Biomedical subjects

E Lepage

Publications and source records attributed to E Lepage.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

[Medical characteristics of patients in long-term care facilities and predictions on the weight of their management].

The objective of this study was to highlight the heterogeneous nature of the medical profiles of patients living in long term care units (LCU) and to present the morbidity factors associated with-the weight and burden of ensuring long term medical care and treatment. Typology analysis, performed on a group of 600 LCU patients, highlights two types of patients: one who is characterised by having few or no serious diseases, and the other (representing nearly one-third of the sample population) corresponding to patients with serious poly-pathologies and requiring a high level of medical attention and nursing care. Factors associated with a higher level of care are diseases such as those related to cardiac or respiratory deficiencies. This predictive model for the burden of care could be used to measure the suitability between the state of the patients and the their optimum structures for care.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

p53 gene mutations are associated with poor survival in low and low-intermediate risk diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

BACKGROUND: p53 alterations have been associated with a poor prognosis in aggressive B-cell lymphoma. We investigated the clinical relevance of p53 status in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), focusing on patients who belong to lower risk groups of the international prognostic index and were uniformly treated. We aimed to determine whether this biological marker could identify among such patients those with a pejorative outcome who could benefit from a distinct therapeutic approach. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 69 patients presenting with no, one (low-risk, n = 40) or two (low-intermediate risk, n = 29) risk factors treated with an anthracyclin-containing induction regimen. p53 exons 5-8 mutations were screened for using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and confirmed by direct sequencing. Immunohistochemical detection of p53 protein and of its downstream target p21 were also evaluated in 60 of 69 cases. RESULTS: p53 mutations were detected in 16 of 69 (23%) lymphoma samples. The presence of a p53 gene mutation affected survival (P = 0.01), with a 6-year survival rate estimated to be 44% in mutated patients, compared with 79% in non-mutated ones. Using a stepwise Cox model, p53 mutation constituted the only parameter affecting survival (relative risk = 2.7, P = 0.03). A p53+/p21- immunohistochemical pattern (n = 15), suggestive of a disrupted p53 function, strongly correlated with p53 gene status and was associated with a lower 6-year survival rate when compared with a p53(-) or p53+/p21+ phenotype (47% versus 74%, P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: p53 alterations constitute a pejorative biological indicator able to discriminate among clinically defined lower risk patients with DLBCL.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Quality of medical database to valorize the DRG model by ISA cost indicators].

BACKGROUND: The use of the French version of the DRG model is focused on cost allocation, based on the case-mix system and the use a weight called ISA (Synthetic Index of Activity) for each DRG. However, this administrative database is becoming more and more used by both researchers and health policy makers for health planning and benchmarking. In France, data abstraction and coding of medical records is done by physicians. The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of a database of the discharge summaries used for DRGs and to compare consequences of inappropriate coding on budget estimation and risk adjustment. METHODS: Samples of discharge summaries from six cardiology units were recoded by trained physicians in data abstracting and coding. Comparison between initial and recoded diagnoses (errors on main diagnosis or on comorbidities) used by the DRG system algorithm, and the original and final case-mix were performed. The before and after abstracted data were stratified and compared by principal diagnosis (myocardial infarction or congestive heart failure) and discharge status (dead or alive). MAIN RESULTS: Comorbidities were underreported by physicians of cardiology units compared to reabstracted data (mean number of secondary diagnoses per summary: 2.1 vs. 3.6, p<0.001), especially those which had a minimal impact on the DRG classification. In spite of a 15% rate of wrong DRGs, there was no significant difference in the total amount of ISA after data reviewing. Underreporting of comorbidities is more important for medical records of dead patients at discharge but, without significant effect on rate of change in DRG and amount of ISA. CONCLUSION: Discharge summaries used in the French DRGs system consistently underestimate the presence of comorbid conditions, which has direct implications for policy-makers comparing performance between hospital units. Both clinical practitioners and policy makers should be aware of this bias when assessing patient's quality of care or performing health planning through discharge summaries.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2001

Human immunodeficiency virus-related lymphoma: relation between clinical features and histologic subtypes.

