[Prerequisites for the implementation of Ultra® packaging to replace containers for three surgical departments: Budget impact analysis]. / Pré-requis à la mise en place de l'emballage Ultra® en remplacement des conteneurs au sein de trois blocs opératoires : analyse d'impact budgétaire.

OBJECTIVES: Budgetary impact analysis of the replacement of three surgical departments containers with a new perforation-resistant packaging: Ultra® pouches and reels. METHODS: Comparison of projections of containers costs of use to those of Ultra® packaging over six years. For containers, the costs include washing, packaging, curative maintenance (annual costs), and preventive maintenance (every five years). For Ultra® packaging, the costs include the first year, the purchase of a suitable storage arsenal and a pulse welder, and the transformation of the transport system. Annual costs for Ultra® include packaging and welders maintenance and qualification. RESULTS: In the first year, the costs with Ultra® packaging are higher than the cost related to the container model because the initial investment for the installation is not completely offset by the cost of preventive maintenance of the containers. However, from the second year of use of the Ultra®, an annual saving of €19,356 is expected and up to €49,849 in the sixth year (new preventive maintenance of containers needed). In six years, a saving of €116,186 is expected, which represents 40.4% savings compared to the container model. CONCLUSIONS: The budget impact analysis is in favor of the implementation of Ultra® packaging. The expenses related to the purchase of the arsenal, a pulse welder and the adaptation of the transport system should be amortized from the second year. Significant savings are even expected.

Potassium overdose using an oral solution: Potassium element expressed in grams as a packaging flaw contributing to medication error.

Drug packaging contributes to the harm-benefit balance of a treatment. Poorly designed packaging can lead to drug misuse with serious consequences. We report a potassium double dose medication error concerning an oral solution. It was triggered by a packaging flaw related to the dosage indicated on the box, expressed for both potassium salt and elemental potassium. Standardizing the units used on packaging and for prescriptions, by using millimoles, could be a solution to avoid this type of medication error.

Remote ischemic per-conditioning protects against renal ischemia-reperfusion injury via suppressing gene expression of TLR4 and TNF-α in rat model.

The pathogenesis of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) involves both inflammatory processes and oxidative stress in the kidney. This study determined whether remote ischemic per-conditioning (RIPerC) is mediated by toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway in rats. Renal IR injury was induced by occluding renal arteries for 45 min followed by 24 h of reperfusion. RIPerC included 4 cycles of 2 min of ischemia of the left femoral artery followed by 3 min of reperfusion performed at the start of renal ischemia. Rats were divided into sham, IR, and RIPerC groups. At the end of the reperfusion period, urine, blood and tissue samples were gathered. IR created kidney dysfunction, as ascertained by a significant decrease in creatinine clearance and a significant increase in sodium fractional excretion. These changes occurred in concert with a decrease in the activities of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase with an increment in malondialdehyde levels, mRNA expression levels of TLR4 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and histological damage in renal tissues. RIPerC treatment diminished all these changes. This study demonstrates that RIPerC has protective effects on the kidney after renal IR, which might be related to the inhibition of the TLR4 signaling pathway and augmentation of antioxidant systems.

[Preparation and transplant in the care pathway in haematology]. / Conditionnement et greffe dans le parcours de soins en hématologie.

The stages of the preparation and subsequent allograft of haematopoietic stem cells are particularly demanding in terms of quality and safety and require the mobilisation of a multidisciplinary nursing team. Working closely with the patients, the nurse ensures hygiene measures are respected in order to minimise the risks of aplasia. She supports them in the prevention and management of the side effects linked to the treatment and surrounds them with all the relational support they need in this difficult stage of their care pathway.

Noninvasive approach to mend the broken heart: Is "remote conditioning" a promising strategy for application in humans?

