[Management of child and adolescent depression in primary care: A systematic meta-review]

OBJECTIVE

To develop a practical guide for the management of child and adolescent depression for general practitioners (GPs), suited to their practice frame, that can be implemented on a website aimed to help GPs to manage the main mental disorders encountered in primary care.

METHOD

A systematic meta-review was performed as recommended by the PRISMA statement. Each step, articles' selection, inclusion, methodological assessment and data extraction for the narrative synthesis was independently performed by two researchers. A study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (number CRD42016042710). The databases Pubmed, Cochrane and Web of Science were explored. Each step was performed independently by two researchers following PRISMA. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews (including guidelines based on a systematic review), published between 2002 and 2015, in English or French, dealing with the therapeutic management, in primary care, of patients aged 6 to 18 years old with a major depressive disorder (MDD) were included. Grey literature was explored searching the websites of national and international health agencies, learned societies, and article references. The methodological and report qualities were assessed using the AGREE II, PRISMA checklist and R-AMSTAR grid. A narrative synthesis was performed to produce the practical guide, prioritizing data from the best evaluated articles. An expert group of GPs' and one child psychiatrist validated the guide in its final form.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight studies were included: 12 recommendations, 5 systematic reviews and 21 meta-analyses. The best evaluated guideline had an AGREE-II assessment of 81%, and the best evaluated meta-analysis had an assessment of 86% for R-AMSTAR and 96% for PRISMA. The average scores of the R-AMSTAR and PRISMA assessments were 65% and 72% respectively. The average score of the AGREE II grid assessment was 57%. The data were synthesized into a practical guide for the GPs' practice, corresponding to the different consultation times. MDD diagnosis should be done on the DSM or ICD basis. The Childrens' Depression Rating Scale-revised or the Revised Beck Depression Inventory are useful in primary care for MDD appraisal in children and adolescents. For mild MDD a supportive psychotherapy and surveillance for 4 to 6 weeks is preconized in primary care. In the absence of improvement, a specific and structured psychotherapy is recommended, and the patient should be addressed to a child psychiatrist. For moderate to severe MDD, the young patient should be addressed to a specialist in child psychiatry. A psychotherapy, which can be associated with fluoxetine, especially in adolescents, is indicated with a revaluation of the pharmacological treatment between 4 to 8 weeks. A weekly follow-up by the GP is recommended during the first month, especially after the initiation of an antidepressant to assess the suicidal risk. Beyond the first month, a consultation should be scheduled every two weeks.

CONCLUSION

A clinical guide was created from the best evidence-based data to help GPs in the management of child and adolescent MDD. A French-language website, aimed to assist GPs in mental disease management and available during their consultation, will be created based on the compilation of this meta-review with other similar meta-reviews.

How Older Persons Perceive the Loss of Independence: The Need of a Holistic Approach to Frailty

BACKGROUND

Since 2004, the definition of the frailty syndrome has shifted from purely physical criteria to a more comprehensive consideration of the individual, including their psychosocial criteria. In this study, qualitative research methods were used as a complementary approach in order to enrich the existing quantitative results in this area.

OBJECTIVE

To understand the views of older persons on the risk of loss of independence.

METHODS

The study population comprised people over 75 years of age who were living at home in the south-west of France and were considered to be at risk of losing their independence. Data were collected using individual semi-structured in-depth interviews, accompanied by observations. Inductive analysis was carried out according to grounded theory methods.

RESULTS

Fifteen individual interviews were conducted to achieve theoretical data saturation. Analysis of the content of the interviews revealed seven risk factors for the loss of independence: poor mental health, poor physical health, social isolation, no longer leaving the home, an unsuitable environment, unsuitable living conditions, and few resources.

CONCLUSIONS

These results complement the purely physical approach to screening for the frailty syndrome and lead us to reconsider our screening approach to include a more holistic view of the older person and their circumstances.

