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A Flahault

Publications and source records attributed to A Flahault.

103 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

A method for assessing the global spread of HIV-1 infection based on air travel.

"The paper presents a methodology aimed at quantifying the impact of regular air traffic on the global spread of AIDS. A compartmental approach is used to represent the fluxes of infective passengers between 52 major cities. The impact of these fluxes on the pandemic is assessed by using a methodology which has been applied in the past for studying the dynamic of an influenza pandemic. In its present version, under simplified assumptions, the model reproduces qualitatively the three world patterns of HIV-1 infection in 1988. The methodology developed in this paper does not provide a detailed past history of the virus, and does not take into account the possibility of multifoci sporadic cases in the past. However it provides evidence that the significant start of the pandemic...was by the end of the 60's in Central Africa." (SUMMARY IN FRE)

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

French intravenous drug users: knowledge and sexual behavior change.

In a population based survey conducted in France in 1988, 41 respondents reported present or past intravenous drug use. Controlling for age and gender, intravenous drug users (IDUs) engage in more high risk sexual behavior than the general population (sex with other IDUs, multiple partners), but they do not use condoms more frequently. They are five times more likely to have had an HIV test.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

A routine tool for detection and assessment of epidemics of influenza-like syndromes in France.

A regression model for the nonepidemic level of influenza-like syndrome has been estimated from the 55,200 cases collected between October 1984 and August 1988 using the French Communicable Diseases Computer Network. The start of a major epidemic in 1988-89 was detected early. The size of the epidemic, for the entire country, was estimated at approximately 4.3 million cases. The excess cost of sick-leave, among those of working age, was estimated at $86 million.

Disease Outbreaks↗

[Vaginal cancer: primary invasive squamous cell carcinoma in adults].

Retrospective study of 80 cases treated at the Institute Curie from 1969 to 1982. This cancer is rare; it is generally seen in old women, mostly arising in the upper third. The treatment is exclusive radiation therapy in almost all the cases, through four pelvic fields up to a dose of 45/50 Gy. A boost dose is added with a perineal field, or curietherapy. Immediate tolerance is rather good and late severe complications are rare (6%). The 5-year survival rate is 52%. The prognostic factors, according to the Cox model, are: the clinical T stage (5-year survival rate of 66% in T1-T2 stages, and 30% in T3-T4 stages), the patient's age (5-year survival rate of 65% for the patients less than 70 years of age, 40% for the older ones), complete tumor regression 3 months after the end of the treatment (5-year survival rate of 71% for those patients, and only 12 months of median survival for the others who are all dead at 36 months).

Adult↗

Modelling the 1985 influenza epidemic in France.

The Rvachev-Baroyan-Longini model is a space-time predictive model of the spread of influenza epidemics. It has been applied to 128 cities of the USSR, and more recently, to forecasting the spread of the pandemic of 1968-1969 throughout 52 large cities. It is a deterministic, mass-action, space and time continuous model. The model has been applied to the simulation of the influenza epidemic of 1984-1985 in the 22 French Metropolitan districts and results are presented. Estimates of the parameters of the model were made using the French Communicable Diseases Network data. These parameters are the contact rate, a, (estimate = 0.55) which is the number of people with whom an infectious individual will make contact daily sufficient to pass infection and the infectious period, 1/b, estimated as 2.49 days. The mean annual railroad passenger traffic from district i to district j varies from 0 to 1,991,000 persons depending on the districts. The computer spread of the epidemic is presented on weekly maps. Results are also presented on district charts, giving the size of district epidemics and the time of peak of the epidemic. The precision of the computer fittings was judged satisfactory by the calculated size of peak differing from the real one by less than 100 per cent, in 17 out of 18 districts, and by the calculated time of peak differing from the observed by less than two weeks in 14 out of 18 districts. Although precision could be improved with more detailed information about passenger traffic, the French use of the model has been satisfactory.

