratories in 22 European countries reporting continuously on these two microorganisms during the entire study period were included in the analysis. The number of bloodstream infections caused by E. coli increased remarkably by 71% during the study period, while bloodstream infections caused by S. aureus increased by 34%. At the same time, an alarming increase of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli was observed, whereas for S. aureus the proportion of meticillin resistant isolates decreased. The observed trend suggests an increasing burden of disease caused by E. coli. The reduction in the proportion of meticillin-resistant S. aureus and the lesser increase in S. aureus infections, compared with E. coli, may reflect the success of infection control measures at hospital level in several European countries.

Immunosuppression reversible; marqueurs du foie; des reins et metabolisme phosphocalcique chez le lapin sain

But : Le but de cette etude a ete de determiner la ou les doses de Methylprednisolone qui induit une immunodepression reversible dans un temps long sans perturber les marqueurs du foie; des reins et du metabolisme phosphocalcique chez le lapin sain. Materiel et methodes : Cette etude a ete effectuee chez quinze lapins. Ils ont constitue cinq lots selon l'administration de Nacl et du Methylpredmisolone. Lot control (Nacl 0; 9); Lot I (2;5mg/kg MP); Lot II (5mg/kg MP); Lot III (10mg/kg MP) et Lot IV (15 mg/kg MP). Les marqueurs biochimiques ont ete doses par des methodes chimique et enzymatique. Resultats : Les resultats ont montre une immunodepression pendant 7 jours avec les doses de 10 et 15 mg/kg de MP (P0;05). Les perturbations biochimiques ont ete observees avec 15 mg/kg ou le calcium a ete abaisse a J15 et la TGO augmentee a J3 par rapport a J0 (P0;05). Conclusion : Cette etude a montre que les doses qui induisent une longue immunodepression (7 jours) sont 10 et 15 mg/kg de MP. Elle suggere que la dose qui ne perturbe pas les parametres biochimiques induisant une immunodepression longue reversible est 10 mg /kg de MP

New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1-producing Enterobacteriaceae: emergence and response in Europe.

Acquired carbapenemases confer extensive antibiotic resistance to Enterobacteriaceae and represent a public health threat. A novel acquired carbapenemase, New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1 (NDM-1), has recently been described in the United Kingdom and Sweden, mostly in patients who had received care on the Indian subcontinent. We conducted a survey among 29 European countries (the European Union Member States, Iceland and Norway) to gather information on the spread of NDM-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Europe, on public health responses and on available national guidance on detection, surveillance and control. A total of 77 cases were reported from 13 countries from 2008 to 2010. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most frequently reported species with 54%. Among 55 cases with recorded travel history, 31 had previously travelled or been admitted to a hospital in India or Pakistan and five had been hospitalised in the Balkan region. Possible nosocomial acquisition accounted for 13 of 77 cases. National guidance on NDM-1 detection was available in 14 countries and on NDM-1 control in 11 countries. In conclusion, NDM-1 is spreading across Europe, where it is frequently linked to a history of healthcare abroad, but also to emerging nosocomial transmission. National guidance in response to the threat of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae is available in approximately half of the surveyed European countries. Surveillance of carbapenemase- producing Enterobacteriaceae must be enhanced in Europe and effective control measures identified and implemented.

[Gallstone biochemical characteristics using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method]. / Caractéristiques biochimiques des lithiases vésiculaires par spectrométrie infrarouge à Abidjan.

This study reports biochemical composition and morphological aspect of gallstones as investigated by spectroscopy IR method. Participants were 24 patients composed of 12 males and 12 females who underwent cholecystectomy with age mean of 44.8 years. The gallstones were classified either as pigments stones (n = 12), cholesterol stones (n = 8) or as mixed stones (n = 4) according to analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The infrared spectroscopy quantification reported eight stones contained 100% of cholesterol, eight of 100% of calcium bilirubinate, four stones were composed of 65% calcium bilirubinate phosphate and 35% calcium carbonate, and four stones contained 65% cholesterol, 30% neutral calcium bilirubinate, 5% protein and traces of calcium bilirubinate acid. Our findings showed that most gallstones were composed of pigment stones with relative large proportion of cholesterol stones, whereas previous study in Caucasian reported predominance of cholesterol stones. These findings indicate the influence of diet and chronic haemolysis in the stones formation in regard to biochemical composition differences between those found in European area and our results. Therefore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method allowed to determine quality and quantity of biochemical components of gallstones. Therefore, a careful survey must allow knowing the nutritional and environmental factors in the occurrence of gallstones to Côte d'Ivoire, in order to prevent this disease.