PURPOSE: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occurs frequently in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We determined the association between the clinical and histologic features of HIV-related lymphoma. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 291 patients with noncerebral HIV-related lymphoma who had been treated in multicenter trials coordinated by the Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l'Adulte between 1988 and 1997. This study was performed mainly before the availability of combination antiretroviral therapy. RESULTS: The main histologic subtypes were centroblastic lymphoma in 131 patients (45%), immunoblastic lymphoma in 39 patients (13%), and Burkitt's lymphoma (including the classical form and the variant with plasmacytic differentiation) in 115 patients (40%). Burkitt's lymphoma was the most aggressive form, whereas immunoblastic lymphoma occurred in severely immunodeficient patients. Two-year survival after enrollment was 15% in immunoblastic lymphoma, 32% in Burkitt's lymphoma, and 31% in centroblastic lymphoma (P = 0.006), but multivariate analysis did not confirm the independent prognostic value of histologic subtype. Instead, five independent pretreatment factors increased the risk of mortality: age 40 years or older [relative risk (RR) = 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1 to 2.1; P = 0.005], elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase level (RR = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.1; P = 0.02), having a diagnosis of AIDS before lymphoma (RR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.6; P = 0.006), CD4(+) cell count less than 100 x 10(6)/L (RR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.6; P = 0.0004), and impaired performance status (RR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.7 to 3.4; P <0.0001). CONCLUSION: Several pretreatment characteristics of HIV-related lymphoma were linked to the histologic form, but HIV disease parameters other than those of lymphoma were the main determinants of outcome, so the histologic features of the lymphoma were not associated with prognosis.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Advanced Hodgkin disease with large mediastinal involvement can be treated with eight cycles of chemotherapy alone after a major response to six cycles of chemotherapy: a study of 82 patients from the Groupes d'Etudes des Lymphomes de l'Adulte H89 trial.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic impact of large mediastinal involvement (mediastinum/thorax [M/T] ratio > 0.33) in advanced Hodgkin disease (HD) and the optimal treatment with chemotherapy or combined treatment remains controversial. METHODS: Among 533 assessable patients with Ann Arbor Stage IIIB/IV HD included in the H89 trial, 82 had large mediastinal mass defined on chest X-ray. All patients received induction with six cycles of chemotherapy (mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone-doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine or doxorubicin, vinblastine, bleomycin, procarbazine, prednisone); then complete and good partial responders were randomized between two consolidation treatments: 2 cycles of the same chemotherapy or (sub)total lymph node irradiation. RESULTS: Among 82 patients with an M/T ratio greater than 0.33, 48 were very large (ratio > 0.45). A large mediastinal mass was associated with supradiaphragmatic disease, younger age, histologic nodular sclerosis, and different sex ratio compared with other H89 trial patients. Biologic parameters and prognostic factors were similar for both groups. Although the major response rate to induction chemotherapy (after 6 cycles) was lower for patients with large mediastinal mass (78% vs. 86%), the 5-year overall survival rate (80% vs. 79%) and event free survival rate (59% vs. 61%) were similar (P = 0.64 and 0.3, respectively). The outcome was the same for patients (74%) with a large mediastinal mass randomized to 1 of the 2 consolidation arms. Analysis of progression showed that 68% (21 of 31) of failures occurred early during treatment and involved the mediastinum in 86% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with large mediastinal mass and advanced HD who achieved a major response of at least 75% after 6 cycles of chemotherapy, a consolidation radiation therapy can be replaced by 2 additional cycles of chemotherapy.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Tandem autotransplant as first-line consolidative treatment in poor-risk aggressive lymphoma: a pilot study of 36 patients.