Computer Simulation↗

Risk factors for winter outbreak of acute diarrhoea in France: case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the potential role of consumption of shellfish (particularly raw oysters) and tap water in the winter epidemic of acute diarrhoea in France. DESIGN: Population based, case-control study during the 1995-6 winter epidemic of acute diarrhoea in France. SETTING: A national network comprising 1% of general practitioners in France. SUBJECTS: 568 pairs of cases and controls consulting in general practice and interviewed by 209 doctors from 26 December 1995 to 31 January 1996. Cases and controls were matched for age, doctor, and time of consultation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adjusted relative risk of diarrhoea estimated from conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: The risk of acute diarrhoea was not increased in people who had recently eaten raw oysters (odds ratio 1.1; 95% confidence interval 0.9% to 1.4%) or other shellfish such as clams, cockles, and mussels, or in those people who usually consumed tap water rather than bottled water (0.8; 0.6% to 1.1%). The risk was, however, increased in people who had had recent contact wit ha person with diarrhoea either within the household (adjusted odds ratio 5.0) or in the workplace (3.1), and in people who lived with a child < or = 2 years of age (1.6). Recent treatment with either oral penicillin or cephalosporin was also independently associated with acute diarrhoea in winter. CONCLUSIONS: The winter epidemic of acute diarrhoea in France is probably not caused by consumption of either shellfish or tap water. A viral aetiology, however, is suggested by the speed with which the acute diarrhoea is transmitted.

Acute Disease↗

Sensitivity of sixteen APTT reagents for the presence of lupus anticoagulants.

Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) is the most common assay used to screen for lupus anticoagulant (LA). For some years, manufacturers have been proposing APTT reagents that were more sensitive to LA. In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity and responsiveness of 16 APTT reagents in 40 LA and 46 normal plasmas. Sensitivity was established using a 1:1 mixture of normal and LA plasma that optimized the most sensitive reagent. The same pool of normal plasma was used for the assay of mixtures and daily APTT values for the determination of ratios. The results show that new commercially available APTT reagents are more sensitive and responsive to LA. The different sensitivities of APTT reagents might be partly due to the heterogeneity of LAs and several APTT reagents should be used for LA detection. The choice of APTT reagents constitutes an important preliminary step for LA evaluation.

Adolescent↗

Randomized trial of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and cisplatin in advanced pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Phase II trials of combined 5 fluorouracil, leucovorin and cisplatin have demonstrated an 18-28% response rate in advanced pancreatic carcinomas. We investigated the effect of this chemotherapy regime on patients' survival. METHODOLOGY: Patients included gave informed consent. They had an advanced and proven pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The trial was multicentric, prospective and randomized. It compared a 5-day course of leucovorin (200 mg/m2/day), 5-fluorouracil (375 mg/m2/day) and cisplatin (15 mg/m2/day) repeated every 21 days (23 patients) with a control group (22 patients). The main end points were survival time (Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods) a[not readable: see text]side effects of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Association of leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin failed to demonstrate any advantage of this regimen compared with supported care alone. Median survival times were 8.6 months (SD +/- 1.8) and 7.0 months (SD +/- 0.6), respectively. The modulation of 5-fluorouracil by leucovorin and cisplatin was well tolerated with moderate toxic effects. CONCLUSIONS: This multicentric trial failed to demonstrate any advantage of the evaluated chemotherapy regime in the palliative treatment of cancer of the exocrine pancreas. Other trials including gemcitabine and/or radiotherapy are needed in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Incidence and management of condylomata acuminata by French general physicians].

OBJECTIVES: Condylomata acuminata (or genital warts) are sexually transmitted diseases caused by human papillomavirus. Until now, there has been no available epidemiologic data about this disease in France. We conducted a prospective study among French general practitioners (GPs) to estimate the incidence of consultations for external condylomata acuminata in general practice. We also assessed the management of patients with external condylomata acuminata by French GP's. DESIGN: A panel of French general practitioners, members of the Sentinel network, had to fill-in prospectively a questionnaire for each patient with condylomata acuminata diagnosed between July and November 2000. RESULTS: The annual number of consultations for external condylomata acuminata with French GP's was estimated at 23,000 (CI (95 p. 100) 21,000-25,000) including 15,000 new cases (CI (95 p. 100) 13,000-17,000). Taking into account the estimations we made at the same time in office-based private dermatologists, we estimated the annual incidence of external condylomata acuminata in France at 107/100 000 inhabitants. The management of patients with external condylomata acuminata by French GP's was in accordance with the European guidelines in 54 to 78 p. 100 of cases. French GP's mostly prescribed chemical treatment. DISCUSSION: A proportion of cases of condylomata acuminata may have not been diagnosed. Similarly, some lesions may have been wrongly diagnosed as condylomata acuminata, but these proportions of false positive and false negative remain unknown. The incidence of external condylomata acuminata in France is similar to those estimated in others developed countries.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