[Is systematic iron supplementation justified during pregnancy?]. / Faut-il supplémenter en fer les femmes enceintes?

Considering that young women have a high risk of iron store deficiency, the iron supplementation is largely proposed during pregnancy. However, a selective supplementation reserved to anaemia women, must be preferred to a systematic supplementation which improves biological parameters of mothers but have no effect on newborns. Iron is a potentially toxic element and a not justified, supplementation could expose to high iron level and to an oxidative stress which is also observed in pregnancy pathologies (preeclamptia, gestational diabetes). Furthermore a non controlled increase of erythrocyte mass by iron supplementation could also alter the placenta exchange. As a precaution, iron supplementation may be reserved to anaemia women or with high anaemia risk. For others, nutritional advises must permit to reach iron recommendation.

[Effects of a sequential combination of estradiol valerate and cyproterone acetate on the functional properties of the arterial wall in menopausal women]. / Effets d'une association séquentielle de valérate d'estradiol et d'acétate de cyprotérone sur les propriétés fonctionnelles de la paroi artérielle des femmes ménopausées. Groupe d'étude clinique Climène paroi artérielle.

Several studies have shown that estrogen replacement therapy protects postmenopausal women against coronary artery disease. This protective effect has been ascribed to the hormone's effect on serum lipids, as well as a direct action on the vascular wall. Concurrent administration of a progestin to protect women from the risk of endometrial hyperplasia may alter the protective effects of estrogen. The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of the endothelial function in postmenopausal women given a sequential combination of oral 2 mg estradiol valerate for 11 days, followed by 2 mg estradiol valerate associated with 1 mg cyproterone acetate for ten days (Climène). Each 21-day sequence was followed by a seven-day treatment-free interval. The women received a three-month treatment course. Thirty-one healthy postmenopausal women participated in the study (median age: 51 years; range: 45-59 years). Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), a reflection of endothelium-dependent vasomotor function, increased from 8.47% at baseline (range: 4.57-11.02%) to 9.64% (range: 7.07-13.12%) at the end of the first treatment cycle; i.e., a 15% increase over baseline (P < 0.0001). FMD further increased after three treatment cycles to 10.59% (range: 8.09-15.22%); i.e., a 28.6% increase over baseline (P < 0.0001). FMD at the end of the first combined sequence or after the 11 days of estradiol only were similar (delta = 0.25%; range: -2.31-5.81%; not significant). In conclusion, in postmenopausal women, a three-month sequential treatment combining estradiol valerate and estradiol valerate plus cyproterone acetate (Climène) has beneficial effects on endothelial function as demonstrated by the evolution of the FMD. There was no decrease in the effect of estradiol on FMD when cyproterone acetate was added to estradiol.

Preparing cytotoxic agents in an isolator.

The design of an isolator and its use by an oncology satellite pharmacy for preparing cytotoxic drugs are described. The isolator (Iso Concept, Boulogne, France) is a totally enclosed ventilated biological-safety cabinet of class III polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with positive air pressure, a half-suit with a rotating seal, and attached neoprene gloves. There are three work-stations, one for the half-suit and two along one side of the isolator. The ventilation and air filtration system consists of one entry pipe with a full ventilation-filtration box fitted with one prefilter, one blower, one ball valve, one high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, one airtight nipple connected to an automatic sterilizer, alarms, and one exhaust pipe protected by a HEPA filter. The air lock consists of a rigid, transparent Plexiglas pass-through. The chamber is sterilized with heated compressed air mixed with 3.5% peracetic acid. Maintenance includes regular changing of gloves and HEPA filters; checking of the integrity of the PVC, half-suit, and gloves; and washing and decontamination procedures. Preparation of cytotoxics is planned in advance with prescription data and manufacturing sheets. In the half-suit, a pharmacy technician reads the label, supervises preparation of the sterile admixture, and writes a label. The operators on the side of the unit read the manufacturing sheet and prepare the dose identified by the label.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Acute idiopathic dilatation of the right colon or Ogilvie's syndrome. Apropos of a case encountered after cesarean section]. / La dilatation aiguë idiopathique du côlon droit ou syndrome d'Ogilvie. A propos d'un cas rencontré après une césarienne.

