Search

Unlabelled: The aim was to assess the incidence of complications related to skin-to-skin contact (SSC) in newborns with an umbilical venous catheter (UVC). We carried out a prospective follow-up study of all UVCs in a level 3 unit where SSC is systematic. A total of 333 babies were included (mean gestational age of 31.3 weeks (24-41), mean birth weight of 1618 g (454-4900). Two hundred sixty-three babies (78.9 %) had SSC, at a mean postnatal age of 24 h (3-144 h). Two babies presented with a significant umbilical bleeding, all in the first 3 h, before SSC. In 17 cases of UVC leaking, this necessitated an unwanted withdrawal of the UVC; of these, 14 UVCs (82 %) were in sub-hepatic position. In five cases of UVC displacement, babies had no SSC. The overall incidence (3 % [95 % CI = 1.4-5.4]) and incidence density (6.2/1000 UVC-day [95 % CI = 3-11.4]) of catheter-associated infections are similar to those identified by the French multicenter network NEOCAT in 2012 (5 % [95 % CI = 4.1-5.9] and 11.3/1000 UVC-day [95 % CI = 9.3-13.2]).Conclusion: In this prospective, non-randomized study in a level unit, routine practice of SSC with a UVC does not seem to influence the incidence of mechanical and infectious complications. What is known? • SSC is beneficial for pretem infants. • Fear of mechanical problems and/or infections with a UVC is an obstacle to early use of SSC. What is New: • In this study, SSC for preterm infants with a UVC is associated with low risks of mechanical complications, and does not seem to be associated with any higher risk of catheter-related infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current most powerful prognostic model in Multiple Myeloma (MM) combines beta‐2 microglobulin (b2m) with albumin, corresponding to the International Staging System (ISS). However, the prognosis of patients within the ISS stage I (high albumin and low b2m) may vary. Ki‐67 is a nuclear protein associated with cell proliferation. We retrospectively evaluated the % of bone marrow plasma cells expressing Ki‐67 antigen (Ki‐67 index) in a series of 174 untreated MM patients at diagnosis. Median survival was 51, 41 and 20 months respectively, and median Ki‐67 index was 3.0%, 6.1% and 6.5% in ISS stages I, II, and III, respectively. Independently of ISS, Ki‐67 index 4% was highly predictive of adverse prognosis. Ki‐67 index correlated with markers of intrinsic malignancy and with markers of tumor burden. Within ISS stage I, median survival was of 31 months [RR of death 2.65] in patients with Ki‐67 index 4%. Eventually, the combination of Ki‐67 with b2m produced an efficient prognostic model, which appeared most effective in our series as compared to b2m and KI‐67 with chromosome 13 deletion models. In this series we demonstrated that a proliferation marker provides clear‐cut additional survival prognostic information to b2m into the ISS model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]