The Road Ahead To Cure And Prevent Alzheimer's Disease: Implementing Prevention into Primary Care

Most old adults receive their health care from their primary care practitioner; as a consequence, as the population ages, the manifestations and complications of cognitive impairment and dementia impose a growing burden on providers of primary care. Current guidelines do not recommend routine cognitive screening for older persons by primary care physicians, although the vast majority recommend a cognitive status assessment and neurological examination for subjects with a cognitive complaint. Also, no clinical practice guidelines recommend interventions in older adults with cognitive impairment in primary care settings. However, primary care physicians need to conduct a review of risks and protective factors associated with cognitive decline and organize interventions to improve or maintain cognitive function. Recent epidemiological studies have indicated numerous associations between lifestyle-related risk factors and incidental cognitive impairment. The development of biomarkers could also help in diagnosis, prognosis, selection for clinical trials, and objective assessment of therapeutic responses. Interventions aimed at cognitive impairment prevention should be pragmatic and easy to implement on a large scale in different health care systems, without generating high additional costs or burden on participants, medical and social care teams.

[Did the recommendation of the French public health council modify the antipapillomavirus vaccines' prescription level?]

BACKGROUND

In France, two vaccines are approved for prevention of papillomavirus infection: Cervarix(®) and Gardasil(®). The 17th of December 2010 the French High Committee of Public Hearth changed its recommendation about Cervarix(®) and decided that no scientific element justified a preference using Gardasil(®). This notification was published the 25th of January 2011. Our study aimed to determine whether this decision changed medical prescriptions.

METHODS

An ecological study was performed with reimbursement data for the two vaccines. We performed a Chi(2) test for qualitative variables and Student's t test for quantitative variables.

RESULTS

A significant difference was observed between the prescription of Cervarix(®) before and after the 25th January 2011. The difference favored increased prescription, compared to Gardasil(®) (P ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This variation can be explained by the impact of recommendations for medical decisions. The strong involvement of pharmaceutical firms in medical education may explain why prescribers reacted so rapidly after the publication of the new recommendations.

Description of 1,108 older patients referred by their physician to the "Geriatric Frailty Clinic (G.F.C) for Assessment of Frailty and Prevention of Disability" at the gerontopole

INTRODUCTION

Frailty is considered as an early stage of disability which, differently from disability, is still amenable for preventive interventions and is reversible. In 2011, the "Geriatric Frailty Clinic (G.F.C) for Assessment of Frailty and Prevention of Disability" was created in Toulouse, France, in association with the University Department of General Medicine and the Midi-Pyrénées Regional Health Authority. This structure aims to support the comprehensive and multidisciplinary assessment of frail older persons, to identify the specific causes of frailty and to design a personalized preventive plan of intervention against disability. In the present paper, we describe the G.F.C structure, organization, details of the global evaluation and preventive interventions against disability, and provide the main characteristics of the first 1,108 patients evaluated during the first two years of operation.

METHODS

Persons aged 65 years and older, considered as frail by their physician (general practitioner, geriatrician or specialist) in the Toulouse area, are invited to undergo a multidisciplinary evaluation at the G.F.C. Here, the individual is assessed in order to detect the potential causes for frailty and/or disability. At the end of the comprehensive evaluation, the team members propose to the patient (in agreement with the general practitioner) a Personalized Prevention Plan (PPP) specifically tailored to his/her needs and resources. The G.F.C also provides the patient's follow-up in close connection with family physicians.

RESULTS

Mean age of our population was 82.9 ± 6.1 years. Most patients were women (n=686, 61.9%). According to the Fried criteria, 423 patients (39.1%) were pre-frail, and 590 (54.5%) frail. Mean ADL (Activities of Daily Living) score was 5.5 ± 1.0. Consistently, IADL (Instrumental ADL) showed a mean score of 5.6 ± 2.4. The mean gait speed was 0.78 ± 0.27 and 25.6% (272) of patients had a SPPB (Short Physical Performance Battery) score equal to or higher than 10. Dementia was observed in 14.9% (111) of the G.F.C population according to the CDR scale (CDR ≥2). Eight percent (84) presented an objective state of protein-energy malnutrition with MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) score < 17 and 39.5% (414) were at risk of malnutrition (MNA=17-23.5). Concerning PPP, for 54.6% (603) of patients, we found at least one medical condition which needed a new intervention and for 32.8% (362) substantial therapeutic changes were recommended. A nutritional intervention was proposed for 61.8% (683) of patients, a physical activity intervention for 56.7% (624) and a social intervention for 25.7% (284). At the time of analysis, a one-year reassessment had been carried out for 139 (26.7%) of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The G.F.C was developed to move geriatric medicine to frailty, an earlier stage of disability still reversible. Its particularity is that it is intended for a single target population that really needs preventive measures: the frail elderly screened by physicians. The screening undergone by physicians was really effective because 93.6% of the subjects who referred to this structure were frail or pre-frail according to Fried's classification and needed different medical interventions. The creation of units like the G.F.C, specialized in evaluation, management and prevention of disability in frail population, could be an interesting option to support general practitioners, promote the quality of life of older people and increase life expectancy without disability.

