La Revue de médecine interne
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Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) leading to hospital admission was estimated to 3.6 to 21.7%. Despite its importance in terms of patients care, readmission to hospital due to ADRs remains poorly documented. The aim of our study was to investigate the rate and main characteristics of readmission for ADRs. ⋯ Our data show hospital readmission was due to ADRs in 3.6% of cases. In 1.1% of cases, the same couple "drug-ADR" was involved. Furthermore, in 56% of cases, repeated admissions are related to an inappropriate drug prescription.
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The capillary leak syndrome (CLS) is a rare condition characterized by the onset of hypotension, edema, hemoconcentration and hypoalbuminemia. CLS can be idiopathic (Clarkson's disease) or secondary to various conditions and treatments. Here, we review the clinical and biological features, pathophysiology, causes and treatment of this rare condition. ⋯ Clarification of the pathophysiological mechanisms of CLS is essential to improve the prognosis of this rare disease with more targeted treatments.
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French health insurance databases are organized since 2003 into a huge digital data warehouse, the Système national d'information inter-régime de l'assurance maladie (SNIIR-AM). It covers the entire French population (65 million inhabitants). In order to facilitate studies on more frequent conditions, a random sample of 1/97th of national health system beneficiaries has been built since 2005, called the échantillon généraliste des bénéficiaires (EGB). ⋯ All these data are prospectively recorded, individualized, made anonymous and linkable. Consequently, the SNIIR-AM is a very useful data source for epidemiological, pharmacoepidemiological and health economics studies, particularly for rare diseases. The EGB is appropriate for long-term research on more frequent diseases.
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Tetanus is a serious disease, which could be potentially lethal. All cases are observed in patients inadequately immunized. The immunochromatographic tests (including Tetanos quick Stick(®) [TQS]) have demonstrated their efficiency in emergency setting. The aim of our study was to assess the usefulness of these tests in elderly outpatients seen in ambulatory settings. ⋯ Elderly patients accumulate several risk factors regardless of age and lifestyle. While physicians are familiar with the vaccine recommendations, they are often faced with the difficulty of assessing patient's status based only on the patient's interview, which is frequently not reliable. The implementation of immunochromatographic tests in general practice could help physicians in the management of patients at risk for tetanus.