[From the earth to the plate, a unique experience]. / De la terre à l'assiette, une expérience inédite.

A group of toddlers in a childcare facility participated in the creation of an educational garden. For some time, they all lived at the rhythm of the different stages of the project, i.e. planting, waiting, harvesting and finally the preparation and consumption of the fruit and vegetables produced. Although this experimentation raised questions among the professionals, it also provided all the participants with some wonderful moments of sharing.

Prophylactic use of proton pump inhibitors post-cardiac surgery.

AIMS/BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal bleeding significantly increases morbidity and mortality rates postoperatively in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The prophylactic prescribing of proton pump inhibitors post-cardiac surgery is currently a class IIa recommendation of the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. METHOD: A retrospective review of patients who underwent cardiac surgery between July and December 2019 in the authors' hospital was carried out, using discharge summaries. New treatment charts were introduced with a pre-printed proton pump inhibitor included in the 'regular medication' section of the treatment chart and two reaudits were performed using the same methodology. RESULTS: Before the intervention, 47% were prescribed omeprazole postoperatively, compared to 74% (P<0.001) and 66% (P=0.008) in the first and second reaudits respectively. Gastrointestinal bleeding was more common pre-intervention (4% vs 1% respectively; P=0.10). CONCLUSIONS: This intervention resulted in a statistically significant improvement in the prescription of postoperative omeprazole and a decrease in gastrointestinal bleeds. However, other risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, arteriosclerosis and procedure urgency may have contributed to the absence of statistical significance in the latter.

Symptomatic digoxin toxicity in a patient on haemodialysis.

We present a man undergoing regular haemodialysis sessions, who presented with non-specific symptoms of nausea, vomiting and light-headedness. He was found to have significantly raised serum digoxin concentrations, as well as a heart rate of 30 beats per minutes. An ECG showed complete heart block. He has a history of non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy with resistant supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias and was on concomitant beta-blockade and digoxin. On questioning, he reported a gradual decline in his residual urine output over the past 6 months. He was reviewed by the cardiology team and required both pharmacological therapy for reversal of digoxin toxicity and temporary pacing in view of significant bradyarrhythmias. The beta-blockade and digoxin were discontinued. He was kept on continuous monitoring at the Cardiac Critical Care Unit. His symptoms resolved spontaneously once digoxin-specific antibody fragments were administered and temporary pacing successfully performed.