Currently, there are no satisfactory interventions to protect the heart against the detrimental effects of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Although ischemic preconditioning (PC) is the most powerful form of intrinsic cardioprotection, its application in humans is limited to planned interventions, due to its short duration and technical requirements. However, many organs/tissues are capable of producing "remote" PC (RPC) when subjected to brief bouts of ischemia-reperfusion. RPC was first described in the heart where brief ischemia in one territory led to protection in other area. Later on, RPC started to be used in patients with acute myocardial infarction, albeit with ambiguous results. It is hypothesized that the connection between the signal triggered in remote organ and protection induced in the heart can be mediated by humoral and neural pathways, as well as via systemic response to short sublethal ischemia. However, although RPC has a potentially important clinical role, our understanding of the mechanistic pathways linking the local stimulus to the remote organ remains incomplete. Nevertheless, RPC appears as a cost-effective and easily performed intervention. Elucidation of protective mechanisms activated in the remote organ may have therapeutic and diagnostic implications in the management of myocardial ischemia and lead to development of pharmacological RPC mimetics.

Ischemic pre- and post-conditioning: current clinical applications.

Ischemic conditioning is a phenomenon through which short sequences of ischemia-reperfusion applied to an organ confer some degree of protection towards future ischemic insults. This phenomenon was first observed in the mid-1980s in cardiac surgery, and has been since widely studied in different settings. Different sort of ischemic conditioning exist: local vs remote, direct or pharmacological, and with different timeframes of protection. Ischemic conditioning seems especially suited to applications in transplantation since schedules of both cold and warm ischemia, as well as reperfusion, are carefully and easily controlled, and the benefits of protecting fragile organs against ischemia-reperfusion injuries might help widen the pool of possible grafts and ensure better graft function and survival. The pathways through which ischemic conditioning work are many, offering both preservation of cell energy, protection against oxidative stress, better blood flow to organs and protection against apoptosis. In the field of pharmacological conditioning, which tries to mimic the protective effects of traditional ischemic conditioning without the potential side-effects associated with vessel clamping, many common-use drugs including anesthetics have been shown to be effective. Significant results have been obtained in small animal models, but while ischemic conditioning is successfully used in cardiac surgery, studies in large animal models and human applications in liver and kidney transplantation are still inconclusive.

Ischemia/reperfusion during normothermic perfusion.

INTRODUCTION: Cold storage of organs for preservation and transplantation is reaching its limits especially with extended criteria for heart beating donors and donation after cardiac death. We will discuss recent findings and perspectives in normothermic kidney preservation. METHODS: A literature review was performed from original articles and syntheses selected by the search engine PubMed. Keywords used were: cold ischemia; warm ischemia, normothermic, organ preservation, preconditioning, organ perfusion. RESULTS: We identified several ways to improve kidney preservation: Ischemic normothermic preconditioning; Pharmacologic normothermic preconditioning; Ex vivo normothermic reperfusion; Remote ischemic transplantation preconditioning; Ischemic postconditioning. In clinical practice, only uses of ECMO for organ preconditioning or ex vivo normothermic organ perfusion were used. CONCLUSION: Promising experimental and clinical results make challenge cold preservation. The most suitable and physiological method seems to be a normothermic perfusion and conservation with autologous oxygenated blood using Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation or Regional Normothermic Circulation.

[Fertility preservation and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SFGM-TC)]. / Fertilité et greffe de cellules souches hématopoïétiques (SFGM-TC).

Conditioning regimen prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have an impact on patient fertility through the use of gonadal irradiation and/or bifunctional alkylating agents. Their impact on fertility depends mainly on the dose used and, in women, on age at the time of treatment. All patients should benefit before treatment from a consultation informing them of the potential impact on fertility and of fertility preservation techniques. In the absence of contraindications, the major toxicity of myeloablative conditioning regimen justifies fertility preservation. There are few data concerning fertility after reduced-intensity conditioning. Despite lower theoretical gonadotoxicity, we also recommend fertility preservation, if possible before transplantation. The fertility preservation techniques used depend on the patient's age, pathology and conditioning. In the event of subsequent use of harvested gonadal tissue in the context of acute leukemia or aggressive lymphoma, it is advisable to assess the risk of reintroduction of tumor cells. Finally, it is recommended to assess gonadal function after transplant, especially after reduced conditioning. If there is persistent residual gonadal function, post-treatment fertility preservation should be discuss.

