Patient versus general practitioner perception of problems with treatment adherence in type 2 diabetes: from adherence to concordance.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of problems with treatment adherence among type-2 diabetic patients with regards to medication, dietary advice, and physical activity; to identify the associated clinical and psychosocial factors; and to investigate the degree of agreement between patient-perceived and GP-perceived adherence. METHODS: Consecutive patients were solicited during visits to 39 GPs. In total, 521 patients self-reported on treatment adherence, anxiety and depression, and disease perception. The GPs reported clinical and laboratory data and patients' adherence. A multivariate analysis identified the factors associated with adherence problems. RESULTS: Problems of adherence to medication, dietary advice, and physical activity recommendations were reported by 17%, 62%, and 47% of the patients, respectively. Six independent factors were found associated with adherence problems: young age, body-mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m(2), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) > 8%, single life, depression, and perception of medication as a constraint. Agreement between patients' and GPs' assessments of treatment problems reached 70%. CONCLUSION: In type 2 diabetes, problems with dietary advice or physical activity are far more frequent than problems with medication, and not all physicians are fully aware of patients' problems. More active listening and shared decision-making should enhance adherence and improve outcomes.

Evaluation éthique en psychologie : une utilisation respectueuse des différents instruments psychométriques

Trois psychologues de l'Université de Lausanne, Sophie Perdrix, Linda Charvoz et Jérôme Rossier, abordent dans leur article la relation complexe que le psychologue entretient avec les évaluations psychologiques. Ils plaident en faveur d'une utilisation respectueuse des différences individuelles des instruments d'évaluation et mettent en garde contre leurs aspects réductionnistes.

Bacterial contamination of platelet concentrates: pathogen detection and inactivation methods

Whereas the reduction of transfusion related viral transmission has been a priority during the last decade, bacterial infection transmitted by transfusion still remains associated to a high morbidity and mortality, and constitutes the most frequent infectious risk of transfusion. This problem especially concerns platelet concentrates because of their favorable bacterial growth conditions. This review gives an overview of platelet transfusion-related bacterial contamination as well as on the different strategies to reduce this problem by using either bacterial detection or inactivation methods.

Facteurs influençant le retour au travail après transplantation chez 61 patients rénaux ou hépatiques

Le taux de retour au travail après greffe est généralement bas. Or, on sait que le retour au travail après greffe améliore la qualité de vie des transplantés. Le but de notre étude était donc de comprendre les raisons possibles à ce faible taux en montrant les facteurs professionnels, individuels ou médicaux pouvant l'influencer. Parmi les 61 greffés rénaux ou hépatiques suivis au centre de transplantation d'organe (CTO) du CHUV, 39% ont repris le travail après greffe. Trois facteurs étaient significatifs de retour au travail après greffe, à savoir «travail avant greffe», «diplôme» et «âge < 45 ans». Ainsi, il est utile pour la pratique médicale de connaître les facteurs potentiels influençant le retour au travail car cela permet d'évaluer, au stade prégreffe, les chances de retour au travail et si besoin de proposer des mesures spécifiques le favorisant.

Occupational asthma in workers exposed to Mesalazine powder inhalation

Background: Due to complains of respiratory symptoms of some employees a pharmaceutical company asked in 2008 the occupational medical department of the Institute for Work and Health in Lausanne to evaluate the health status of their workers exposed to Mesalazine powder, which is the active agent of a drug used for the treatment of bowels inflammation. Therefore we examined the 21 workers exposed to Mesalazine powder. Method: After a visit of the pharmaceutical company in order to investigate the Mesalazine powder production, we performed an individual medical evaluation of the 21 workers. Our medical protocol was based on the safety data sheet of Mesalazine, the data found in the scientific literature and the «Compendium Suisse des Médicaments» and covered upper and lower respiratory tract as well as skin and eyes. Results: Sixty two percent (62%) of the exposed employees had symptoms of skin, eyes and throat irritation. Three employees reported respiratory symptoms such as dyspnoea, cough and expiratory wheezing, which appeared during the working hours. The Peak Flow series performed at the workplace was lowered in the three employees with lower respiratory tract symptoms. None of the three had consulted a physician, even though the symptoms had been present since some months. The pneumological evaluation confirmed for all three cases the asthma diagnoses. Conclusion: It is known that patients who are treated with drugs including Mesalazine can develop adverse health effect such as asthma. However occupational asthma in workers exposed to Mesalazine powder inhalation is until now not described in the literature. Immunologic investigations in order to know if the occupational asthma caused by Mesalazine is of allergic or mechanical irritation nature are still ongoing. Concerning the three workers with asthma, inability to work with Mesalazine was pronounced. Furthermore, the SUVA recognized the three patients with asthma as occupational respiratory diseases. Following our results and recommendations, the company undertook some measures to reduce the exposure to Mesalazine. A new health evaluation of the employees in the Mesalazine production is hence planned in 2009. As each year new causes of occupational asthma are described, the possible work relation of new asthma onset has to be carefully investigated as the consequences for the patient e.g. removal from exposure and for the exposed co-workers are of substantial importance.