[Generic substitution in primary care in 2011: differences according to pharmacological classes?]

BACKGROUND

Generic substitution has been permitted for several years in France and is promoted in order to reduce health expenditures. However, reluctance concerning use of generic drugs exists for different reasons: suspicions about their efficacy and/or safety, differences in content (excipients) and discussions about bioequivalency. The aim of our study was to determine whether or not the substitution ratio differs according to pharmacological classes used in primary care.

METHODS

We conducted a descriptive study in the French Health Insurance Database using reimbursement data on drugs prescribed and delivered in the Midi-Pyrénées administrative district between March 2010 and March 2011. We selected different pharmacological classes largely used in primary care. For each class, a substitution ratio was calculated (DDD of generics delivered/DDD of brand name plus generics). A Chi(2) test was used in order to detect a difference between these substitution ratios.

RESULTS

The global substitution ratio was 72.32%. Values varied from 28.36% for thyroid hormones to 90.39% for antibiotics, with significant statistical difference (P<0.001). The substitution ratio was less than 50% for thyroid hormones (28.36%) and antiepileptics (45.28%). Higher substitution ratios were observed for protein pump inhibitors (88.81%), statins (87.81%), antidepressors (87.37%) and diuretics (86.1%).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights major differences in terms of the generic substitution ratio between different pharmacological classes. This difference can be explained in part by published guidelines. Further studies are needed to ascertain the precise point of view of patients, general practitioners and pharmacists concerning this issue.

Looking for frailty in community-dwelling older persons: the Gérontopôle Frailty Screening Tool (GFST)

The frailty syndrome is a pre-disability condition suitable to be targeted by preventive interventions against disability. In order to identify frail older persons at risk of negative outcomes, general practitioners must be provided with an easy and quick screening tool for detecting frailty without special effort. In the present paper, we present the screening tool for frailty that the Gérontopôle of Toulouse (France) has developed and implemented in primary care in the region with the collaboration of the Department of Family Medicine of the University of Toulouse. The Gérontopôle Frailty Screening Tool (GFST) is designed to be administered to persons aged ≥65 years with no physical disability and acute clinical disease. It is composed by an initial questionnaire aimed at attracting the general practitioner's attention to very general signs and/or symptoms suggesting the presence of an underlying frailty status. Then, in a second section, the general practitioner expresses his/her own view about the frailty status of the individual. The clinical judgment of the general practitioner is finally retained for determining the eventual presence of frailty. Preliminary data document that almost everyone (95.2%) of the 442 patients referred to the Gérontopôle frailty clinic by general practitioners using the GFST indeed presents a condition of (pre-)frailty according to the criteria proposed by Fried and colleagues in the Cardiovascular Health Study. The use of the GFST may help at raising awareness about the importance of identifying frailty, training healthcare professionals at the detection of the syndrome, and developing preventive interventions against disabling conditions.

