Identification of Patient Profiles with High Risk of Hospital Re-Admissions for Acute COPD Exacerbations (AECOPD) in France Using a Machine Learning Model.

Purpose: To characterise patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are rehospitalised for an acute exacerbation, to estimate the cost of these hospitalisations, to characterise high risk patient sub groups and to identify factors potentially associated with the risk of rehospitalisation.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective study using the French National Hospital Discharge Database. All patients aged ≥40 years hospitalised for an acute exacerbation of COPD between 2015 and 2016 were identified and followed for six months.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy and tolerability of pramipexole versus ropinirole in the treatment of restless legs syndrome.

Objective: In the absence of comparative trials a meta-analysis was performed to compare the efficacy and tolerability of the non-ergot derived dopamine agonists, pramipexole and ropinirole, in restless legs syndrome (RLS).

Methods: Frequentist fixed and random-effects models were pre-specified for the direct comparisons and a Bayesian approach for the indirect comparison. Efficacy outcomes included the mean change from baseline in the International RLS Study Group Rating Scale (IRLS) score and the percentage of responders on the clinical global impressions - improvement scale (CGI-I).

Prospective randomized study comparing the medicoeconomic benefits of Hylan GF-20 vs. conventional treatment in knee osteoarthritis.

Objectives: In a previous study, we determined the costs over 6 months to the French public health insurance system of Hylan GF-20 (Synvisc) in 66 patients with knee osteoarthritis. Here, we compared the medicoeconomic benefits over 9 months in 506 patients given Hylan GF-20 or conventional treatment for knee osteoarthritis.

Patients And Methods: This prospective randomized study was conducted from October 1998 to February 2000.

Oral meloxicam is effective in acute sciatica: two randomised, double-blind trials versus placebo or diclofenac.

Objective: Two randomised, double-blind, double-dummy trials evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of meloxicam compared with placebo or diclofenac in patients with acute sciatica.

Subjects: 1021 patients with acute sciatica.

Treatment And Methods: In the first study, 532 patients received meloxicam 7.

Taurine analog modulation of taurine uptake by two different mechanisms in cultured glial cells.

Previous data have shown that HEPES, a taurine structural analog, inhibits the uptake of taurine by cultured cells differently, depending on its addition either to the culture medium or to the Krebs-Ringer buffer used for cell incubation during taurine uptake measurements (Lleu and Rebel, J Neurosci Res 23: 78-86, 1989). An extensive study of the effect of numerous other taurine structural analogs on taurine uptake by cultured glial cells was carried out. Our results show that taurine uptake modulation by structural analogs follows two different mechanisms.