PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Bellanger

Publications and source records attributed to A Bellanger.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Adjunctive analgesia with intravenous propacetamol does not reduce morphine-related adverse effects.

BACKGROUND: Propacetamol is widely used in the management of postoperative pain. It decreases morphine requirements but its effect on the incidence of morphine-related adverse effects remains unknown. METHODS: Patients (550) were randomly assigned to receive propacetamol or a placebo over the first 24 h after operation in a blinded study. Intravenous morphine titration was performed, after which morphine was administered s.c. every 4 h according to their pain score. Pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The primary end-point was the incidence of morphine-related adverse effects. The main secondary end-points were morphine requirements and VAS score. RESULTS: After morphine titration, the VAS score and the number of patients with pain relief did not differ between groups. Morphine requirements were decreased in the propacetamol group (21 vs 14.5 mg, P<0.001) but the incidence of morphine-related adverse effects did not differ between groups (42 vs 46%, not significant). In patients with moderate pain (n=395), morphine requirements decreased by 37% (P<0.001) and the percentage of patients requiring no morphine was greater (21 vs 8%, P=0.002) in the propacetamol group. In patients with severe pain (n=155), morphine requirements decreased by 18% (P=0.04) in the propacetamol group and the number of patients who did not require morphine (3 vs 8%) did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Although propacetamol induced a small morphine-sparing effect, it did not change the incidence of morphine-related adverse effects in the postoperative period. Moreover, no benefit could be demonstrated in patients with severe postoperative pain.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMed2001

The relationship between introduction of American society of clinical oncology guidelines and the use of colony-stimulating factors in clinical practice in a Paris university hospital.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines are issued periodically by professional medical societies or committees to assist practitioners in clinical decision making. However, it is unclear whether such guidelines have any lasting impact on clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines regarding use of hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors (CSF) on cancer care in a university hospital in Paris. METHODS: The study was performed at Hĵpital Tenon, an 830-bed university hospital in Paris, in 1996 and 1997, both before and after the ASCO guidelines were implemented. The guidelines were first disseminated as a continuing medical education program and then actively implemented using a CSF prescription order form summarizing the guidelines. This form had to be used during the patient consultation and was sent to the Hĵpital Tenon pharmacy for CSF dispensation. Even if CSF use did not comply with the ASCO guidelines, the pharmacy filled the prescription. Seven other university hospitals in Paris, where the ASCO guidelines were not actively implemented, comprised the control group. The main outcome measure was the proportion of prescriptions in compliance with the 1996 update of the ASCO guidelines. Secondary outcome measures were the proportions of prescriptions in compliance with ASCO guidelines regarding primary prophylactic, secondary prophylactic, and therapeutic CSF administration. RESULTS: Before implementation of the ASCO guidelines, CSF use in compliance with the guidelines was 39% (41/105) at the study site and 31% (16/51) at the control sites (P > 0.05). Six months after dissemination and implementation of the guidelines, the proportion of CSF prescriptions complying with ASCO guidelines increased significantly versus baseline (P = 0.003) in the study group, to 61% (50/82). However, even after the guidelines were implemented, compliance with guidelines on primary prophylactic CSF administration did not change significantly versus before implementation in the study group (12% [5/41] before implementation vs 6% [2/33] after implementation; P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest an association between the active implementation strategy (continuing medical education and CSF prescription reminder form) and physician compliance with the ASCO guidelines. Implementation of the ASCO guidelines appears to have had some impact on medical practice.

Colony-Stimulating Factors↗
PubMed2001

[Optimization of aerosol therapy in otorhinolaryngology: stability and granulometry of dexamethasone-gomenol-framycetin solution].

Nebulization of solutions associating gomenol, dexamethasone and framycetin is very widespread in otorhinolaryngology (particularly for the treatment of actue laryngitis and post-traumatic laryngitis and rhinitis and for the tracheotomy care). A rigorous clinical evaluation is however lacking. The aim of this work was to evaluate use of such solutions in comparison with the recommendations issuing from the National Session in April 1997 on good practices for aerosol therapeutics. Stability and granulometry were studied in order to optimize processing. A new formulation and new technical methods of administration are proposed in relation to the results of this study and the national recommendations.