PURPOSE: In the previous LNH87-2 study, consolidative high-dose therapy followed by stem cell transplantation (HDT) improved disease-free survival, as well as survival for patients (pts) presenting with two or three factors of the age-adjusted international prognostic index (Aa-IPI) in first complete remission (CR). In order to improve further the outcome of such patients, we conducted a pilot study of consolidative tandem autotranplant. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-six patients (pts) under 60 years of age with two or three factors of the Aa-IPI were enrolled. Their main characteristics were: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (83%), Aa-IPI three factors (50%), and marrow involved (36)%. The procedure consisted of 1) induction with four cycles of ACVBP (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycin, prednisone) 2) in responding pts, peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection after the fourth cycle of ACVBP (11 pts) or after an additional mobilization regimen (Cyclophosphamide-VP16) (17 pts) 3) a first HDT (mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide, VP16 and carmustine) followed by PBSC infusion 4) a second HDT (busulfan, carboplatin and melphalan) followed by PBSC infusion. Among the 29 patients responding to induction, 28 received the first HDTand 24 the second. RESULTS: The rates of three-year-event free survival and survival are 47% (95% confidence interval (95% CI: 31%-63%) and 50% (95% CI: 37%-69%), respectively. Eighteen patients remained free of evolutive disease and 18 patients have died, 15 from disease progression and three from treatment-related toxicity after tandem transplant (two veno-occlusive disease and one cerebral toxoplasmosis). CONCLUSION: We conclude that tandem transplant did not improve the results of the LNH87-2 study in which patients received a single consolidative HDT.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Outcome is not improved by the use of alternating chemotherapy in elderly patients with aggressive lymphoma.

INTRODUCTION: A prospective randomised study involving 810 elderly patients was conducted in an attempt to compare alternating chemotherapy with conventional first-line chemotherapy in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in order to improve prognosis with an acceptable toxicity for elderly patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients included were 55-69 years old and had at least one adverse prognostic factor. Patients were treated either with ACVBP followed by consolidation (n = 396) or with an alternating regimen (n = 414). This regimen was an association of active drugs in NHL relapsing patients, alternating VIMMM with ACVBP for induction and alternation of VIM and ACVM in consolidation. Eight hundred and sixty-six patients were randomised. After histological review, 810 patients met the inclusion criteria: 396 in arm A, 414 in arm B. RESULTS: The complete response rate after induction was superior for conventional first-line therapy (58.5% vs 48%, P = 0.003) but at the end of treatment, the CR rate was not statistically different (52% vs 48%, P = 0.19). Conventional chemotherapy had a better five-year event-free survival than alternating regimen (33% (95% CI: 30-36%) vs 28% (95% CI: 26-30%), P = 0.0289) but overall survival was not statistically different (40% (CI 95% 38-42%) vs 36% (CI 95% 34-38%), P = 0.068). In this elderly high risk population, the toxicity was very high: 19% in arm A and 26% in arm B died during treatment. CONCLUSION: Alternating regimen did not improve outcome, was less efficient and more toxic.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Assessing the Cox model assumption as a statistical tool for classifying lymphomas.

INTRODUCTION: The Cox model is widely used in medical research for comparing survival. Lymphomas might exhibit important differences in long-term cure rate despite a similar survival. METHODS: Using log-rank test, we compared event-free survival (EFS), and the survival of 64 patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), 525 patients with follicular lymphoma, and 1136 patients with diffuse centroblastic lymphoma (CB). RESULTS: Although EFS and survival of MCL were significantly shorter than those of follicular lymphoma, checking the validity of the proportional hazards assumption shows that the distribution of rates of events and deaths over time did not differ in MCL and follicular lymphoma. In contrast, the ratios of hazards (events and deaths rates) did not remain constant over time in MCL and CB, because of a decrease in late events and deaths rates in the latter histological type. CONCLUSION: Checking the validity of the Cox model hypothesis might be a useful tool for assessing long-term cure rate in seldom lymphoma subtypes. Despite a short overall survival, MCL should not be considered to be an aggressive lymphoma, in which available chemotherapy may cure a subset of patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Mediastinal lymphoma: quantitative changes in gadolinium enhancement at MR imaging after treatment.

