Mid-regional proatrial natriuretic peptide for predicting prognosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Objectives: N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) predicts mortality and the development of heart failure in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Mid-regional proatrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) is a stable by-product of production of atrial natriuretic peptide. We sought to compare the prognostic value of MR-proANP and NT-proBNP in HCM.

Arthritis prevention in the pre-clinical phase of RA with abatacept (the APIPPRA study): a multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled clinical trial protocol.

Trial Design: We present a study protocol for a multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial that seeks to test the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of a 52-week period of treatment with the first-in-class co-stimulatory blocker abatacept for preventing or delaying the onset of inflammatory arthritis.

Methods: The study aimed to recruit 206 male or female subjects from the secondary care hospital setting across the UK and the Netherlands. Participants who were at least 18 years old, who reported inflammatory sounding joint pain (clinically suspicious arthralgia) and who were found to be positive for serum autoantibodies associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were eligible for enrolment.

Efficacy of colistin alone and in various combinations for the treatment of experimental osteomyelitis due to carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Objectives: In a new experimental model of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae osteomyelitis we evaluated the efficacy of colistin alone and in various combinations and examined the emergence of colistin-resistant strains and cross-resistance to host defence peptides (HDPs).

Methods: KPC-99YC is a clinical strain with intermediate susceptibility to meropenem (MIC = 4 mg/L) and full susceptibility to gentamicin, colistin and tigecycline (MICs = 1 mg/L) and fosfomycin (MIC = 32 mg/L). Time-kill curves were performed at 4× MIC.

Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Systematic Literature Review by the Lupus Task Force of the OMERACT Ultrasound Working Group.

Objective: To identify and synthesize the best available evidence on the application of musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound (US) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to present the measurement properties of US in different elementary lesions and pathologies.

Methods: A systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was performed. Original articles were included that were published in English between August 1, 2014, and December 31, 2018, reporting US, Doppler, synovitis, joint effusion, bone erosion, tenosynovitis, and enthesitis in patients with SLE.

Risks of 23 specific malformations associated with prenatal exposure to 10 antiepileptic drugs.

Objective: To assess the association between exposure to monotherapy with 10 different antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) during the first 2 months of pregnancy and the risk of 23 major congenital malformations (MCMs).

Methods: This nationwide cohort study, based on the French health care databases, included all pregnancies ≥20 weeks and ending between January 2011 and March 2015. Women were considered to be exposed when an AED had been dispensed between 1 month before and 2 months after the beginning of pregnancy.

Detection of complicated ectopic pregnancies in the hospital discharge database: A validation study.

Objective: Complicated ectopic pregnancies with severe bleeding (CEPSB) are life-threatening situations and should be considered maternal near-miss cases. Previous studies have found an association between severe maternal morbidity secondary to CEPSB and substandard care. Almost all women with CEPSB are hospitalized, generating administrative and medical records.

Close proximity interactions support transmission of ESBL-K. pneumoniae but not ESBL-E. coli in healthcare settings.

Antibiotic-resistance of hospital-acquired infections is a major public health issue. The worldwide emergence and diffusion of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, including Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-KP), is of particular concern. Preventing their nosocomial spread requires understanding their transmission.

Risk factors for respiratory tract bacterial colonization in adults with neuromuscular or neurological disorders and chronic tracheostomy.

The aim of this study was to describe the endotracheal respiratory flora in a population of adults suffering from neuromuscular or neurological disorders requiring a long-term tracheostomy and to identify risk factors for colonization. We conducted a prospective and single-center observational study among patients with chronic tracheostomy admitted for planned respiratory assessment between February 2015 and December 2016. Data were collected from patient interview and medical charts with a standardized questionnaire.

Safety and Efficacy of Intracavernosal Injections of AbobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport) as Add on Therapy to Phosphosdiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors or Prostaglandin E1 for Erectile Dysfunction-Case Studies.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a highly prevalent condition with a variety of possible risk factors and/or etiologies. Despite significant advances regarding ED pharmacological management, there are still insufficient responders to existing pharmacological treatments e.g.

Preoperative predictors and a prediction score for perception of improvement after mesh prolapse surgery.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery using a mesh has a complication rate of 26%, and an estimated 10% of those operated on do not consider it brings improvement. The objective of this study was to identify preoperative predictors of improvement after POP repair with mesh to develop a predictive score.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the randomized multicenter trial PROSPERE, which compared morbidity after prolapse repair with mesh according to the vaginal or laparoscopic approach.