[Mobilization and conditioning protocols actualization for autologous stem cell transplantation for autoimmune diseases: Guidelines from MATHEC-SFGM-TC]. / Actualisation des protocoles de mobilisation et conditionnement pour la pratique des autogreffes de cellules souches hématopoïétiques chez les patients atteints de maladies auto-immunes : recommandations de la Société francophone de greffe de moelle et de thérapie cellulaire (MATHEC-SFGM-TC).

The Francophone Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (SFGM-TC) organized the 13th workshop on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation clinical practices harmonization procedures in September 2022 in Lille, France. The aim of this workshop is to update the mobilization and conditioning protocols for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for autoimmune diseases, and to specify contraindications for transplant, conditioning regimen selection, immunosuppressive treatment discontinuation before mobilization and disease-specific surveillance.

[Inborn error of metabolism and allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation: Guidelines from the SFGM-TC]. / Maladie héréditaire du métabolisme et allogreffe de cellules souches hématopoïétiques : indication, modalité et suivi. Recommandations de la SFGM-TC.

Inherited Metabolic Diseases (IMD) are rare genetic diseases, including both lysosomal and peroxisomal diseases. Lysosomal diseases are related to the deficiency of one or more lysosomal enzymes or transporter. Lysosomal diseases are progressive and involve several tissues with most often neurological damage. Among peroxisomal diseases, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a neurodegenerative disease combining neurological and adrenal damage. For these diseases, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) and gene therapy represent various possible treatment options, used alone or in combination. The purpose of this workshop is to describe the indications, modalities, and follow-up of allo-HCT as well as the use of ERT peri-transplant. All indications for transplant in these rare diseases are associated with comorbidities and are subject to criteria that must be discussed in a dedicated national multidisciplinary consultation meeting. There are some consensual indications in type I-H mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS-IH) and in the cerebral form of ALD. For other IMDs, no clear benefit from the transplant has been demonstrated. The ideal donor is a non-heterozygous HLA-identical sibling. The recommended conditioning is myeloablative combining fludarabine and busulfan. In MPS-IH, ERT has to be started at diagnosis and continued until complete chimerism and normal enzyme assay are achieved. The pre-transplant assessment and post-transplant follow-up are made according to the published recommendations (PNDS). Standard follow-up is carried out jointly by the transplant and referral teams.

[Not Available]. / Niveau de preuve du suivi thérapeutique pharmacologique de l'acide mycophénolique administré pour la prévention des réactions du greffon contre l'hôte au cours des greffes de cellules souches avec un conditionnement réduit.

Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is more and more used to prevent GVHD (Graft Versus Host Disease) during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with reduce-intensity conditioning. If several facts argue in favor of therapeutic drug monitoring, the used pharmacokinetic parameter is to be defined. Especially, the choice between total or ultrafilterable MPA is still under debate even if therapeutic drug monitoring seems to be more practicable with total MPA. The role of other factors implied in GVHD occurrence are also to be assessed in studies which aim at assessing therapeutic drug monitoring of MPA in such situation. For theses reasons, the level evidence of MPA as GVHD prophylaxis during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with reduce-intensity conditioning is potentially useful.

[Into thin air - Altitude training and hypoxic conditioning: From athlete to patient]. / Into thin air ­ Entraînement en altitude et conditionnement hypoxique : du sportif au malade.

INTRODUCTION: Hypoxic exposure should be considered as a continuum, the effects of which depend on the dose and individual response to hypoxia. Hypoxic conditioning (HC) represents an innovative and promising strategy, ranging from improved human performance to therapeutic applications. STATE OF THE ART: With the aim of improving sports performance, the effectiveness of hypoxic exposure, whether natural or simulated, is difficult to demonstrate because of the large variability of the protocols used. In therapeutics, the benefits of HC are described in many pathological conditions such as obesity or cardiovascular pathologies. If the HC benefits from a strong preclinical rationale, its application to humans remains limited. PERSPECTIVES: Advances in training and acclimation will require greater personalization and precise periodization of hypoxic exposures. For patients, the harmonization of HC protocols, the identification of biomarkers and the development and subsequent validation of devices allowing a precise control of the hypoxic stimulus are necessary steps for the development of HC. CONCLUSIONS: From the athlete to the patient, HC represents an innovative and promising field of research, ranging from the improvement of human performance to the prevention and treatment of certain pathologies.

