Identification of resources and skills developed by partners of patients with advanced colon cancer: a qualitative study.

PURPOSE: Family caregivers play an important role in caring for patients with advanced cancer. To become competent, individuals must draw on and mobilise an adequate combination of resources. Our goal was to identify the skills developed by caregivers of patients with advanced cancer and the associated resources mobilised. We chose to do it with partners of patients with colon cancer. METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional qualitative design based on 20 individual interviews and a focus group. Partners were recruited from patients treated in three hospitals of France. Semi-structured interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved. Each interview was transcribed verbatim, and thematic analyses were performed to extract significant themes and subthemes. RESULTS: Results from the individual and focus group interviews showed that the skills implemented by the partners (in domains of social relationships and health, domestic, organisational, emotional and well-being dimensions) were singular constructs, dependant on if resources (personal, external and schemes) may have been missing and insufficient. In addition, partners may have had these resources but not mobilised them. CONCLUSION: The identification of the skills and associated resources could allow healthcare professionals better identifying and understanding of the difficulties met by partners in taking care of patients. This could enable them to offer appropriate support to help the caregivers in their accompaniment.

Regulatory role of the intestinal microbiota in the immune response against Giardia.

Giardia duodenalis is one of the most commonly found intestinal parasites in mammalian hosts. Infections can generally be cleared by mounting an adequate protective immune response that is orchestrated through IL-17A. This study was aimed to investigate if and how the intestinal microbiome affects the protective Th17 response against Giardia by analysing and comparing the immune response following a G. muris and G. duodenalis infection in antibiotic treated and untreated mice. Depletion of the intestinal flora by antibiotic treatment had a severe effect on the infection dynamics of both Giardia species. Not only duration of infection was affected, but also the parasite burden increased significantly. Markers associated with a protective immune response, such as IL-17A and mannose binding lectin 2 were still significantly upregulated following infection in the antibiotic-treated mice, despite the lack of protection. On the other hand, the antibiotic treatment significantly decreased the level of IgA in the intestinal lumen by affecting its transporter and by reducing the number of IgA+ B-cells at the Peyer's patches. Furthermore, the depletion of the gut microbiota by antibiotics also significantly lowered the intestinal motility. The combination of these factors likely results in a decreased clearance of the parasite from the intestinal tract.

Management and prognosis of esophageal cancers: has progress been made?

The aim of this study was to investigate time trends in treatment and prognosis of esophageal cancer in a well-defined French population. Data was obtained from the Burgundy Cancer Registry (France) and three time periods were defined: 1976-90, 1991-96 and 1997-2002. A logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with an R0 resection. A multivariate survival analysis was performed using a Cox model. From 1976 to 2002, 2267 patients were included. The R0 resection rate slightly increased from 20.9% to 25.8% (P=0.019) then remained stable. Operative mortality decreased from 11.7% to 6.7% (NS). Age and subsite significantly influenced the rate of resection for cure whereas period had no effect. Chemotherapy alone was seldom used and radiotherapy alone dramatically dropped over time. Chemoradiation used as adjuvant treatment increased from 16.3% (1976-90) to 30.6% (1997-02) (P<0.001) and as sole treatment from 16.0% to 48.5% (P<0.001). The 3-year survival rates were respectively 10.1% and 9.7% (NS). Age and stage at diagnosis influenced the prognosis of esophageal cancer whereas time period and histology had no influence. This study claims that esophageal cancer remains a serious cancer problem and no improvement has been seen in the study population in France in its management over time.

[Variables influencing bleeding during total hip arthroplasty]. / Variables influençant le saignement lors d'une arthroplastie totale de hanche.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this retrospective analysis was to study the parameters having an effect on blood loss during or after total hip arthroplasty. We examined a series of 350 procedures for primary degenerative hip disease with a normal course (n = 100), rapidly destructive degenerative disease (n = 100), and secondary joint degeneration due to atraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (n = 100) or rheumatoid disease (n = 50). MATERIAL AND METHODS: All arthroplasties were performed via the transtrochanteric approach using Charnley-Kerboull implants. The volume of blood loss was calculated by noting compensated blood loss (transfusion during the procedure and shortly thereafter), and estimated non-compensated loss using the Nadler and Mercuriali and Inghilleri formula. We examined the influence of age, gender, obesity, and surgeon experience. Data were analyzed with the Student-Fisher reduced deviation method was used for quantitative and qualitative variables and the coefficient of correlation for quantitative variables. RESULTS: Blood loss, calculated in ml packed red blood cells (hematocrit 100%), was 573 ml for arthroplasties with a normal course, 713 for arthroplasties secondary to osteonecrosis of the femoral head, and 950 ml for rapidly destructive degenerative disease and finally 609 ml for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Considering 35% as normal for hematocrit, total estimated blood loss was 1,640, 2,040, 2,710, and 1,740 ml respectively in the different groups. Compared with the group of patients who had a normal course, total blood loss was significantly higher when arthroplasty was performed for osteonecrosis and rapidly destructive degenerative disease (p < 0.001). Age, obesity, and duration of the intervention had no effect on blood loss. Female gender and operator experience had a favorable influence in the group of patients who underwent hip surgery for primary degenerative disease. Blood loss occurring during or shortly after total hip arthroplasty was greater in men, when the procedure was performed for osteonecrosis, and most importantly for rapidly destructive diseases. DISCUSSION: In clinical practice, the influence of gender is not significant enough to require specific preoperative transfusion plans. Conversely, certain etiologies of the joint disease impose transfusion in all such patients, using a blood volume which usually exceeds the possibilities of auto-transfusions.