Effects of polymer-coated multi-wall carbon nanotubes on mouse RAW 264.7 macrophages

Surface characteristics (area, chemical reactivity) play an important role in cell response to nanomaterials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative and inflammatory effects of multi−wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) uncoated (P0) or coated with carboxylic polyacid or polystyrene polybutadiene polymetacrylate of methyl polymers (P1 and P2 respectively) on murine macrophages (RAW 264.7 cell line). Carbon black nanoparticles (CB, diameter 95 nm) and crocidolite fibers (diameter: 80 nm, length: < 10 μm) were used as controls. Surface functional groups present on MWCNTs were analyzed by Knudsen flow reactor. The amount of acidic sites was P1> P0> P2, for basic sites was P0> P1>> P2 and for oxidizable sites was P0> P2> P1. In contact with cells, P2 formed smaller aggregates than P0 and P1, which were of similar size. Optical microscopy showed the formation of vacuoles after exposure only to P0, P1 and crocidolite. Incubation of cells with P0, P1 and crocidolite fibers induced a significant and similar decrease in metabolic activity, whereas P2 and CB had no effect. Cell number and membrane permeability were unmodified by incubation with the different particles. Incubation of macrophages with P0, P1 and crocidolite induced a dose− and time−dependent increase in mRNA expression of oxidative stress marker (HO−1, GPX1) and inflammatory mediators (TNF−a, MIP−2). No such responses were observed with P2 and CB. In conclusion, MWCNT coated with a carboxylic polyacid polymer exerted similar oxidative and inflammatory effects to uncoated MWCNT. By contrast, no such effects were observed with MWCNT coated with a polystyrene−based polymer. This kind of coating could be useful to decrease MWCNT toxicity.

Assessment of bioaerosols and inhalable dust exposure in Swiss sawmills

An assessment of wood workers' exposure to airborne cultivable bacteria, fungi, inhalable endotoxins and inhalable organic dust was performed at 12 sawmills that process mainly coniferous wood species. In each plant, samples were collected at four or five different work sites (debarking, sawing, sorting, planing and sawing cockpit) and the efficiency of sampling devices (impinger or filter) for determining endotoxins levels was evaluated. Results show that fungi are present in very high concentrations (up to 35 000 CFU m(-3)) in all sawmills. We also find that there are more bioaerosols at the sorting work site (mean +/- SD: 7723 +/- 9919 CFU m(-3) for total bacteria, 614 +/- 902 CFU m(-3) for Gram-negative, 19 438 +/- 14 246 CFU m(-3) for fungi, 7.0 +/- 9.0 EU m(-3) for endotoxin and 2.9 +/- 4.8 g m(-3) for dust) than at the sawing station (mean +/- SD: 1938 +/- 2478 CFU m(-3) for total bacteria, 141 +/- 206 CFU m(-3) for Gram-negative, 12 207 +/- 10 008 CFU m(-3) for fungi, 2.1 +/- 1.9 EU m(-3) for endotoxin and 0.75 +/- 0.49 mg m(-3) for dust). At the same time, the species composition and concentration of airborne Gram-negative bacteria were studied. Penicillinium sp. were the predominant fungi, while Bacillus sp. and the Pseudomonadacea family were the predominant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria encountered, respectively. [Authors]

Exaggerated pulmonary hypertension during mild exercise in chronic mountain sickness.

BACKGROUND: Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is an important public health problem and is characterized by exaggerated hypoxemia, erythrocytosis, and pulmonary hypertension. While pulmonary hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with CMS, it is relatively mild and its underlying mechanisms are not known. We speculated that during mild exercise associated with daily activities, pulmonary hypertension in CMS is much more pronounced. METHODS: We estimated pulmonary artery pressure by using echocardiography at rest and during mild bicycle exercise at 50 W in 30 male patients with CMS and 32 age-matched, healthy control subjects who were born and living at an altitude of 3,600 m. RESULTS: The modest, albeit significant difference of the systolic right-ventricular-to-right-atrial pressure gradient between patients with CMS and controls at rest (30.3 +/- 8.0 vs 25.4 +/- 4.5 mm Hg, P 5 .002) became more than three times larger during mild bicycle exercise (56.4 +/- 19.0 vs 39.8 +/- 8.0 mm Hg, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of pulmonary artery pressure at rest greatly underestimate pulmonary artery pressure during daily activity in patients with CMS. The marked pulmonary hypertension during mild exercise associated with daily activity may explain why this problem is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with CMS.

Rôle des pharmacies dans la prise en charge des consommateurs de drogue: 3e vague d'enquête, 2011

Les enquêtes menées auprès des officines vaudoises en 1994 et 2003 avaient montré que les pharmacies étaient des partenaires importants dans le réseau de prise en charge des usagers de drogue par injection (UDI), en particulier en ce qui concerne la dispensation et le suivi des cures de méthadone. Elles avaient aussi mis en évidence les besoins de formation/information des pharmaciens et de leur personnel. La troisième vague de l'enquête pharmacie 2011 avait pour objectif : o de mesurer l'évolution de la remise de seringues par les pharmacies aux UDI o de repérer les lacunes éventuelles dans l'accès au matériel stérile du point de vue géographique o d'apprécier le rôle des pharmacies dans la remise de traitements de méthadone o d'identifier d'éventuels problèmes rencontrés dans ces deux activités (vente de seringues et dispensation de méthadone) o d'identifier les besoins en formation des pharmaciens et du personnel des pharmacies o d'identifier les actions qui favoriseraient une meilleure intégration des pharmacies dans le dispositif de prise en charge des personnes toxicodépendantes o de recueillir l'avis des pharmaciens sur la pose d'automates de distribution de seringues et sur la nécessité d'une extension de la remise de matériel stérile. Méthode L'enquête pharmacie 2011 comprend deux volets. Un premier volet quantitatif, sous la forme d'un questionnaire adressé à toutes les pharmacies du canton (n=248). Le taux de participation de 92% (n=227) est remarquable. Les analyses portent sur 220 questionnaires valides. Un second volet, qualitatif, permet de compléter les données statistiques. Parmi les pharmaciens disposés à s'exprimer dans le cadre d'un entretien (n=90), nous en avons échantillonné [...] [Auteurs, p. 5]