Exercise Instructors for Older Adult Fitness: A Review of the Literature.

Group-exercise instructors are a vital social determinant of exercise enjoyment, attendance, and adherence. Instructors also affect the degree to which physical cultures are socially inclusive. In order to elucidate the roles that instructors play in affecting these outcomes, we conducted a scoping review. Scoping reviews are a preliminary method for assessing the breadth and depth of existing literature in order to identify key themes and gaps therein. Based on Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) framework, we identified 52 articles and book chapters, 33 of which were older-adult specific, using a university search engine that simultaneously searches multiple databases. We conceptually mapped the literature, which revealed instructors' vital roles as: (1) constructors of group social cohesion, (2) cultural intermediaries, (3) competent practitioners, (4) leaders and communicators, and (5) educators. Of these, the instructor's educative role lacks empirical attention. We conclude with implications for future research, practice, and policy.

[Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant in children and adults with sickle cell disease: Indications and modalities]. / Allogreffe de cellules souches hématopoïétiques dans la drépanocytose de l'enfant et de l'adulte : indications et modalités.

Sickle cell disease is associated with severe complications and early mortality in adults. In children, hematopoietic stem cell transplant from HLA-identical sibling can stop the progression of the disease and leads to more than 95% long-term free survival without sickle cell disease. The aim of this workshop was to define indications and modalities of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant in children and adults with sickle cell disease. Patient and sibling HLA typing should be proposed, early in the course of the disease, when intensification therapies are required. Indications of transplant from HLA-identical sibling in children and adults are, cerebral vasculopathy, occurrence of vaso-occlusive events despite hydroxycarbamide, renal and hepatic diseases related to SCD, chronic anemia<7g/dL despite hydroxycarbamide, need to maintain transfusion programs longer than six months, and major transfusion difficulties related to red blood cell alloimmunization. In children with an HLA-identical sibling donor, we recommend a myeloablative conditioning regimen associating high dose busulfan, cyclophosphamide and ATG, considering the excellent results of this approach In patients over 15 years of age, we recommend the NIH approach consisting of a reduced intensity conditioning regimen by alemtuzumab, and 3Gy total body irradiation, followed by peripheral hematopoietic stem cells and post-transplant immunosuppression by sirolimus In the absence of HLA-identical sibling donor, there is no definitive data for preferring transplant from unrelated versus haplo-identical donors but we recommend to evaluate these approaches in prospective trials.

[Indication of autologous stem cell transplantation in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy: Guidelines from the Francophone Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (SFGM-TC)]. / Indications de l'autogreffe de cellules souches hématopoïétiques dans la polyradiculonévrite inflammatoire démyélinisante chronique : recommandations de la Société francophone de greffe de moelle et de thérapie cellulaire (SFGM-TC).

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a chronic autoimmune disease involving the peripheral nervous system, characterized by focal and segmental demyelination accounting for neurological deficit. CIDP diagnosis is based on several criteria and requires the presence of specific clinical symptoms and of demyelinating criteria on the electroneuromyogram (ENMG) or of additional supportive criteria (spinal fluid examination with dissociation between albumin level and cellular abnormalities, nervous abnormalities on MRI or other minor abnormalities on ENMG, demyelinating features on nerve biopsy or patient improvement under so-called first-line therapy with immunodulator treatment). After failure of two successive first line immunomodulating drug therapies (corticosteroids, immunomodulating immunoglobulins, or plasma exchange), several options can be considered as second line therapies. The efficacy of autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) has been shown in CIDP patients. The aim of these recommendations established by a working group of experts from the "Société française de greffe de moelle osseuse et thérapie cellulaire (SFGM-TC)", the group "maladies auto-immunes et thérapie cellulaire (MATHEC)" and the "filière de santé maladies rares neuromusculaire (FILNEMUS)" is to specify the eligibility criteria for AHCT in CIPD patients, to describe the mobilization and the conditioning regimen for the AHCT procedure, as well as the patient standardized post-transplant follow-up and the management of neurological treatment throughout the all procedure.

Does postactivation potentiation (PAP) increase voluntary performance?