PURPOSE: To compare changes in gadolinium enhancement at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with outcome in mediastinal lymphoma after treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients with bulky mediastinal lymphoma (17 with Hodgkin disease, 14 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma) underwent serial MR imaging before and up to 50 months after treatment, with routine follow-up (including computed tomography). Signal intensity ratios between masses and muscle were calculated on T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and contrast material-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo MR images. The percentage enhancement and signal intensity ratios of mediastinal masses on T2-weighted MR images were calculated at diagnosis and during and after treatment. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients with persistent complete remission had a mean percentage enhancement of residual masses (4%; range, -26% to 40%) that was significantly lower than that of initial masses (78%; range, 41%-124%). Although the mean signal intensity ratio of residual masses on T2-weighted images was significantly lower than that of initial masses, an increase in this ratio was observed in four patients after treatment. In seven patients with relapse, the percentage enhancement value of the residual mass was as high as that of the initial mass. CONCLUSION: Gadolinium enhancement of lymphomatous masses of the mediastinum decreased markedly after treatment in patients in continuous complete remission but not in patients with relapse.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Noninvasive versus conventional mechanical ventilation. An epidemiologic survey.

A prospective survey was performed over a period of 3 wk among 42 intensive care units to assess the incidence of use and effectiveness of noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) in clinical practice. All patients requiring ventilatory support for acute respiratory failure (ARF), either with endotracheal intubation (ETI) or NIV, were included. Ventilatory support was required in 689 patients, 581 with ETI and 108 (16%) with NIV (35% of patients not intubated on admission). Reasons for mechanical ventilation were coma (30%), cardiogenic pulmonary edema (7%), and hypoxemic (48%) and hypercapnic ARF (15%). NIV was never used for patients in coma (who were excluded from further analysis), but was used in 14% of patients with hypoxemic ARF, in 27% of those with pulmonary edema, and in 50% of those with hypercapnic ARF. NIV was followed by ETI in 40% of cases. The incidence of both nosocomial pneumonia (10% versus 19%, p = 0.03), and mortality (22% versus 41%, p < 0.001) was lower in NIV patients than in those with ETI. After adjusting for differences at baseline, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II (odds ratio [OR] = 1.05 per point; confidence interval [CI]: 1.04 to 1.06), McCabe/Jackson score (OR = 2.18; CI: 1.57 to 3.03), and hypoxemic ARF (OR = 2.30; CI: 1.33 to 4.01) were identified as risk factors explaining mortality; success of NIV was associated with a lower risk of pneumonia (OR = 0.06; CI: 0.01 to 0.45) and of death (OR = 0.16; CI: 0.05 to 0.54). In NIV patients, SAPS II and a poor clinical tolerance predicted secondary ETI. Failure of NIV was associated with a longer length of stay. In conclusion, NIV can be successful in selected patients, and is associated with a lower risk of pneumonia and death than is ETI.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Treatment of acute hypoxemic nonhypercapnic respiratory insufficiency with continuous positive airway pressure delivered by a face mask: A randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is widely used in the belief that it may reduce the need for intubation and mechanical ventilation in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory insufficiency. OBJECTIVE: To compare the physiologic effects and the clinical efficacy of CPAP vs standard oxygen therapy in patients with acute hypoxemic, nonhypercapnic respiratory insufficiency. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Randomized, concealed, and unblinded trial of 123 consecutive adult patients who were admitted to 6 intensive care units between September 1997 and January 1999 with a PaO(2)/FIO(2) ratio of 300 mm Hg or less due to bilateral pulmonary edema (n = 102 with acute lung injury and n = 21 with cardiac disease). INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive oxygen therapy alone (n = 61) or oxygen therapy plus CPAP (n = 62). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Improvement in PaO(2)/FIO(2) ratio, rate of endotracheal intubation at any time during the study, adverse events, length of hospital stay, mortality, and duration of ventilatory assistance, compared between the CPAP and standard treatment groups. RESULTS: Among the CPAP vs standard therapy groups, respectively, causes of respiratory failure (pneumonia, 54% and 55%), presence of cardiac disease (33% and 35%), severity at admission, and hypoxemia (median [5th-95th percentile] PaO(2)/FIO(2) ratio, 140 [59-288] mm Hg vs 148 [62-283] mm Hg; P =.43) were similarly distributed. After 1 hour of treatment, subjective responses to treatment (P<.001) and median (5th-95th percentile) PaO(2)/FIO(2) ratios were greater with CPAP (203 [45-431] mm Hg vs 151 [73-482] mm Hg; P =.02). No further difference in respiratory indices was observed between the groups. Treatment with CPAP failed to reduce the endotracheal intubation rate (21 [34%] vs 24 [39%] in the standard therapy group; P =.53), hospital mortality (19 [31%] vs 18 [30%]; P =.89), or median (5th-95th percentile) intensive care unit length of stay (6.5 [1-57] days vs 6.0 [1-36] days; P =.43). A higher number of adverse events occurred with CPAP treatment (18 vs 6; P =.01). CONCLUSION: In this study, despite early physiologic improvement, CPAP neither reduced the need for intubation nor improved outcomes in patients with acute hypoxemic, nonhypercapnic respiratory insufficiency primarily due to acute lung injury. JAMA. 2000;284:2352-2360.

APACHE↗

PubMed2000

Diagnostic value of dominant T-cell clones in peripheral blood in 363 patients presenting consecutively with a clinical suspicion of cutaneous lymphoma.

It is now widely accepted that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of cutaneous T-cell clonality is of diagnostic value in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) and most helpful in the diagnosis of mycosis fungoides (MF). However, the diagnostic and prognostic value of circulating clonal T cells remains unclear. We studied T-cell clonality in the peripheral blood (PB) and the cutaneous lesion, sampled at the same time, in 363 consecutively seen patients with a clinical suspicion of cutaneous lymphoma. Using a PCR technique providing a specific imprint of T-cell clones (PCRgamma-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis), we found that detection of identical circulating and cutaneous T-cell clones was associated with the diagnosis of CTCL (P <.001). Detection of circulating tumor cells in patients with MF was infrequent (12.5%), except in those with erythrodermic MF (42%; P =.003). Moreover, among the 46 patients who had identical circulating and cutaneous T-cell clones, 25 (56%) had erythroderma. The finding of a dominant clone in the PB but not in the skin was frequent, regardless of the clinicohistologic classification; it occurred in 30% of patients with CTCL, 41% with non-CTCL malignant infiltrates, and 34% with benign infiltrates. This pattern was significantly more frequent in patients over 60 years of age (P <.002), even in the CTCL group (P <. 01). In conclusion, dominant T-cell clones detected in the PB of patients with MF by using a routine PCR technique are rarely tumoral and are more often related to age. A multicenter prospective study is under way to establish the prognostic value of circulating tumor cells.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Impaired antibody affinity maturation process characterizes a subset of patients with common variable immunodeficiency.

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is an heterogeneous syndrome characterized by decreased levels of serum Ig and recurrent bacterial infection. Here, we were interested to study whether a qualitative defect of the affinity Ab maturation process could be combined to the low level of serum Ig in a cohort of 38 CVID patients. For this, we designed a novel and rapid screening test for the detection of hypomutated V gene expressed by memory B cells. This test delineated a subset of 9/38 (23%) CVID patients with an abnormal pattern of Ig V gene mutation. The mean frequency of V gene mutation of this subset was significantly lower (1.74%) compared with other CVID patients (5.46%) and normal donors (6.5%) (p<0.0001). The mean age of this subgroup was significantly higher than other hypogammaglobulinemic patients with normal levels of V gene mutation (p<0.02), whereas no difference in the duration of symptoms was noted between the two groups. This suggests that hypomutation characterizes patients who began CVID late in life. Recently, it was shown that non-Ig sequences, such as the intronic BCL-6 gene, could be the target of the somatic hypermutation process in normal memory B cells. Our finding of a normal mutation frequency of the BCL-6 gene in two hypomutated CVID point to a defect of the Ig targeting of hypermutation machinery in these cases.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Prognostic significance of survivin expression in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis overexpressed in various human cancers but undetectable in normal differentiated tissues. A potential expression and prognostic significance of survivin was studied in 222 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (centroblastic, 96%; immunoblastic, 4%). All patients were enrolled between 1987 and 1993 (median follow-up, 7 years) in the LNH87 protocol of the Groupe d'Etudes des Lymphomes de l'Adulte (GELA) and treated either with the reference ACVBP arm (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycin, and prednisone)[AU3A] (n = 79) or other experimental anthracycline-containing regimens (n = 143). The characteristics of these patients were median age of 56 years; serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) greater than 1N, 60%; stage III-IV, 55%; performance status, according to the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scale, more than 1, 23%; extranodal sites more than 1, 29%; mass more than 10 cm, 44%; bone marrow involvement, 15%. Of the 222 patients studied, 134 (60%) revealed survivin expression in virtually all tumor cells by immunohistochemistry. The overall 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in patients with survivin expression than in those without (40% vs 54%, P =.02). Multivariate analysis incorporating prognostic factors from the International Prognostic Index (IPI) identified survivin expression as an independent predictive parameter on survival (P =.03, relative risk [RR] = 1.6) in addition to LDH (P =.02, RR = 1.6), stage (P =.03, RR = 1.7), and ECOG scale (P =.05, RR = 1.6). A second analysis incorporating IPI as a unique parameter demonstrated that survivin expression (P =.02, RR = 1.6) remained a prognostic factor for survival independently of IPI (P =.001, RR = 1.5). Survivin expression may be considered a new unfavorable prognostic factor of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. (Blood. 2000;96:1921-1925)

