Evolution of treated obstructive sleep apneas syndrome after bariatric surgery: an observational retrospective study.

Background: The resolution of obstructive sleep apneas syndrome (OSAS) following bariatric surgery appears to be promising for the majority of patients although this resolution does not necessarily exhibit a linear correlation with weight loss. Previous small-scale studies have pinpointed a younger age and preoperative weight under 100kg as predictive factors of OSAS improvement OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to evaluate the evolution of OSAS in patients treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Additionally, we tried to identify potential predictive factors for OSAS improvement postsurgery.

Therapeutic bronchoscopy for malignant central airway obstruction: Introduction to the EpiGETIF registry.

Background And Objective: EpiGETIF is a web-based, multicentre clinical database created in 2019 aiming for prospective collection of data regarding therapeutic rigid bronchoscopy (TB) for malignant central airway obstruction (MCAO).

Methods: Patients were enrolled into the registry from January 2019 to November 2022. Data were prospectively entered through a web-interface, using standardized definitions for each item.

Venous thromboembolism and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: the Venous Thrombo-Embolism and Sclerosis Lateral Amyotrophic study.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurodegenerative disease. Given the inflammatory nature of ALS and the high number of ALS-related clinical circumstances (eg, prolonged immobilization and infections), patients with ALS may have a high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Objectives: To determine the annual incidence rate of VTE and the predictors of VTE in patients with ALS.

Quantification of the pulmonary vascular obstruction index on ventilation/perfusion lung scintigraphy: Comparison of a segmental visual scoring to the Meyer score.

Introduction: Quantifying the pulmonary vascular obstruction index (PVOI) is essential for the management of patients with pulmonary embolism or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The reference method for quantifying the PVOI with planar lung ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy is the Meyer score, which was validated using pulmonary angiography as a reference standard. However, it is complex to use in daily practice.

Both microbiological surveillance and audit of procedures improve reprocessing of flexible bronchoscopes and patient safety.

Background: Microbiological surveillance of bronchoscopes and automatic endoscope reprocessors (AERs)/washer disinfectors as a quality control measure is controversial. Experts also are divided on the infection risks associated with bronchoscopic procedures.

Objective: We evaluated the impact of routine microbiological surveillance and audits of cleaning/disinfection practices on contamination rates of reprocessed bronchoscopes.

Screening for COPD in primary care, involving dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses and general practitioners (the UNANIME pilot study).

Background: COPD is underdiagnosed and is projected to be the third cause of death in 2030. However, recent reviews do not recommend screening for COPD in the general population.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study to assess the feasibility of implementing COPD screening in a high-risk COPD population, with the help of various healthcare professionals (General practitioners, pharmacists, dentists, physiotherapists, and nurses).

The shift from pulmonary colonization to Pneumocystis pneumonia.

Pulmonary specimen pairs from five patients who presented with pulmonary colonization and later developed Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PcP) were retrospectively examined for P. jirovecii genotyping. A match of genotypes in pulmonary specimen pairs of three patients was observed, whereas a partial match and a mismatch were observed in the fourth and fifth patients, respectively.

Women and COPD: do we need more evidence?

The increasingly female face of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevalence among women has equalled that of men since 2008, due in part to increased tobacco use among women worldwide and exposure to biomass fuels. This finding is supported by a number of characteristics. There is evidence of susceptibility to smoking and other airborne contaminants, along with epidemiological and phenotypic manifestations.

Development of a clinical prediction score for congestive heart failure diagnosis in the emergency care setting: The Brest score.

Objective: To derive and validate a clinical prediction rule of acute congestive heart failure obtainable in the emergency care setting.

Design: Derivation of the score was performed on a retrospective 927 patients cohort admitted to our Emergency Department for dyspnea. The prediction model was externally validated on an independent 206-patient prospective cohort.

A prospective study of the 6 min walk test as a surrogate marker for haemodynamics in two independent cohorts of treatment-naïve systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Objectives: Despite the wide use of the 6 min walk distance (6MWD), no study has ever assessed its validity as a surrogate marker for haemodynamics and predictor of outcome in isolated pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc-PAH). We designed this work to address this issue.

Methods: Treatment-naïve patients with SSc-PAH were prospectively included from two sources: the French PAH Network (a prospective epidemiological cohort) (n=83) and randomised clinical trials submitted for drug approval (Food and Drug Administration) (n=332).

Comorbidities of COPD.

By 2020, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be the third cause of mortality. Extrapulmonary comorbidities influence the prognosis of patients with COPD. Tobacco smoking is a common risk factor for many comorbidities, including coronary heart disease, heart failure and lung cancer.

Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism: planar images generated from V/Q SPECT are not a reliable substitute for traditional planar V/Q scan.

Objectives: The use of summed planar images generated from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy has been proposed as a substitute for planar V/Q scans in order to use the revised PIOPED interpretation criteria when only SPECT acquisition is performed in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. The aim was to evaluate the accuracy of angular summed planar scans in comparison with true planar images.

Methods: Patients included in the 'SPECT study' assessing the diagnostic performance of V/Q SPECT were analysed.

Clinical relevance of classification according to weaning difficulty.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical relevance of the weaning from mechanical ventilation classification system derived from the 2005 international consensus conference, in patients who receive mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours, and evaluate its correlation with prognosis.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a 12-bed intensive care unit (ICU) in a teaching hospital. We included patients who required > 48 hours of mechanical ventilation and who passed a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT).

[Contraception, therapeutic abortion, and pulmonary arterial hypertension].

Despite therapeutic advances, maternal mortality is high in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH treatment may interfere with the proposed method of contraception. Moreover, some treatments (endothelin receptor antagonists, anti-vitamin K) are teratogenic.

Management of suspected venous thromboembolism: the impact of a multifaceted intervention.

Objective: To achieve a common strategy in the event of a suspected venous thromboembolism.

Design: A multifaceted intervention, combining an audit strategy and implementation of local guidelines: phase 1, the first step, consisted of a 6-month audit to identify dysfunction; during phase 2, intervention, local guidelines were formulated by a working group and then implemented; phase 3 consisted of a re-audit over a 6-month period following the intervention.

Setting: A tertiary hospital, France.

Impact of a nurses' protocol-directed weaning procedure on outcomes in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation for longer than 48 hours: a prospective cohort study with a matched historical control group.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine whether the use of a nurses' protocol-directed weaning procedure, based on the French intensive care society (SRLF) consensus recommendations, was associated with reductions in the duration of mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay in patients requiring more than 48 hours of mechanical ventilation.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted in a university hospital ICU from January 2002 through to February 2003. A total of 104 patients who had been ventilated for more than 48 hours and were weaned from mechanical ventilation using a nurses' protocol-directed procedure (cases) were compared with a 1:1 matched historical control group who underwent conventional physician-directed weaning (between 1999 and 2001).