The transient increase in torque of an electrically evoked twitch following a voluntary contraction is called postactivation potentiation (PAP). Phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chains is the most accepted mechanism explaining the enhanced electrically evoked twitch torque. While many authors attribute voluntary postactivation performance enhancement (PAPE) to the positive effects of PAP, few actually confirmed that contraction was indeed potentiated using electrical stimulation (twitch response) at the time that PAPE was measured. Thus, this review aims to investigate if increases in voluntary performance after a conditioning contraction (CC) are related to the PAP phenomenon. For this, studies that confirmed the presence of PAP through an evoked response after a voluntary CC and concurrently evaluated PAPE were reviewed. Some studies reported increases in PAPE when PAP reaches extremely high values. However, PAPE has also been reported when PAP was not present, and unchanged/diminished performance has been identified when PAP was present. This range of observations demonstrates that mechanisms of PAPE are different from mechanisms of PAP. These mechanisms of PAPE still need to be understood and those studying PAPE should not assume that regulatory light chain phosphorylation is the mechanism for such enhanced voluntary performance. Novelty The occurrence of PAP does not necessarily mean that the voluntary performance will be improved. Improvement in voluntary performance is sometimes observed when the PAP level reaches extremely high values. Other mechanisms may be more relevant than that for PAP in the manifestation of acute increases in performance following a conditioning contraction.

[Crohn's disease and autologous hemapoietic cell transplantation: Guidelines from the Francophone Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (SFGM-TC)]. / Indications de l'autogreffe de cellules hématopoïétiques dans la Maladie de Crohn : recommandations de la Société francophone de greffe de moelle et de thérapie cellulaire.

Crohn's Disease (CD) is an auto-inflammatory disease, which may involve the entire gastro-intestinal tract. CD is diagnosed on several clinical, biological, endoscopic and histological criteria. First line therapy is based on oral or iv steroids. In case of steroids dependence or resistance, several types of immunosuppressive or immunomodulating therapies are available: classical antimetabolites (thiopurines or methotrexate) or monoclonal antibodies against TNFα, against interleukin 12/23 or against integrin. Nonetheless, Crohn's disease may remain active despite the use of several lines of therapy. In such cases, autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) is an effective therapeutic option in highly selected CD patients with specific criteria. The MATHEC-SFGM-TC Good Clinical Practice Guidelines (GCPG) were developed by a multidisciplinary group of experts including gastroenterologists, hematologists and members of the reference center for stem cell therapy in auto-immune diseases (MATHEC), including members of the French groupe d'étude thérapeutique des affections inflammatoires du tube digestif(GETAID) under the auspices of the French speaking Society of bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapy (SFGM-TC). The aim of the present guidelines is to define the eligibility criteria for CD patients when candidates to AHCT, the procedures for mobilization of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), conditioning regimen and standardized follow-up after AHCT including monitoring of gastroenterological treatments during AHCT and thereafter throughout all follow-up.

Cérebro, estresse e defesa: elementos para uma teoria neurocientífica do trauma psicológico / Brain, stress and defense: elements for a neuroscientific theory of psychological trauma / Cerebro, estrés y defensa: elementos para una teoría neurocientífica del trauma psicológico / Cerveau, stress et défense: éléments pour une théorie neuroscientifique du trauma psychologique

As condições psicopatológicas decorrentes de acontecimentos traumáticos vêm progressivamente recebendo interpretações de natureza neurocientífica. Com isso, experiências humanas devastadoras são reduzidas ao funcionamento perturbado de sistemas neurofisiológicos atribuídos às respostas de estresse. Através de revisão narrativa, este artigo procura explorar algumas das condições epistemológicas elementares ao surgimento de uma teoria neurocientífica do estresse traumático, demonstrando a solidariedade que ela conserva com a teoria evolucionária e com a pesquisa do condicionamento clássico em animais. Espera-se que este trabalho possa salientar algumas das repercussões éticas da negligência dos fatores sociais e culturais nas interpretações dos fenômenos secundários ao traumatismo

Psychopathological conditions resulting from traumatic events have increasingly received neuroscientific interpretations, reducing the complexity of devastating human experiences to the disturbed functioning of neurophysiological systems attributed to stress responses. This narrative review explores some epistemological conditions essential to fashioning a neuroscientific theory of traumatic stress, showing the solidarity it maintains with evolutionary theory and with research on classical conditioning in animals. We hope this work can highlight some of the ethical repercussions in neglecting social and cultural factors when interpreting secondary trauma phenomena

