Is the prognosis the same for periprosthetic joint infections due to Staphylococcus aureus versus coagulase-negative staphylococci? A retrospective study of 101 patients with 2-year minimum follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are often responsible for infections of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). One of the main differences between these two microorganisms is their virulence, with SA presumed to be more virulent; however, few studies have specifically investigated the impact of this virulence. This inspired us to carry out a retrospective study to evaluate whether the healing rate differed between SA and CoNS infections. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesised that the healing rate is lower for SA prosthetic joint infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 101 consecutive Staphylococcus infection cases that occurred between 2007 and 2011. There were 56 men and 45 women with an average age of 69 years (range 23-95). The infection was associated with TKA in 38 cases and THA in 63 cases. Thirty-two percent of patients had one or more comorbidities with infectious potential. In our cohort, there were 32 SA infections (31.7 %) and 69 CoNS infections (68.3 %) with 58 of the infections being methicillin-resistant (15 SA and 43 CoNS); there were 27 polymicrobial infections (26.7 %). RESULTS: With a minimum 24-month follow-up after the end of antibiotic treatment, the healing rate was 70.3 % overall (71 patients). The healing rate was 75 % in the SA group (24 patients) versus 68.1 % (47 patients) in the CoNS group (P = 0.42). CONCLUSION: Our hypothesis was not confirmed: the healing rate of SA prosthetic joint infections was not lower than that of CoNS infections. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, retrospective case-control study

Switching to an ultra-low carbohydrate diet has a similar effect on postprandial blood glucose concentrations to administering acarbose to healthy cats

none4noneSchellenberg S.; Gentilini F.; Glaus T.M.; Reusch C.E.Schellenberg S.; Gentilini F.; Glaus T.M.; Reusch C.E

The lateral view head-neck index (LVHNI): A diagnostic tool for the sequelae of slipped capital femoral epiphysis

SummaryIntroductionIt is a well-known fact that slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is one of the causes of premature hip osteoarthritis and anterior femoroacetabular impingement. But there are no reliable, published diagnostic methods to measure the residual deformity of slipped capital femoral epiphysis. We propose using the lateral view head-neck index (LVHNI) measurement on a specific lateral X-ray view of the hip for this purpose.HypothesisThe LVHNI can detect and quantify the posterior translation of the femoral head and this index can be measured reliably.Materials and methodsA prospective radiography study was performed by three observers. The hip X-rays of patients who were being treated by arthroplasty for hip osteoarthritis (total hip replacement or hip resurfacing) between January 2010 and December 2011 were analyzed. The LVHNI, which quantifies the posterior translation of the femoral head, was measured on a lateral view of the hip in 45° flexion/45° abduction/30° external rotation. The presence of a pistol grip deformity on A/P X-rays was also assessed.ResultsThe analysis was performed on 131 hips in 120 patients having an average age of 61years (range 37–91). The chosen LVHNI threshold of 9% resulted in a sensitivity of 89.1% (95% CI: 78.8%–95.5%) and a specificity of 82.4% (95% CI: 71.2%–89.7%) for detecting the presence of a pistol grip deformity. Twenty percent of the hips with no visible deformity on A/P X-rays had a pathological index value. The inter-observer reproducibility was good for the LHNI [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC): 0.61; 95% CI: 0.51–0.71] and for detecting a pistol grip deformity (ICC: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.62–0.85). The intra-observer reproducibility was excellent for the LHNI (ICC: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.57–0.88) and the pistol grip deformity (ICC: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.74–0.92).ConclusionThe LVHNI is a reliable and reproducible tool to identify deformities secondary to SCFE on specific lateral femoral neck X-rays. If the index value is greater than 9%, SCFE sequelae may be present. In addition, this study showed that 20% of hips with normal A/P X-rays had a pathological index.Level of evidenceLevel IV, prospective diagnostic study without control group

Determination of normal KOOS and WOMAC values in a healthy population

Purpose: The KOOS questionnaire is used to assess the symptoms and function of patients with traumatic or degenerative knee pathology. The WOMAC score has been validated mainly in the context of knee osteoarthritis. The distribution of these scores in a non-diseased population is not known. The hypothesis was that KOOS and WOMAC scores were influenced by patients’ age, sex, and BMI. The primary objective of this study was to describe, for the first time, the distribution of KOOS and WOMAC scores in a healthy population based on age, sex, and BMI. Methods: This was a pilot (innovative), cross-sectional, international, multicenter, descriptive study. Persons accompanying patients to our clinic were invited to participate in this study by filling out the KOOS questionnaire. These data were also used to calculate the WOMAC score. The study was designed according to guidelines on pilot studies and planned to enroll a minimum of 30 subjects in each age, gender, and BMI group. Expected KOOS and WOMAC scores by age, gender, and BMI were determined using a linear regression model. Results: Seven hundred and fourteen subjects were included: 305 men (42.7%) and 409 women (57.3%). For the KOOS score, as age increases, there was a decrease in the “ADL” (p = 0.0001) and “sport” (p = 0.0001) items and an increase in the “symptoms” (p = 0.0025) and “QOL” items (p = 0.0001). Women had lower scores (p < 0.05) than men on all the KOOS items, except “QOL”. For the WOMAC, the “pain”, “stiffness”, and “function” items varied significantly based on age (p = 0.0203) and sex (p = 0.0121). The “stiffness” item varied significantly based on age (p = 0.0005) and sex (p = 0.0477). The “function” item varied significantly based on age (p = 0.0001) and sex (p = 0.0256). The expected value for the KOOS and WOMAC scores in a healthy population without any knee ailments were determined. Conclusions: The KOOS and WOMAC scores vary significantly based on age, sex, and BMI in a healthy population. This study also provides KOOS and WOMAC values in a population without any knee issue. These scores can be used, in a daily practice, as a reference to assess functional outcomes after a surgical procedure. Level of evidence: IV

Redefining the reference interval for plasma creatinine in dogs: Effect of age, gender, body weight, and breed.

International audienc

Frequency and prognostic impact of acute kidney injury in patients with acute pulmonary embolism. Data from the RIETE registry.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with a poor outcome. Although pulmonary embolism (PE) may promote AKI through renal congestion and/or hemodynamic instability, its frequency and influence on outcome in patients with acute PE have been poorly studied. The frequency of AKI (defined according to the "Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes" definition) at baseline and its influence on the 30-day mortality was evaluated in patients with acute PE from the RIETE (Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbolica) registry. We used multivariate analysis to assess whether the presence of AKI influenced the risk for 30-day death. The study included 21,131 patients, of whom 6222 (29.5%) had AKI at baseline: 4385 patients (21%) in stage 1, 1385 (6.5%) in stage 2 and 452 (2%) in stage 3. The proportion of patients with high-risk PE in those with no AKI, AKI stage 1, AKI stage 2 or AKI stage 3 was: 2.8%, 5.3%, 8.8% and 12%, respectively (p < 0.001). After 30 days, 1236 patients (5.9%) died. Overall mortality was 4% in patients with no AKI, 8.4% in AKI stage 1, 14% in AKI stage 2 and 17% in AKI stage 3 (all p < 0.001). AKI was independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause death at 30 days (odds ratio = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.02-1.54). One in every 3-4 patients with acute PE had AKI at baseline. The presence of AKI independently predicted 30-day mortality. This study suggests that AKI may deserve to be evaluated as a prognostic factor in patients with acute PE

Fish communities diverge in species but converge in traits over three decades of warming

Describing the spatial and temporal dynamics of communities is essential for understanding the impacts of global environmental change on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Trait‐based approaches can provide better insight than species‐based (i.e. taxonomic) approaches into community assembly and ecosystem functioning, but comparing species and trait dynamics may reveal important patterns for understanding community responses to environmental change. Here, we used a 33‐year database of fish monitoring to compare the spatio‐temporal dynamics of taxonomic and trait structure in North Sea fish communities. We found that the majority of variation in both taxonomic and trait structure was explained by a pronounced spatial gradient, with distinct communities in the southern and northern North Sea related to depth, sea surface temperature, salinity and bed shear stress. Both taxonomic and trait structure changed significantly over time; however taxonomically, communities in the south and north diverged towards different species, becoming more dissimilar over time, yet they converged towards the same traits regardless of species differences. In particular, communities shifted towards smaller, faster growing species with higher thermal preferences and pelagic water column position. Although taxonomic structure changed over time, its spatial distribution remained relatively stable, whereas in trait structure, the southern zone of the North Sea shifted northward and expanded, leading to homogenization. Our findings suggest that global environmental change, notably climate warming, will lead to convergence towards traits more adapted for novel environments regardless of species composition