Impact of an oncogeriatric consulting team on therapeutic decision-making

Increased life expectancy and cancer incidence imply the need to develop a specialized care policy for elderly patients with cancer. We created an oncogeriatric consulting team (OGCT) in Toulouse University Hospital to carry out comprehensive gerontological assessment at the bedside of hospitalized patients. We analyze the impact on the final cancer treatment decision of this mobile geriatric assessment. We carried out a descriptive, retrospective real-life analysis of a patient cohort over a two-year period. The OGCT assessed 124 patients, of whom the majority were women (54.8%), median age 81 years, living at home (95.2%) and with family caregivers (86.5%). Nearly all were frail (96.7% according to the classification of Balducci and colleagues) and 3.2% were vulnerable. The team's decisions were analyzed for patients who had not yet been treated (n=107). After analysis, the team's proposal was in line with the initial cancer treatment plan in 68.2% of cases (n=73). In cases where there was a disagreement, the final decision was in line with the mobile team's proposal in 17.75% of 107 patients (n=19). The decision of the team was followed more often when their assessment proposed strictly palliative treatment. The decision to give elderly patients specific cancer treatment seems in our experience rather to be a matter for the oncologists, and is not very susceptible to modification by geriatric opinion. On the other hand, the geriatrician appears to be more credible and his/her opinion more likely to be followed when the patient is considered too frail and less aggressive, or even exclusively palliative, treatment is proposed.

The integration of frailty into clinical practice: preliminary results from the Gérontopôle

BACKGROUND

Disability is commonly considered as an irreversible condition of advanced age. Therefore, preventive actions need to be taken before the disabling cascade is fully established, that is in the pre-disability phase defined "frailty syndrome". The complexity and heterogeneity of frailty requires a clinical approach based on multidimensionality and multidisciplinary. In this paper, we present the main characteristics of the newborn Platform for Evaluation of Frailty and Prevention of Disability (Toulouse, France).

INTERVENTION

Persons aged 65 years and older screened for frailty by general practitioners in the Toulouse area are invited to undergo a multidisciplinary evaluation at the Platform. Here, the individual is multidimensionality assessed in order to preventively detect potential risk factors for disability. At the end of the comprehensive evaluation, the team members propose the patient (in agreement with the general practitioner) a preventive intervention program specifically tailored to the his/her needs and resources.

RESULTS

Mean age of our population is 82.7 years, with a large majority aged 75 years and older. Most patients are women (61.9%) Approximately two thirds of patients received any kind of regular help. Regarding level of frailty, 65 patients (41.4%) were pre-frail, and 83 (52.9%) frail. For what concerns the functional status, 83.9% of patients presented slow gait speed, 53.8% were sedentary, and 57.7% had poor muscle strength. Only 27.2% of patients had a SPPB score equal to or higher than 10. Autonomy in ADL was quite well preserved (mean ADL score 5.6 ± 0.8) as expected, suggesting that the patients of the platform have not yet developed disability. Consistently, IADL showed a marginal loss of autonomy reporting a mean score of 6.0 ± 2.3. About one third of patients (33.1%) presented a MMSE score lower than 25. Dementia (measured by the CDR scale) was observed in 11.6% of the platform population, whereas subjects with mild cognitive impairment (that is CDR equal to 0.5) were 65.8%. New diagnosed depressive disorders were relatively rare with only 3.2% of patients showing signs of depression but some people were already treated. Numerous patients presented vision problems with 10.4% having abnormal findings at the Amsler grid. Finally, it is noteworthy that 9% of the platform population presented an objective state of protein-energy malnutrition, 34% an early alteration of nutritional status, while almost everyone (94.9%) had a vitamin D deficiency (partially explained by the period of the year, that is winter-spring, of most of the measurements).

CONCLUSION

The Platform clinically evaluates and intervenes on frailty for the first time at the general population-level. This model may serve as preliminary step towards a wider identification of early signs of the disabling cascade in order to develop more effective preventive interventions.

Representations and practices of prevention in elderly populations: investigating acceptance to participate in and adhesion to an intervention study for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease (ACCEPT study)--the need for a multidisciplinary approach

BACKGROUND

In the domain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention, various potentially protective factors have been identified in epidemiological studies. Although the results of these observational studies have been relatively consistent, the results of intervention studies remain disappointing. Methodological problems could explain these negative results, like the selection of the population; a plausible assumption is that the older people who agree to take part in these intervention studies differ from those who refuse, and are those that are least likely to benefit from such programs. The aim of this study was (i) to study the determinants of participation in and adhesion to a prevention trial in a population of older individuals via a quantitative approach using a questionnaire, (ii) to study the representations and practices of prevention in this population using a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews and focus groups.

METHOD

The study population for the ACCEPT study was recruited at the time of inclusion of subjects in a prevention trial. The population was made up of persons aged 70 years or older, living at home and demonstrating some form of frailty, defined as a spontaneous memory complaint to their general practitioner or difficulties in carrying out instrumental activities of daily living. We used a quantitative approach based on the administration of a self-completed questionnaire sent to 1680 subjects having accepted to take part in the prevention trial, and to the sample of subjects meeting the inclusion criteria but having refused to take part. The qualitative approach, carried out at the moment of inclusion, involved subjects that having accepted to take part and subjects that having refused. Semi-structured interviews were carried out in order to understand the logic leading to refusal or acceptance.

CONCLUSION

The analysis of the results will combine the viewpoints of the different disciplines. It will allow us to better understand the logic at work, to characterise the populations at risk of refusal, and perhaps to remove some of the barriers to participation in prevention programs. The identification of such barriers will provide feedback in terms of the conception and management of prevention measures.

[A rare cause of cyanosis: Sulphaemoglobinaemia related to thiocolchicoside (Miorel)]

INTRODUCTION

An acquired abnormality of haemoglobin is among the many causes of cyanosis, especially in patients with no identified cardiorespiratory cause.

CASE REPORT

A 50-year-old woman, suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, was hospitalised for dyspnoea. Physical examination revealed cyanosis that persisted despite oxygen therapy. Discordance between the reduced arterial oxygen saturation and normal arterial oxygen tension led to a search for a dyshaemoglobinaemia as a possible cause. Use of co-oxymetry with spectrophotometry revealed sulphaemoglobinaemia. Sulphaemoglobinaemia is due to irreversible incorporation of a thiol radical into the porphyrin ring of a haem group. This decreases the affinity of haemoglobin for oxygen and thus reduces oxygen carrying capacity. A drug-induced cause is often identified. However, no previously described cause for sulphaemoglobinaemia was identified in our patient. The patient was currently being treated with thiocolchicoside (Miorel((R))). Thiocolchicoside was suspected as the cause because its chemical structure contains an easily hydrolysable thiol radical. Withdrawal of thiocolchicoside led to regression of the sulphaemoglobinaemia.

CONCLUSIONS

This report underlines the importance of searching for an acquired abnormality of haemoglobin (methaemoglobinaemia or sulphaemoglobinaemia) in patients with cyanosis resistant to oxygen, in the absence of any cardiorespiratory abnormality. This case is the first to suspect thiocolchicoside as a possible cause of sulphaemoglobinaemia.

The primary care physician and Alzheimer's disease: an international position paper

This paper aims to define the role of the primary care physician (PCP) in the management of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to propose a model for a work plan. The proposals in this position paper stem from a collaborative work of experts involved in the care of AD patients. It combines evidence from a literature review and expert's opinions who met in Paris, France, on July 2009 during the International Association of Geriatrics and Gerontology (IAGG) World Congress. The PCP's intervention appears essential at many levels: detection of the onset of dementia, diagnostic management, treatment and follow-up. The key role of the PCP in the management of AD, as care providers and care planners, is consolidated by the family caregiver's confidence in their skills. In primary care practice the first step is to identify dementia. The group proposes a "case finding" strategy, in target situations in which dementia should be detected to allow, secondarily, a diagnosis of AD, in certain cases. We propose that the PCP identifies 'typical' cases. In typical cases, among older subjects, the diagnosis of "probable AD" can be done by the PCP and then confirm by the specialist. While under-diagnosis of AD exists, so does under-disclosure. Disclosure to patient and family should be done by both specialist and PCP. Then, the PCP has a central role in management of the disease with the general objectives to detect, prevent and treat, when possible, the complications of the disease (falls, malnutrition, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia). The PCP needs to give basic information to the caregiver on respite care and home support services in order to prevent crisis situations such as unplanned institutionalisation and "emergency" hospital admission. Finally, therapeutic research must be integrated in the daily practice of PCP. It is a matter of patients' right to benefit from access to innovation and clinical research whatever his age or diseases, while of course fully respecting the rules and protective measures that are in force.