Aerosols↗
PubMed2000

Low molecular weight heparin after mechanical heart valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Patients with mechanical heart valves require life-long anticoagulation. We report here the first large and comparative series of consecutive patients anticoagulated with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) after mechanical heart valve replacement. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this comparative, nonrandomized study, 208 consecutive patients who underwent a single or double heart valve replacement with mechanical prostheses were anticoagulated subcutaneously with unfractionated heparin (UH) in the first period (n=106) and LMWH in the second phase (n=102) of the study. Baseline characteristics were similar in the 2 groups. The mean durations of UH and LMWH treatments were 13.6+/-0.5 and 14.1+/-0.6 days, respectively (not significant). On the second day of treatment, 87% of patients treated with LMWH had an anti-Xa activity within the range of efficacy (0.5 to 1 IU/mL), but only 9% of UH-treated patients had an activated partial-thromboplastin time value within the therapeutic range (1.5 to 2.5 times control, P<0.0001 between the 2 groups). On the last day of prescription, all LMWH-treated patients had anti-Xa activity above 0.5 IU/mL, but 19% were above 1 IU/mL. In the UH group, 27% of patients had an activated partial-thromboplastin time above 1.5 times control, but 62% were overanticoagulated. Two major bleedings occurred in each group, and one stroke occurred in the UH group. CONCLUSIONS: In this first comparative study, anticoagulation with LMWHs after mechanical heart valve replacement appears feasible, provides adequate biological anticoagulation, and compares favorably with UH anticoagulation. Randomized studies are now needed to further evaluate this new therapeutic approach.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed2000

[Prevention of venous thromboembolism in a non-surgical medical ward. Proposed indications for low molecular weight heparin].

OBJECTIVE: The efficiency of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) has not been established in non surgical patients, so their official preventive use has been limited in France since 1995 to surgery. However, a survey conducted in 5 university hospitals in non surgical patients showed that 21-29% of patients still received a LMWH prescription. It seemed necessary to define the medical conditions for which the practical use of these heparins would be justified. We contacted external experts to obtain a consensus by using the Delphi method. METHODS: The Delphi method, created by the "Rand Corporation" in the USA and used in medicine since the nineteen seventies, is based on a light logistic, with questionnaires been sent by mail with a feed-back report A total of 48 experts were chosen by local staff teams in the 5 hospitals. For the 3 rounds, from March to October 1998, questions were devised by a multicentred staff team. RESULTS: Among the 48 experts contacted, 32 completed the 3 questionnaires, 7 of them did for 2, and 43 did for at least one questionnaire. The experts first defined a list of 12 risk or high risk situations and 11 aggravating factors. For any high risk situation, prescription is justified. For other cases, 2 risk situations are required, or one risk situation with at least 2 aggravating factors, to justify a prescription. If no risk situation is present, prescription is, according to experts, usually not justified. CONCLUSION: The maximal agreement defines the situations in which one use of low molecular weight heparins is proposed to prevent deep venous thrombosis in non surgical inpatients, in most current hospital situations and for more than 24 hours of hospitalization. Clinical trials are needed, to validate their effectiveness and define the optimal dose in these indications. To date, epidemiological studies should be conducted to evaluate the experts proposals by estimating risk factors for deep venous thrombosis.

Double-Blind Method↗
PubMed2000

Cost-effectiveness of second-line treatment with irinotecan or infusional 5-fluorouracil in metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that irinotecan is superior to infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in patients with advanced colorectal cancer after 5-FU failure. In a recent trial, median survival was 10.8 months for patients treated with irinotecan, compared to 8.5 months in patients receiving infusional 5-FU. Considering the statistically significant but clinically relatively small advantage of irinotecan over 5-FU, cost effectiveness should also be part of treatment decision. PURPOSE: To relate the costs of each management approach to overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The healthcare costs and medical benefits (treatment-added survival) of second-line chemotherapy in patients (infusional 5-FU: 129, irinotecan: 127) were compared. Data on overall survival were drawn from a multicenter randomised trial that compared infusional 5-FU (continuous infusion, AIO, or LV5-FU2 regimens) to irinotecan alone. Costs were derived from the accounting system in two university hospitals in Paris, France. RESULTS: The range in total healthcare costs was 14,135 to 12,192 US$ patient between management approaches, with irinotecan chemotherapy costing most and 5-FU-continuous infusion least. If survival was included as a treatment benefit, the cost-effectiveness ratio of irinotecan over 5-FU ranged from 9,344 to 10,137 US$ per year of added survival. CONCLUSIONS: The least expensive management for metastatic colorectal was 5-FU infusion but the additional cost of irinotecan was balanced by the added months of survival, with a cost-effectiveness ratio close to that of other cancer treatments.

Adenocarcinoma↗