The syndrome of acute colectasia of the right colon following a caesarean section is a rare disease observed and described for the first time by Ogilvie in 1948. Many etiopathological hypotheses have been formulated but recent studies demonstrate the role of the neuro-vegetative nervous system, causing the functional obstacle responsible for the idiopathic right colon dilatation. The clinical picture of low obstruction is seldom typical, as in our case; however, the abdominal X-Ray easily confirms the diagnosis, since the caecal distention may exceed 10 cm in diameter. Most of the time, the prognosis is favorable after aspiration via colonoscopy; caecal perforation is always the spontaneous outcome, due to the "vicious cycle" perpetuating the functional obstruction.

[Role of zinc deficiency in the etiology of neural tube malformations]. / Place de la carence en zinc dans l'étiologie des malformations du tube neural.

The authors study the hypothesis of zinc deficiency as an etiology of malformations of the neural tube. This hypothesis is based on several facts: decrease of maternal zinc levels in this disease found by many authors, malformations of the neural tube induced by experimental deficiency in several animal species, zinc membrane transfer disorders found in fibroblasts cultures in affected newborns. Numerous zinc related biochemical mechanisms could explain this effect. But the most interesting would a disturbance of folate metabolism. In fact, neither a strict isolated zinc deficiency nor a strict folate deficiency can clearly explain these malformations. On the contrary, an interaction, genetic as well as nutritional, between these nutrients would explain these anomalies.

[Acute epididymitis and antibiotherapy. Measurement of the epididymal diffusion of pefloxacin]. / Epididymites aiguës et antibiothérapie Mesure de la diffusion épididymaire de la péfloxacine.

Acute epididymitis is a common infection in the young sexually active adult. Etiologically, the organisms most frequently found are Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhea and gram negative bacilli. Pefloxacin is a novel quinolone whose antibacterial spectrum and bactericidal activity allow it to be considered for use in the treatment of orchitis and epididymitis Prior to clinical study the authors investigated the degree of epididymal diffusion of Pefloxacin. Ten subjects underwent extraction of an epididymal sample by direct access to the epididymis through a transverse scrotal incision under peridural anesthesia. Three days before surgery, Pefloxacin was administrated at the rate of 400 mg every 12 hours by the oral route. On the day of the operation, the subject receive a 400 mg infusion over one hour, 2 hours before epididymal biopsy. Blood specimens were also extracted. Pefloxacin assays were performed by HPLC following a method derived from that of Montay. The trough concentration of Pefloxacin inhibiting 90% of sensitive strains (MIC 90) is less than or equal to 2 micro-g/ml. The majority of sensitive organisms have minimum bactericidal concentrations equal to twice the MIC 90. The epididymal concentrations that the authors measured are situated at values of 8.15 to 21.80 miro-g/g tissue (mean 13.44). These data allow the use of Pefloxacin to be considered an option in the treatment of epididymitis.

[Maternal-child transmission of Chlamydia trachomatis. A prospective inquiry in 168 pregnant women]. / Transmission materno-infantile de Chlamydia trachomatis. Enquête prospective chez 168 parturientes.

A prospective study was performed in 168 pregnant women in order to evaluate the frequency of perinatal transmission of Chlamydia trachomatis and to measure its effects on the child's health during his first 3 months of life. The micro-organism was detected by an immunoenzymatic method specific to Chlamydia antigens, and microimmunofluorescence was used for serological testing. Cervical smears taken at the end of pregnancy were positive in 3 women (1.7 per cent), while the sera of 37 women were positive for Chlamydia trachomatis. Altogether, 26.8 per cent of the women explored had had a contact with the micro-organism. Conjunctival smears taken from 1 month old infants were all negative, but 4 infants (out of 126) had positive nasal smears. The mothers of 2 of these had been exposed to the bacterium, but all 4 mothers had negative cervical smears. Antibody titres in 3-month old infants were 1.2 dilution on average below those found in the mothers. Women exposed to Chlamydia trachomatis are frequently unmarried; their pregnancies tend to shorter than normally, and their infants have more frequent episodes of rhinitis. These peculiarities are insufficiently pronounced to single out a population at risk that might benefit from detection of the bacterium.