Las condiciones psicopatológicas resultantes de eventos traumáticos han recibido progresivamente interpretaciones neurocientíficas. Como resultado, las devastadoras experiencias humanas vieron reducidas su complejidad al funcionamiento perturbado de los sistemas neurofisiológicos atribuidos a las respuestas al estrés. A partir de una revisión narrativa, este artículo buscará explorar algunas de las condiciones epistemológicas esenciales para el surgimiento de una teoría neurocientífica del estrés traumático, demostrando la solidaridad que mantiene con la teoría evolutiva y con la investigación sobre el condicionamiento clásico en animales. Se espera que este trabajo pueda resaltar algunas de las repercusiones éticas de descuidar los factores sociales y culturales en la interpretación de los fenómenos secundarios de trauma

Les conditions psychopathologiques résultant d'événements traumatiques ont progressivement reçu des interprétations neuroscientifiques, en réduisant la complexité des expériences humaines dévastatrices au fonctionnement perturbé des systèmes neurophysiologiques attribué aux réponses au stress. Cette revue narrative explore quelques conditions épistémologiques essentielles pour élaborer une théorie neuroscientifique du stress traumatique, démontrant la solidarité qu'elle entretient avec la théorie évolutionniste et avec les recherches sur le conditionnement classique. On espère que ce travail pourra mettre en évidence certaines des répercussions éthiques associées à la négligence des facteurs sociaux et culturels dans l'interprétation des phénomènes traumatiques secondaires

[Skeletal muscle ischemia-reperfusion and ischemic conditioning pathophysiology-clinical applications for the vascular surgeon]. / Physiopathologie de l'ischémie-reperfusion et du conditionnement ischémique du muscle squelettique ­ applications cliniques pour le chirurgien vasculaire.

Ischemia-reperfusion, which is characterized by deficient oxygen supply and subsequent restoration of blood flow, can cause irreversible damage to tissue. The vascular surgeon is daily faced with ischemia-reperfusion situations. Indeed, arterial clamping induces ischemia, followed by reperfusion when declamping. Mechanisms underlying ischemia-reperfusion injury are complex and multifactorial. Increases in cellular calcium and reactive oxygen species, initiated during ischemia and then amplified upon reperfusion are thought to be the main mediators of reperfusion injury. Mitochondrial dysfunction also plays an important role. Extensive research has focused on increasing skeletal muscle tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion injury, especially through the use of ischemic conditioning strategies. The purpose of this review is to focus on the cellular responses associated with ischemia-reperfusion, as well as to discuss the effects of ischemic conditioning strategies. This would help the vascular surgeon in daily practice, in order to try to improve surgical outcome in the setting of ischemia-reperfusion.

Remote ischaemic preconditioning in intermittent claudication.

BACKGROUND: Remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) protects tissues against ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, a common occurrence in several clinical settings. AIMS: To evaluate whether RIPC has a beneficial impact on walking disability in arterial intermittent claudication. METHODS: A total of 20 patients with proven intermittent claudication underwent two treadmill walking tests with a 7-day interval in between; they were randomized according to the order in which they received either RIPC or a control procedure before the first treadmill test, with a crossover at the second test. Patients received three cycles of alternating 5-minute inflation and 5-minute deflation of blood-pressure cuffs on both arms, with inflation to a pressure of 200 mmHg in the RIPC procedure or 10mmHg in the control procedure. Walking distances and limb oxygenation data, assessed with transcutaneous oximetry and near infrared spectroscopy measurements, were obtained during both RIPC and control procedures in all patients. RESULTS: Similar exercise intensities were achieved after the control and RIPC procedures. Walking distances did not significantly differ after the control and RIPC procedures (204 [141-259]m vs 215 [162-442]m, respectively; P=0.22). Similarly, no difference was observed in terms of transcutaneous oxygen pressure change and near infrared spectroscopy measurements during exercise between the two procedures. CONCLUSION: RIPC did not improve walking distance or limb ischaemia variables in patients with peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication.