[Acute abdomen film: is there hope of changing referring patterns?]. / Prescription en urgence d'un abdomen sans préparation: peut-on espérer changer les mauvaises habitudes?

An abdomen radiograph (KUB) is frequently requested by ER physicians as part of the inital work-up of patients. However, other imaging studies are now routinely available in the acute setting that may make the KUB an obsolete and unnecessary examination. The first part of this study was to assess the current referral patterns for urgent KUB in our center; the improper referral pattern for KUB in terms of requests for unnecessary exams 48,5% as well as number of technical errors in terms of inadequate radiographic projection for the suspected pathology 47% were recorded. In a second part, the impact of corrective actions at one month, 2 months and 6 months was assessed and we observed a decrease of about 20% of the number of KUB scheduled by the ER physician. Our results confirm that it is possible to teach ER physicians to more appropriately order imaging studies, which should improve patient care and generate savings. Long term correction of referral patterns is possible if all actors remain involved in this process.

Midazolam infusion for basal sedation in intensive care: absence of accumulation.

This study was designed to: (1) determine plasma midazolam concentrations producing adequate sedation in ICU patients; (2) establish an intravenous regimen to provide continuous sedation and rapid recovery after discontinuation of infusion. Initially, 13 ICU patients were given midazolam as a bolus injection, 0.20 mg.kg-1 over 30 s in order to define the midazolam plasma concentration corresponding to an adequate level of sedation. The optimal level was reached in a mean time of 61 +/- 26 min and the mean corresponding midazolam plasma concentration was 163 +/- 62 ng.ml-1. Estimations of the main pharmacokinetic parameters (elimination half life: 230 +/- 102 min, total body clearance: 520 +/- 283 ml.min-1, total volume of distribution: 2.23 +/- 1.15 l.kg-1) showed no marked differences with normal patients. From those variables, an infusion regimen (loading dose and maintenance rate) to provide long term (24 to 80 h) sedation was derived in 9 patients. The mean loading dose was 0.33 +/- 0.18 mg.kg-1 over 30 min and the mean continuous infusion dose was 0.06 +/- 0.02 mg.kg-1.h-1. The mean midazolam plasma concentration during infusion was 215 +/- 61 ng.ml-1, and the mean midazolam plasma concentration at the end of infusion was 199 +/- 93 ng.ml-1. The level of sedation was considered as optimal in most patients throughout the study. After discontinuation of infusion, the mean time for normalization of the mental state was 97 min.

Alcohol dependence among patients admitted to psychiatric emergency services.

We assessed the prevalence of alcohol dependence among patients examined in the psychiatric emergency service of a general hospital. We compared socio-demographic data and psychiatric status of patients with and without alcohol dependence. One-hundred and four consecutive patients received by the psychiatric emergency service of Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital (Paris, France) were assessed. Diagnosis of alcohol dependence, acute alcohol intoxication, and antisocial personality was determined according to DSM-IV criteria. Other psychiatric disorders were identified using a structured psychiatric interview, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Prevalency rate of alcohol dependence was 37.5% among patients examined by the psychiatric emergency service. Alcohol-dependent patients were more often men than women and more often unemployed than non-alcohol-dependent psychiatric emergencies. They presented more dysthymia, acute alcohol intoxication, and antisocial personality than non-alcoholic patients followed by the psychiatric emergency service. Attempted suicide was as frequent in alcohol-dependent patients (23%) as in other patients (29%). Alcohol-dependent patients consumed alcohol more often when alone, and their alcohol consumption began more frequently in the morning. Patients seen in a psychiatric emergency service must be identified as a population at risk for alcohol dependence (37.5%). Alcohol-dependent patients are more often men and have a higher rate of unemployment. They present significantly more often dysthymia and acute alcohol intoxication associated to alcohol dependence.

[Evaluation of three testing strategies for detection of hepatitis C in a hospital medical consultation and in an HIV testing center]. / Evaluation de trois stratégies de dépistage de l'hépatite C en consultation hospitalière de Médecine générale et dans un Centre de dépistage anonyme et gratuit du virus de l'immunodéficience humaine.

AIMS: Testing for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is recommended. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of HCV testing in a medical consultation without an appointment and in an HIV testing center based on three testing strategies: 1997 French Consensus Conference, "Lettre de la Direction Générale de la Santé" (January 1996), and extension to other risk factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: For 6 months a free blood test was offered to any patient with a risk factor according to the literature. RESULTS: There were 1 736 new patients at the medical consultation and 1 616 at the testing center. The patients were younger at the testing center than at the medical consultation (31.1 vs 43.3 years; P<0.001). Acceptance of screening was better at the testing center (97.8% vs 75.2%; P<0.001). There were more patients exposed to one of the risk factors at the testing center (31.2% vs 13.9%; P<0.001). Tests were more efficient at the testing center: 30 HCV positive patients/1 616 (1.86%) vs 11/1 736 (0.63%, P<0.01). Tests based on the 1997 French Consensus Conference provided detection in 27/30 (90%) of HCV positive patients at the testing center but only 4/11 (36.3%) at the medical consultation (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Testing was effective in both places but was more efficient at the testing center. Efficacy of the testing strategies differs significantly according to the place of screening. At the testing center, screening can be restricted to patients with a history of intravenous drug use and blood transfusion. At the medical consultation, screening should be extended to other risk factors.

[Infections of soft tissues by bacterial synergism]. / Infections des parties molles par synergie bactérienne.

The treatment of synergistic bacterial soft tissue infections includes usually surgical debridements and radical excisions of necrotic tissues, antibiotic therapy and volumic resuscitation. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy did not prove efficient in these plurimicrobial infections. Their severity is due to virulence synergy of aerobic and anaerobic micro organisms in the involved areas. Sixty patients were admitted in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (december 1980-march 1989) for severe synergistic soft tissue infections. From 1980 to the end of 1983 the initial surgical treatment was extensive with wide excisions. The antibiotic therapy was selected primarily against anaerobes and gram negative rods. Since 1984 antibiotic therapy was changed to take into account all the micro-organisms found in the initial cultures, especially encountered streptococci species (43 times/60 patients). Initial surgery, after fluid resuscitation and antibiotic therapy, included debridements, colostomy in case of perineal lesion and excisions limited to the really necrotic areas. Under antibiotic therapy according to the bacteriological results, surgical management was performed daily during the first week, later when required. In these series, 14 patients died (23.3%). The mortality during the first period (1980-1983) was high: 7/2 (31.8%) and decreased to 7/38 (18.4%) in the second period (1984-1989). Cellulitis is potentially a highly lethal infection. Early recognition as well as adequate medical and surgical management may be lifesaving.

[Prevention of postoperative anaerobic infections. Economic significance of metronidazole suppositories]. / Prophylaxie des infections postopératoires à germes anaérobies. Intérêt économique des suppositoires de métronidazole.

Metronidazole is widely used in the preventive and curative treatment of post-operative anaerobic infections. As the intravenous form is very expensive, a 1 g suppository has been developed. The pharmacokinetics of metronidazole injection and suppository was studied comparatively in 10 healthy subjects. The serum bioavailability of the rectal form was 80% with a peak serum concentration of 10 mg/l four hours after dosing. From calculated pharmacokinetic values it may be suggested that: (1) in cases of elective surgery treatment could begin with the rectal form alone at the rate of one suppository 12-hourly, starting 48 hours before surgery; (2) in emergency surgery, 0,5g of metronidazole i.v. over 20 minutes and a 1 g suppository should be administered at the time of premedication, treatment being continued with one suppository 12-hourly; (3) in patients at high risk of anaerobic infection, one suppository should be given 8-hourly, starting 24 hours before surgery. The main advantage of the rectal treatment is that it is much cheaper than the intravenous treatment administered during the same period.

[Bacteriological safety in enteral nutrition in intensive care units. Comparison of 4 types of pumps]. / Sécurité bactériologique de l'alimentation entérale en réanimation. Essai comparatif de 4 modèles de pompes.

Enteral nutrition may appear as a risk factor for infection in intensive care patients if bacterial growth is not prevented. The authors have tested in the microbiology laboratory, 4 types of pumps (3 cooling machines: SEC Nutridose/Climadose, Peters NPR 3000, Vial "Alaska" and 1 flow regulator Sherwood Kangaroo 330) using food contaminated with a low inoculum of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Bacterial growth was investigated periodically in the food container and in the feeding tube during the testing of the pumps. Results showed that external refrigeration is the best cooling method. But after 8 hours of working, the best results were obtained with the flow regulator associated with a container cooled by an ice pocket. These in vitro results can be extended in vivo by taking care of changing the sterile tubings for each new dose of food.

[Nosocomial infections caused by Acinetobacter. Epidemiology and therapeutic difficulties]. / Infections nosocomiales à acinetobacter. Epidémiologie et difficultés thérapeutiques.

Nosocomial infections due to Acinetobacter calcoaceticus are not easy to treat particularly in intensive-care and surgical units. Our study included 33 cases of nosocomial infections which developed during 1987 in the surgical intensive care unit and in the urology department. Acinetobacter was isolated from various types of nosocomial infections: urinary tract infections (43 per cent); septicaemia (15 per cent); surgical infections (27 per cent) and respiratory tract infections (15 per cent). Forty eight per cent of the patients received an antibiotic therapy and 52 per cent had no specific treatment. The following beta-lactam antibiotics were studied: ticarcilline, mezlocilline, cefotaxime and ceftazidime, and 83 per cent of the strains were TICRMEZRCTXR (phenotype IV). All the strains except one were imipenem susceptible. The study of aminoglycoside resistance in Acinetobacter showed that 91 per cent of the strains were gentamicin resistant (GENR); 25.5 per cent were gentamicin, and amikacin resistant and tobramycin susceptible (GENR AMKR TOBS, phenotype IV), and 45 per cent were GENR TOBR AMKR (phenotype V). Acinetobacter strains were resistant and 63 per cent pefloxacin resistant. Co-trimoxazole resistant strains represented 65 per cent of the strains. Should major antibiotics be used to treat nosocomial infections due to multiresistant Acinetobacter strains? Are prophylaxis, aseptic and surgical procedures sufficient to control these infections?

[Massive digestive hemorrhage caused by aorto-esophageal fistula]. / Les hémorragies digestives massives par fistule aorto-oesophagienne.

A very rare diagnosis before a terminal hemorrhagic accident, aorto-esophageal fistula (FAO) is almost always fatal. Three cases of this exceptional lesion are reported. The first patient died within a few minutes of admission from a cataclysmic hematemesis. This 52 year old man had a recurring adenocarcinoma of the cardia that had been treated by laser. A "premonitory hematemesis" of bright red blood had occurred eight hours before admission. In the two other cases the problem arose with an "open abdomen" in exsanguinated patients operated upon as emergencies for massive hematemesis. In both cases, an intra-esophageal balloon catheter and controlled hypotension allowed performance of a left thoracotomy and aortic clamping. One patient had a cancer of middle third of esophagus that had perforated into the descending aorta. A resection-graft of the aortic isthmus and a retrosternal gastric esophagoplasty was successfully carried out at the time of exploration. The other patient had an FAO in the aortic isthmus region probably due to a foreign body. Operation involved an esophagectomy with cervical esophagotomy and gastrotomy combined with a resection-graft of aortic isthmus using a Dacron prosthesis. This patient died on the 21st postoperative day from rupture of the brachiocephalic trunk over a tracheotomy tube. In both of these patients a "premonitory hematemesis" with dysphagia had preceded the severe hemorrhagic accident. Successful treatment is rarely obtained with such lesions, since difficulties in ensuring rapid hemostasis in exsanguinated patients operated upon usually without diagnosis and for massive hemorrhage only, are associated with the risks of aortic repair surgery in a hemorrhagic field and with a mediastinum infected from the esophageal wound.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Pancreatic trauma: diagnostic and therapeutic emergency. Apropos of 35 cases]. / Traumatismes du pancréas: urgence diagnostique et thérapeutique. A propos de 35 cas.

35 consecutive pancreatic trauma were operated (21 blunt trauma and 14 penetrating injuries). 30 patients were operated in emergency and diagnosis was suspected before laparotomy in only one case. 12 patients had a superficial lesion, 21 had a wirsung disruption (14 in the left pancreas, 7 in the right pancreas), 2 had a diffuse pancreatitis. For the 30 patients operated in emergency, 20 had a conservative treatment, 10 had a resection. 5 patients died (14.2%), from exsanguination (2 cases), missed diagnosis or inadequate treatment (2 cases), sepsis after adequate management (1 case). Our experience suggests that an aggressive diagnosis management in emergency, with pre or pre-operative wirsungography, could determined with precision the type of the lesion and permit an adequate management, to decrease mortality.

Penetrating abdominal trauma: the challenge.

High-velocity missiles fired from weapons of war cause severe injuries because of the intense energy that they transfer on impact with the living targets. The most important factors in the reduction of morbidity and mortality are first aid, rapid evacuation of victims and early primary surgery. Infection of wounds can arise from skin organisms and from enteric aerobes and anaerobes. Wounds involving the colon present particular problems due to bacterial contamination and the insecurity of suturing which can result in leakage. Although prompt surgery is a prerequisite for the successful treatment of patients with high-velocity abdominal wounds, early administration of appropriate antibiotics reduces morbidity and mortality since many post-surgical deaths are related to septic complications. Penetrating abdominal wounds encountered in most hospital emergency departments are usually caused by knives and low-velocity pistol bullets. However, in the prevention of infection, no standard optimal antibiotic regimen or length of treatment has been established. Combination regimens with aminoglycoside antibiotics have been widely used, but single beta-lactam regimens are an attractive alternative because of their wide anti-microbial spectrum and cost effectiveness. Short-term antibiotic regimens are as efficacious as long-term treatment, but certain risk factors must be considered.

[Necrotizing fasciitis of the upper limb. 12 cases]. / Les fasciites nécrosantes du membre supérieur. A propos de douze cas.

Twelve cases of necrotizing fasciitis or streptococcal cellulitis of the upper limb are reported. Four cases presented with a low grade aggressive for and one case was chronic. Seven fulminating cases resulted in two deaths. These different presentations are in fact different stages of the same disease which is a group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal necrotizing infection of the subcutaneous tissue. It is a medical emergency in which surgery is the main treatment. In cases seen early, surgery helps by making an early diagnosis by showing the typical appearance of the subcutaneous tissue and by isolating organisms in wound culture. In fulminant cases, only extensive surgical debridement can control infection. Delayed or incomplete radical excision may lead to disseminated infection. Infection spreading beyond one upper limb worsens the vital prognosis.

Emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in cases of peritonitis after intraabdominal surgery affects the efficacy of empirical antimicrobial therapy.

In cases of community-acquired peritonitis, the adequacy of emprical antibiotic treatment has been shown to attenuate mortality and morbidity. The impact of empirical antibiotics on the outcome of postoperative peritonitis has never been evaluated. This study included 100 consecutively studied patients with postoperative peritonitis. The adequacy of emprical treatment was determined by means of culture and susceptibility data obtained at the time of reoperation, and the effect of such treatment on outcome was evaluated. One hundred resistant pathogens were isolated from 70 patients, of whom 45% died; by comparison, mortality among those from whom susceptible organisms were isolated was 16% (P < .05). Inadequate empirical treatment was administered to 54 patients and was associated with poorer outcome (P < or = .05). The outcome of postoperative peritonitis is affected by the choice and adequacy of the initial empirical antibiotic therapy. Late changes in antibiotic therapy based on culture results did not affect outcome when the initial regimen was inadequate.

Variations in plasma thyroxine-binding prealbumin (TBPA) in relation to other circulating proteins in post-operative patients during rapid oral refeeding.

Variations in plasma thyroxine-binding prealbumin (TBPA) were investigated in 15 well-nourished patients who underwent minor orthopaedic surgery and resumed normal oral feeding on the first post-operative day. TBPA fluctuations were analysed together with those of other nutritional and inflammatory markers including albumin (ALB), some acute-phase reactant proteins, C-reactive protein (CRP), orosomucoid also named alpha 1-acid-glycoprotein (alpha 1GP), alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1AT) as well as cortisol and haematocrit. Measurements were conducted the day before operation, after the administration of anaesthesia, 2 h after the patient regained consciousness and then daily for a period of one week (days 1 to 7). Assays showed that TBPA and ALB levels began to decline by day 1 reaching minimum values by day 3 (with 35 and 15 per cent total decreases respectively compared to the initial levels). CRP levels began to rise on day 1 reaching maximum levels by day 2, alpha 1 GP and alpha 1 AT started to increase on day 1 and 2 respectively and displayed maximum concentrations by day 3. Cortisol, on the other hand, showed a rapid, yet short-lived increase after the patient regained consciousness on the day of operation. Haematocrit levels decreased from day 1 to day 3 and these low values were maintained until the end of the study. Aside from cortisol and CRP, the initial levels of the other parameters were not yet restored by day 7. These results show that despite an early return to normal oral feeding in post-operative patients, the commonly observed pattern of variation in TBPA levels persisted, indicating that such a pattern seems to be mainly influenced by stress-induced post-operative responses rather than by nutritional supply.

Bronchoalveolar lavage for rapid diagnosis of the fat embolism syndrome in trauma patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of bronchoalveolar lavage in establishing the diagnosis of the fat embolism syndrome in trauma patients with long-bone fractures. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Referral hospital. PATIENTS: Eighteen trauma patients with long-bone fractures, including 5 with definite fat embolism syndrome, 5 in whom the diagnosis had been clinically suspected but was impossible to confirm or exclude before bronchoscopy, and 8 with no clinical evidence of the syndrome. Control groups included 9 patients without previous trauma who developed the adult respiratory distress syndrome for various reasons and 15 normal volunteers. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Each patient had fiber-optic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage, and the percentage of lavage cells containing intracellular fat droplets stained with oil red 0 were determined. In the five patients with definite fat embolism syndrome, light microscopic study of bronchoalveolar cells stained with oil red 0 showed many large intracellular fat droplets (mean percentage of cells containing fat droplets, 63%; range, 31% to 82%), whereas less than 2% of cells recovered by lavage from trauma patients with no clinical evidence of the syndrome, from patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome, or from normal volunteers contained such inclusions. Use of the same technique in the five patients with possible fat embolism syndrome permitted the immediate identification of three patients in whom this diagnosis was later confirmed by subsequent autopsy or clinical follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of fat droplets within cells recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage in trauma patients may be a rapid and specific method for establishing the diagnosis of the fat embolism syndrome.

Control of a prolonged outbreak of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing enterobacteriaceae in a university hospital.

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBLPE) were isolated from clinical specimens from 130 to 140 patients/year in 1989-1991 in our hospital. In February 1992, a control program was initiated: screening tests in 3 intensive care units (ICUs) and contact-isolation precautions in all units. The septic surgical unit served as an isolation ward for surgical patients from whom ESBLPE was isolated. In 1992, the incidence of ESBLPE acquisition failed to decrease, and most acquisitions occurred in 3 ICUs. Critical evaluation of implementation of isolation procedures in these ICUs prompted corrective measures for barrier precautions. The incidence of acquired cases subsequently decreased, and a second evaluation determined that these measures had been correctly applied. The incidence of acquired cases in the septic surgical unit was lower than those in the other units. Decreases were also found in the incidence of acquisition of other hand-transmitted multidrug-resistant organisms. Barrier precautions, screening tests for ICU patients, and grouping of cohorts after ICU discharge are effective in controlling the spread of multidrug-resistant microorganisms by cross-contamination. The outbreak was effectively controlled without restricting antimicrobial use.