[Self-treatment of fever in the northern district of Dakar, Senegal]. / L'automédication de la fièvre dans le district nord de Dakar, au Sénégal.

Malaria is assimilated with its cardinal symptom, i.e., fever. Treatment of fever with antimalarial drugs is crucial to the prevention of malaria-related death in Senegal. The objective of this study was to analyze fever-treatment practices as a basis for making realistic recommendations for self-treatment in the northern health district of Dakar, Senegal. This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1 to April 30, 2003. The population included all patients with body temperature higher or equal to 37.5 degrees C (99.5 degrees F) associated with at least one of the following symptoms: headache, shivering, vomiting and diarrhoea. Study endpoints included demographic data and fever treatment modalities including the nature, dosage, and duration of the drugs used. Malaria was suspected in 180 of the 271 patients enrolled in the study. Treatment had already been undertaken in 134 patients including 108 (81%) who had initiated self-treatment. Drugs included antipyretics, antibiotics, and/or antimalarials. Antimalarial drug dosage was incorrect in 84% of those who initiated self-treatment. Dosage errors involved number of daily doses (55%), duration of treatment (13%), or both (32%). Only 45% of patients fully completed treatment. Medical advice was sought in 30% of the cases and drugs were obtained over the counter in pharmacies in 59%. Patients under the age of 15 years were significantly more likely to initiate self-treatment (p=6.10-6), to treat symptoms early, and to use an antimalarial (p=4.10-6). Although self-treatment shortened the delay between onset of symptoms and initiation of treatment, it is likely that indiscriminate and incomplete treatment is responsible for development of resistance to chloroquine in the northern health district of Dakar. Strategies must be adapted to numerous local factors influencing self-treatment including the availability of health-care services and drugs of quality. Special attention must be given to the improvement of antimalarial drug packaging and of the awareness of people that provide self-treatment drugs.

[The role of salivary gland scintigraphy in ear, nose and throat surgery (author's transl)]. / Apport de la scintigraphie des glandes salivaires à l'O.R.L. A propos de 70 observations.

Scintigraphy of salivary glands might appear to be a relatively minor test in the study of the morphology of the salivary glands and especially tumours. However, with recent technical progress, it is an extremely useful test in th study of the function of the principal salivary glands. Changes in salivary secretion in certain severe facial paralyses could become an interesting prognostic test; on this subject, the simultaneous abnormalities in sub-maxillary and parotid salivary secretion in these cases of paralyses poses a physiological problem. The study of salivary junction is indispensable in the exploration of aptyalia (in particular in the Sjögren's syndrome), and in sialosis.

[Post-traumatic sequestra of the liver]. / Les séquestres post-traumatiques du foie

The authors report 92 cases of trauma of the liver which survived initial operation and study the special problems linked to hepatic sequestration. They analyse the factors which favour the appearance of these sequestra and the methods of diagnosis using clinical, laboratory, arteriographic and scintigraphic data. Relatively frequent (8,4 p. 100), these complications require fairly early surgical treatment. They are commonly localised to the dome of the liver and this renders their approach difficult. A low postero-lateral thoracotomy with resection of the 10 th or 11 th rib, followed by sequestrectomy and drainage, seems to them ideal approach. The pleuropulmonary sequelae are minimal.

Use of finite-memory Wiener filters in scintigram processing.

Scintigraphic images are subject to two forms of imperfection: blurring due to the components of the detector (collimator, photomultiplier, analog processing devices) and noise resulting from radioactive disintegration. We use Wiener filters operating within a limited area of the spatial domain in processing these images. After defining statistical models of ideal image and degrading processes, we study the effects of parameters on filter features. Finally, we present examples demonstrating filter performance.

[Contraception during the first sexual intercourse: a survey concerning 467 female teenagers, 13 to 21 years in the Nantes area]. / La contraception au cours du premier rapport sexuel: enquête réalisée auprès de 467 jeunes filles de 13 à 21 ans dans l'agglomération nantaise.

More than 30 years after the legalization of contraception in France (Neuwirth law) it was interesting to access the sexual behavior and the practice of contraception of French female teenagers. It is with this purpose that this survey has been done in the city of Nantes in Loire Atlantique. 467 female teenagers, 13 to 21 years old, were concerned. Results point out that more of 75% of young girls who replied to this survey used one contraceptive method during the first sexual intercourse and condom is predominantly used. A few ambivalences stake out this life period, so preventive strategies have to be very specific in order to fight sexual transmitted diseases (STD) and AIDS.

[Hemostatic effects of the argon laser on the gastric wall in the dog. I. Preliminary study: effects of the laser on the normal gastric wall]. / Etude des effets hémostatiques du laser à argon sur la paroi gastrique du chien. I. Etude préliminaire: effets du laser sur la paroi gastrique normale.

The authors describe the pathological lesions caused by argon laser emitted rays on the healthy gastric mucosa in 22 dogs. They compare 126 photocoagulated areas while varying the intensity and the exposure time of the laser ray in order to determine the ideal constants of an efficient photocoagulation, devoid of risk and with rapid healing of the lesions.

[Hemostatic effects of the argon laser on the gastric wall of the dog. II. Effects of the laser on 53 hemorrhagic ulcers of the gastric mucosa]. / Etude des effets hémostatiques du laser à argon sur la paroi gastrique du chien. II-Effets du laser sur 53 ulcérations hémorragiques de la muqueuse gastrique.

The authors made a histopathological study of 53 haemorrhagic ulcers of the gastric mucosa of the dog, photocoagulated using an Argon laser apparatus (delivering a power of 6 watts at the tip of the fibre). Haemostasis was obtained in less than 10 sec. in all cases where photocoagulation was performed by small applications of 1.5 sec. to the edges of the ulcer. There were no cases of perforation or muscularis damage. Healing of the lesions was complete or well under way at 15 days.