[Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess facial handicap in systemic sclerosis].

Background: Many studies have recorded significant impairment of health-related quality of life in systemic sclerosis patients using validated scales. However, these instruments are not specifically designed for facial signs.

Objectives: To develop and validate a specific questionnaire to assess the burden on patients with facial signs of systemic sclerosis and which we have named "Burden of Face Affected" (BoFA).

Selective testing strategies for diagnosing group A streptococcal infection in children with pharyngitis: a systematic review and prospective multicentre external validation study.

Background: Several clinical prediction rules for diagnosing group A streptococcal infection in children with pharyngitis are available. We aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of rules-based selective testing strategies in a prospective cohort of children with pharyngitis.

Methods: We identified clinical prediction rules through a systematic search of MEDLINE and Embase (1975-2014), which we then validated in a prospective cohort involving French children who presented with pharyngitis during a 1-year period (2010-2011).

[Use of group A streptococcal rapid diagnostic test in extra-pharyngeal infections].

The purpose of this study was to assess the performances of the group A streptococcus (GAS) rapid antigen diagnostic tests (RADTs) in extra-pharyngeal infections. Between October 2009 and June 2014, 368 patients (median age: 48 months) were enrolled. The pathologies involved were : 160 perineal infections (44 %), 69 blistering distal dactylitis (19 %), 55 cervical lymphadenitis (15 %), 31 crusty or bleeding rhinitis (8 %), and 53 other diseases (14 %).

Effect of clinical spectrum, inoculum size and physician characteristics on sensitivity of a rapid antigen detection test for group A streptococcal pharyngitis.

We aimed to assess the independent effect of clinical spectrum, bacterial inoculum size and physician characteristics on the sensitivity of a rapid antigen detection test (RADT) for group A streptococcus (GAS) in children. Double throat swabs were collected from 1,482 children with pharyngitis and 294 asymptomatic children in a French prospective, office-based, multicenter (n = 17) study, from October 2009 to May 2011. Patient- and physician-level factors potentially affecting RADT sensitivity were studied by univariate and multivariate multilevel analysis, with laboratory throat culture as the reference test.

Community faecal carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in French children.

Background: The increasing incidence of community acquired infection due to Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) -Producing Enterobacteriaceae represent a great concern because there are few therapeutic alternatives. The fecal flora of children in the community can represent a reservoir for ESBLs genes which are located on highly transmissible plasmids and the spread of these genes among bacterial pathogens is concerning. Because intestinal carriage is a key factor in the epidemiology of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, the study of the prevalence of these resistant bacteria and risk factors in young children is of particular interest.