Video clip assessment of a salivary gland ultrasound scoring system in Sjögren's syndrome using consensual definitions: an OMERACT ultrasound working group reliability exercise.

Objective: To develop ultrasound (US) definitions and a US novel scoring system for major salivary gland (SG) lesions in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and to test their intrareader and inter-reader reliability using US video clips.

Methods: Twenty-five rheumatologists were subjected to a three-round, web-based Delphi process in order to agree on (1) definitions and scanning procedure of salivary gland ultrasonography (SGUS): parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands (PG, SMG and SLG); (2) definitions for the elementary SGUS lesions in patients with Sjögren's syndrome; (3) scoring system for grading changes. The experts rated the statements on a 1-5 Likert scale.

Validation of the Sexual Activity Questionnaire in women with endometriosis.

Study Question: Is the Sexual Activity Questionnaire (SAQ) a valid tool for patients treated for symptomatic endometriosis?

Summary Answer: For women having surgical treatment for endometriosis, we determined that the SAQ is a valid and responsive tool.

What Is Known Already: Endometriosis adversely affects sexual quality of life. Suitable validated sexual quality of life instruments for endometriosis are lacking both in clinical practice and for research.

ENDORECT: a preoperative score to accurately predict rectosigmoid involvement in patients with endometriosis.

Study Question: Could we construct and validate a preoperative score to predict rectosigmoid involvement in endometriosis (RE)?

Summary Answer: We developed a simple preoperative score (ENDORECT) to predict RE.

What Is Known Already: Accurate preoperative classification is important to optimize the surgical approach for patients with endometriosis but there is currently no reliable first-line examination to determine RE.

Study Design Size Duration: This was a single-centre observational study including all women ( = 119) who underwent complete surgery for endometriosis between January 2011 and June 2016 in the Gynaecological Department of the University Hospital of Poissy Saint-Germain en Laye.

Predictors and burden of hospital readmission with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection: a French nation-wide inception cohort study.

To investigate the predictors and burden of hospital readmission with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI) in a large European healthcare system with a low prevalence of hyper-virulent C. difficile clones. We conducted an inception cohort study based on an exhaustive health insurance database and including all survivors of a first hospital stay with CDI over a one-year period (2015) in France.

Cholangiocarcinoma: the quest for a second-line systemic treatment.

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are a heterogeneous group of epithelial neoplasms, with a poor prognosis. Advanced BTC remains a challenging, non-curable disease. Gemcitabine plus platinum chemotherapy is the standard of care as first-line (L1) therapy in this setting.

Limited Sensitivity of Circulating Tumor DNA Detection by Droplet Digital PCR in Non-Metastatic Operable Gastric Cancer Patients.

This study was designed to monitor circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels during perioperative chemotherapy in patients with non-metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma. Plasma samples were prospectively collected in patients undergoing perioperative chemotherapy for non-metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma (excluding T1N0) prior to the initiation of perioperative chemotherapy, before and after surgery (NCT02220556). In each patient, mutations retrieved by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) on tumor samples were then tracked in circulating cell-free DNA from 4 mL of plasma by droplet digital PCR.

Medium-term outcomes of laparoscopic sacropexy on symptoms and quality of life. Predictive factors for postoperative dissatisfaction.

Introduction And Hypothesis: We aimed to evaluate the medium-term results of laparoscopic sacropexy (LSP) with validated self-administered questionnaires of symptoms and quality of life and to identify pre-, intra-, and postoperative predictors of postoperative dissatisfaction.

Methods: The study included 152 women who had LSP for stage 2 or higher pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The study population comprised women who had completed the preoperative symptom questionnaire (including the PFDI-20 and ICIQ-SF).

Pancreatic cancer: Best supportive care.

Palliative and supportive care holds a major place in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) management. It aims to prevent and reduce symptoms and hospital admissions, while ensuring optimal health-related quality of life (HRQoL), which has been reported to be correlated with overall survival in PDAC. Best supportive care includes non-specific treatment of pain, anxiety and depression, chemotherapy-related toxicities, as well as thromboembolic disease treatment and prevention in high-risk patients.

Mentally tiring work and type 2 diabetes in women: a 22-year follow-up study.

Hypothesis Previous work suggested no or inconsistent associations between components of work-related stress and type 2 diabetes risk, but suggested sex-specific differences should be further investigated, as women potentially had higher risks. Methods We analyzed data from 73 517 women, mostly teachers, from the E3N cohort study followed for 22 years (1992-2014), to study the association between mentally tiring work, used as a proxy of job demands, and type 2 diabetes risk. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals.