B-mode ultrasound in the diagnosis of maxillary sinusitis in intensive care unit.

Radiological maxillary sinusitis (RMS) is not an easily diagnosed in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). B-mode ultrasound of paranasal sinuses, validated for the ambulatory patients, was evaluated in a prospective study. One hundred fifty three ultrasound examinations were performed on 30 critically ill patients and compared to CT scan or radiography (Blondeau's view). Two levels of positive echographia are described: positive echographia corresponding with a moderate lesion, cupuliform echographia when the lesion is more significant. Its good predictive negative value when the echographia is negative and its predictive positive value of 100% when the echographia is cupuliform allow to recommend B-mode ultrasound as the best investigation for the diagnosis of maxillary sinusitis in a ICU. Diagnostic ultrasound represents a rapid, painless, innocuous and easily reproducible means of monitoring.

[Conduction anesthesia and analgesia in emergency cases. From pain to its treatment]. / Anesthésie loco-régionale et analgésie en situation d'urgence. De la douleur à son traitement.

The study of pathophysiological and symptomatological characteristics of pain in emergency situations, and of its harmful consequences, shows that, in spite of a difficult context, analgesia is an essential part of the care to patients during the prehospital stage. Its prescription implies a good knowledge of analgesia techniques, including precise rules such as titration. The choice of analgesia must be the outcome of a rigorous step giving priority to the vital functions and associating several techniques. Regional anaesthesia is not very often used in prehospital emergency but rather in emergency units and in the surgical ward. Analgesia must be adapted, mainly to specific situations in emergency: children, old people, burned people with pain.

[Oxygen supply in war times. Current perspectives]. / L'alimentation en oxygène en temps de guerre. Perspectives actuelles.

The authors report their experience of the use of various sources of oxygen feeding in wartime: a classical feeding by liquid oxygen or by extractive oxygen cylinders; a new type of feeding by oxygen condensers or chemical oxygen. According to their practical experience, each source finds its role in wartime, this role being determined by war conditions.

[Chatergee syndrome and anesthesia. Apropos of a case]. / Syndrome de Chattergee et anesthésie. A propos d'un cas.

A combination of complete left bundle branch block (LBBB) and symmetrical negative T waves on the ECG characterizes the Chattergee syndrome. This pattern is infrequently and fortuitously detected in the absence of clinical symptoms. However, when appearing during general anaesthesia, it may lead to diagnostic difficulties to rule out a myocardial ischaemia. One case of this pattern was observed near the end of an otherwise non-complicated cholecystectomy in a ASA II 45 year old man, ECG abnormalities lasted for only a short time. Recovery and outcome were uneventful. Investigations were negative except for an early LBBB during the exercise test. Echocardiography and coronarography were normal. No therapy was given. In such perioperative cases, it is recommended to keep a very cautious attitude and to search for an incipient coronary disease which cannot be completely excluded in some cases.

[Contribution of information technologies to assess and improve professional practice: example of management of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis]. / Apport de l'outil informatique dans l'application de protocoles : exemple de l'antibioprophylaxie chirurgicale.

INTRODUCTION: Information technologies appear to be interesting tools to assess and improve professional practices. In that setting, the management of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis represents an appropriate clinical area for using and evaluating such a tool. Despite the existence of guidelines in one hand and the demonstrated interest for a strict application of recommendations in the other hand, some irregularities in the management of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis remain in France in 2010. OBJECTIVES: Since we have had computer systems in our department for several years, we performed an evaluation of practice to assess the impact of both the computer-based help and the updating of knowledge in physicians as tools to improve the application of guidelines for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical audits. METHODS: Three clinical audits have therefore been performed before an implementation of computer-based help for clinical decisions and a clinical update for physicians, immediately after, and two years after this combined procedure (2322, 2678 and 2863 patients, respectively). RESULTS: There was an enhancement of clinical practices and compliance to guidelines secondary to the beginning of computer-based prescription (55 to 81%, P<0.05). However, a weaning effect was observed with longer intervals between clinical update and surgical procedure, in association with increased omissions of antibiotic prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: Computer-based help for clinical decision and prescription seems to be a useful tool for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis but it should be accompanied by direct regular educational measures to update protocols and databases.

[Cricothyrotomy for airways management: current data and interest for combat casualty care]. / La cricothyrotomie : données actuelles et intérêt de cette technique en médecine de guerre.

OBJECTIVES: To detail current data in cricothyrotomy and imperatives of airway management in combat casualty care. METHODS: Review of the literature in Medline database over the past 40 years. RESULTS: Modern armed conflicts, including guerrilla and terrorism, have changed the approach of tactical combat casualty care. The first medical support must be as close as possible to the battlefield, reducing casualties thanks to a quick intervention. Because of a lack of physicians on the battlefield, the first operator is often a paramedical staff trained to simple lifesaving procedures. The orotracheal intubation remains the gold standard for airways management, but often impossible because of the environmental factors of the battlefield. Therefore, cricothyrotomy may become an interesting choice in this case and not only an alternative for orotracheal intubation like in civilian practice. It provides an easy and safe underglottis airways access by a laryngotomy between the cricoid and the thyroid cartilages. Performed by paramedical staff, it is a strictly protocolized delegated medical prescription. CONCLUSION: This review of literature and the analysis of commercial kits prompt us to suggest safe methods that can be performed on battlefield. Surgical methods and MiniTrach II kit (Portex) seem to be particularly suitable for battlefield situations. An airways management algorithm for combat casualty care is also proposed.

[Imported malaria at Desgenettes Military Hospital in Lyon, France: a retrospective study of 115 cases from 2006 to 2008]. / Le paludisme d'importation à l'hôpital d'instruction des armées Desgenettes de Lyon en 2006-2008 : étude rétrospective de 115 cas.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this report is to describe the clinical, epidemiologic, and parasitological features and therapeutic modalities associated with cases of imported malaria managed at the Desgenettes Military Hospital in Lyon, France. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of the files of all patients treated for imported malaria in the emergency and travel medicine departments of the Desgenettes Military Hospital from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2008. RESULTS: The study included 115 patients (13 of them French armed forces personnel). Most cases (75.6%) were due to falciparum malaria. Only 28.7% of patients had taken proper malaria prophylaxis. Severe symptoms were seen in none of the ambulatory care patients versus 22.7% of the hospitalized patients. Quinine treatment was used for 67% of ambulatory care patients and 89.4% of those hospitalized. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiologic features observed in the patients described here are similar to those reported by the French national reference center for imported and autochthonous malaria. The frequent use of quinine for ambulatory treatment was not consistent with current guidelines recommending first-line treatment with atovaquone-proguanil or artemether-lumefantrine.

[Endoscopic management of broncho-pleural fistula in a patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome after pneumonectomy]. / Prise en charge endoscopique d'une fistule bronchopleurale chez un patient en syndrome de détresse respiratoire aiguë après pneumonectomie.

We report the management of endobronchial a patient admitted to the ICU for respiratory distress in the consequences of an surgical recovery of his left pneumonectomy complicated by bronchopleural fistula as part of a bronchial carcinoma non-small cell type adenocarcinoma. Endobronchial treatment by gluing of the fistula may be an alternative to surgery. We discuss its indication in the treatment of bronchial fistula.

[Acute obstructive epiglottitis in intensive care unit: which airway management strategy?]. / Epiglottite aiguë obstructive en réanimation : stratégie pour une intubation à haut risque.

Acute epiglottitis is an infection of supraglottic structures, with a high risk of life-threatening respiratory obstruction. We report a case of a 52-year-old patient who presented with a prehospital hypoxic respiratory arrest caused by obstructive oedema with a successful resuscitation. Laryngoscopy after a sudden unplanned extubation permits diagnosis of acute obstructive epiglottitis. The growing threat of laryngeal dyspnea prompts emergency tracheal airway protection, by means of the combined preparation of transtracheal oxygenation access and the use of fiber-optic laryngoscopy. This case report emphasises the airway management strategy successfully used in this patient.

[Acute renal failure related to urinary retention following haemorrhoidectomy performed under general anaesthesia and bilateral pudendal nerve block: a case report]. / Insuffisance rénale obstructive dans les suites d'une chirurgie hémorroïdaire réalisée sous anesthésie générale et bloc pudendal bilatéral: à propos d'un cas.

Anorectal surgery is associated with significant postoperative pain. Pudendal nerve blocks, formerly performed by surgeons, provides effective postoperative analgesia and allow a quicker recovery, which is quite important in the current concept of fast-track postoperative care. However, even for benign surgery with a safe anaesthetic technique, serious adverse events may occur. We report a case of acute renal failure related to urinary retention. Hidden by a prior history of urination difficulties, recognition of symptoms, following haemorrhoidectomy performed with bilateral pudendal block, was late. After complete recovery, electrophysiologic investigations found hypotonic, hypocontractile bladder.Therefore, before performing haemorrhoidectomy with regional anaesthesia, prior history of urination difficulties should be searched. The risk of urinary retention due to surgery and anaesthesia may be increased, as observed in this original case report.

Tachycardia and convulsions induced by accidental intravascular ropivacaine injection during sciatic block.

Ropivacaine, a recently introduced local anesthetic of the amide family (1), seems to show less toxicity than bupivacaine (2-4). Nevertheless, both neurologic and cardiovascular toxicities are possible. Six cases of ropivacaine-induced convulsions have previously been reported (5-10), of which three cases also showed cardiovascular toxicity. In three cases, total plasma concentrations were measured (Table 1).