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Quality of life-adjusted survival analysis of high-dose therapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation versus sequential chemotherapy for patients with aggressive lymphoma in first complete remission. Groupe d'Etude les Lymphomes de l'Adulte (GELA).

Evaluating high-dose therapy (HDT) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in term of both duration and quality of life (QOL) presents major interests for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The quality-adjusted time without symptom and toxicity (Q-TWiST) methodology was applied to the LNH87-2 trial comparing HDT with ASCT versus sequential chemotherapy in 541 patients in first complete remission (CR). Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) curves were used to estimate duration of 4 health states: acute short-term toxicity (Tox1), secondary toxicity (Tox2), time without symptom and toxicity (TWiST), and relapse (Rel). Areas under survival curves (AUC) were retrospectively weighted according to QOL coefficients. HDT increased, but not significantly, TWiST (+2. 4 months in AUC, P =.17) and decreased Rel (-3 months, P <.01). Survival estimates did not differ between the 2 treatments (AUC 47.7 months for OS, 39.7 months for DFS). High-risk patients treated by HDT versus chemotherapy had a significant benefit in DFS (AUC 28.8 versus 24.9 months, P <.01) but not in OS (AUC 37.3 versus 36 months, P =.27). Sensitivity analysis, performed by varying QOL coefficients, demonstrated significant quality-adjusted survival gain in high-risk patients treated by HDT. In low-risk patients, a diagram provided an aid to clinical decision-making. This analysis supports the use of HDT in these patients with adverse prognostic factors in the first CR, even after adjusting for QOL using the Q-TWiST method. (Blood. 2000;95:3687-3692)

Adult↗

PubMed2000

A clinical decision support system for prevention of venous thromboembolism: effect on physician behavior.

CONTEXT: Computer-based clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) have been promoted for their potential to improve quality of health care. However, given the limited range of clinical settings in which they have been tested, such systems must be evaluated rigorously before widespread introduction into clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether presentation of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis guidelines using a CDSS increases the proportion of appropriate clinical practice decisions made. DESIGN: Time-series study conducted between December 1997 and July 1999. SETTING: Orthopedic surgery department of a teaching hospital in Paris, France. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1971 patients who underwent orthopedic surgery. INTERVENTION: A CDSS designed to provide immediate information pertaining to venous thromboembolism prevention among surgical patients was integrated into daily medical practice during three 10-week intervention periods, alternated with four 10-week control periods, with a 4-week washout between each period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Proportion of appropriate prescriptions ordered for anticoagulation, according to preestablished clinical guidelines, during intervention vs control periods. RESULTS: Physicians complied with guidelines in 82.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 77.6%-87.1%) of cases during control periods and in 94.9% (95% CI, 92.5%-96.6%) of cases during intervention periods. During each intervention period, the appropriateness of prescription increased significantly (P<.001). Each time the CDSS was removed, physician practice reverted to that observed before initiation of the intervention. The relative risk of inappropriate practice decisions during control periods vs intervention periods was 3.8 (95% CI, 2.7-5.4). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, implementation of clinical guidelines for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis through a CDSS used routinely in an orthopedic surgery department and integrated into the hospital information system changed physician behavior and improved compliance with guidelines. JAMA. 2000;283:2816-2821

