Decision making concerning life-sustaining treatment in paediatric nephrology: professionals' experiences and values.

Background: In a previous article, we studied decisions to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment (LST) taken between 1995 and 2001 in 31 French-speaking paediatric nephrology centres. Files were available for 18 of the 31 centres. A grid was used to analyse the criteria on which decisions were based, and the results were enriched by an analysis of interviews with the doctors at these centres (31 interviews with doctors from the 18 centres).

[Study over 10 years of 622 protocols receiving unfavourable reports from 19 research ethics committees].

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the nature of applications and the criteria for their negative evaluation by 19 ethics committees for the protection of human subjects participating in biomedical research, the French CCPPRB.

Methodology: The committees distinguished between negative opinions that were given from the start of the applications or after amendments were made, and between lost protocols (no answer within more than 1 year) or protocols that were outside of the framework of the Huriet-Sérusclat law. The opinions were analysed by an independent observer over a period of 10 years.

[Domestic violence: what are the difficulties for practitioners? Analysis of interviews among 19 practitioners within a town-hospital care network aimed at a global approach of patients].

Objective: Using a qualitative approach of medical practice, the aim of this study was to specify the difficulties and pitfalls that practitioners are confronted with regarding persons suffering from domestic violence.

Methods: Nineteen practitioners agreed to participate in an assessment of their attitude towards the recognition and management of domestic violence. These practitioners were aware of the medico-social dimension of their practice.

[Evaluation of decision-making by CCPPRBs].

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse the way in which 19 committees for the protection of people participating in biomedical research (CCPPRBs) develop their opinions and to determine whether the legitimacy of the decisions taken is based on detailed discussion by the various members of the committee.

Methods: An independent evaluator visited 19 CCPPRBs and attended two sessions at each centre. He investigated the functioning of the CCPPRBs both theoretically and in practice during the sessions, using a standardised data collection grid.

Prenatal diagnosis of cerebral malformation with an uncertain prognosis: a study concerning couple's information and consequences on pregnancy.

Unlabelled: Fetal ultrasound (FU) is used during almost all pregnancies and makes a large contribution to the identification of fetal malformation. It is particularly difficult to announce a malformation, particularly those affecting the brain, because there are often doubts concerning both the diagnosis and the prognosis.

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze how imaging for prenatal screening is organized and how couples are managed and supported.

Decisions concerning potentially life-sustaining treatments in paediatric nephrology: a multicentre study in French-speaking countries.

Background: Few studies have looked at how decisions are made to withhold or to withdraw potentially life-sustaining treatments (LST) in paediatric nephrology. The aim of this work was to evaluate such practices in all nephrology centres in French-speaking European countries, so that guidelines could be discussed and drawn up by professionals.

Methods: We used semi-directed interviews to question health care professionals prospectively.