Anticoagulants↗

PubMed2000

Comparison of chemotherapy to radiotherapy as consolidation of complete or good partial response after six cycles of chemotherapy for patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease: results of the groupe d'études des lymphomes de l'Adulte H89 trial.

The treatment of advanced Hodgkin's disease (HD) with chemotherapy (CTx) alone or combined modality treatments has been controversial. In 1989, we designed a randomized study to compare 2 cycles of CTx to (sub)total nodal irradiation (RTx) as consolidation treatments for patients with stage IIIB/IV HD in complete remission (CR) or good partial response after 6 cycles of CTx. A total of 559 patients were randomized to receive 6 cycles of MOPP/ABV (mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone/Adriamycin [doxorubicin], bleomycin, vinblastine) hybrid (n = 266) or ABVPP (n = 267). After induction treatment, 418 patients could be evaluated for the consolidation phase. With a median follow-up of 48 months, the 5-year disease-free survival estimates were 80% for 8 cycles of MOPP/ABV, 82% for 6 cycles of MOPP/ABV plus RTx, 68% for 8 cycles of ABVPP, and 75% for 6 cycles of ABVPP plus RTx (P =.01). The 5-year disease-free survival estimates did not differ between CTx and RTx, 74% and 79%, respectively (P =.07). After MOPP/ABV, the 5-year overall survival estimates did not differ between CTx and RTx, 85% and 88%, respectively (P =.2). After ABVPP, the 5-year survival estimates were 94% for CTx and 78% for RTx (P =.002). These results showed that RTx was not superior to CTx consolidation after doxorubicin-induced CR for patients with advanced HD. Because of the uncertainty of obtaining a prolonged second remission for patients relapsing after CTx and RTx and the possible long-term effects of RTx, we prefer 8 cycles of CTx as standard treatment when a CR has been achieved after 6 cycles.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Patients' preferences concerning medical information and surrogacy: results of a prospective study in a French emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: To study the wishes of a sample of French patients about medical information and surrogacy, at a time when the French Ministry of Health is supporting increased patient autonomy. DESIGN: A cohort of competent patients with non-critical illnesses or injuries completed an intention-to-act questionnaire on the amount of medical information they would want to receive should they be hospitalized or in a life-threatening situation. The percentage of patients who would want to have a surrogate if they were in a coma was determined, as well as the identity of the preferred surrogate. The subgroup of patients who were married or living with a partner was evaluated separately to determine how often the spouse/partner was the preferred surrogate. Associations were looked for between patients' wishes and age, sex, educational level, occupation, hierarchical order in the family, and level of confidence in medicine. SETTING: The emergency room of a teaching hospital in the Paris area (France). RESULTS: Of the 1089 patients included in the study, 5. 5 % reported that they would not want any information, 25.3 % that they would want to participate actively in all decisions about their care, and 87.3 % that they would want to be fully informed if they were in a life-threatening situation. Slightly less than one-third of the patients (29.6 %) believed they would not want a surrogate if they developed a coma. Among the patients living with a spouse/partner, 40.6 % (229/561) indicated they would want their spouse/partner to be their surrogate. A significant correlation was observed between wanting more information and wanting a surrogate. Younger patients with a higher educational level were significantly more likely to predict a desire for information and for a surrogate than the other patients. CONCLUSION: Our patients expressed a strong desire to receive extensive information should they become seriously ill, and two-thirds of them reported they would want a surrogate. However, only 40.6 % of the patients living with a spouse/partner would want their spouse/partner to be their surrogate. These data suggest that the time has probably come to propose a nation-wide public hearing on medical information and surrogacy in France.

Adult↗