[Topical silver sulfadiazine-induced acute renal failure]. / Insuffisance rénale aiguë après application topique de sulfadiazine argentique.

INTRODUCTION: Prolonged topical application of silver sulfadiazine cream can induce argyria and adverse effects of sulphonamides. We report a case of a woman with acute renal failure following repeated applications of topical silver sulfadiazine on pyoderma gangrenosum wounds. CASE REPORT: A 61 year-old woman suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome and scleroderma was treated with corticosteroids (1 mg/kg/day) and topical application of silver sulfadiazine cream (200 g/day) for extensive pyoderma gangrenosum wounds on the legs. Three weeks later, the patient was transferred to intensive care because of pulmonary edema, oligoanuria and disrupted consciousness. Laboratory data revealed leukopenia (1100/mm(3)) with neutropenia and renal failure (serum creatinine 316 micromol/l). Proteinuria was moderate and ultrasonography of the kidneys was normal. Silver concentration in blood was 1818 nmol/l (N < 92 nmol/l) and 1381 nmol/l (N < 9 nmol/l) in urine. Sulfadiazine concentration in blood was undetectable. All the signs regressed after withdrawal of silver sulfadiazine and after several sessions of hemodialysis. DISCUSSION: Various causes of renal failure are discussed in our patient. However, direct silver-induced renal toxicity is the most likely and is confirmed by the high concentration of silver in blood and urine and the improvement on withdrawal of the topical cream, without modification in the oral treatment. The absence of red corpuscles and crystals in the urine and undetectable concentrations of sulfadiazine in blood are not in favor of sulphonamide renal toxicity. Furthermore, the autoimmune diseases of our patient were well-controlled. Leukopenia could be secondary to silver sulfadiazine medullar toxicity. This observation confirms that this topical cream should not be used for long periods on extensive wounds.

Compliance with triage to intensive care recommendations.

DESIGN: Recommendations for triage to intensive care units (ICUs) have been issued but not evaluated. SETTING: In this prospective, multicenter study, all patients granted or refused admission to 26 ICUs affiliated with the French Society for Critical Care were included during a 1-month period. Characteristics of participating ICUs and patients, circumstances of triage, and description of the triage decision with particular attention to compliance with published recommendations were recorded. RESULTS: During the study period, 1,009 patients were and 283 were not admitted to the participating ICUs. Refused patients were more likely to be older than 65 yrs (odds ratio [OR], 3.53; confidence interval [CI], 1.98-5.32) and to have a poor chronic health status (OR, 3.09; CI, 2.05-4.67). An admission diagnosis of acute respiratory or renal failure, shock, or coma was associated with admission, whereas chronic severe respiratory and heart failure or metastatic disease without hope of remission were associated with refusal (OR, 2.24; CI, 1.38-3.64). Only four (range, 0-8) of the 20 recommendations for triage to ICU were observed; a full unit and triage over the phone were associated with significantly poorer compliance with recommendations (0 [0-2] vs. 6 [2-9], p =.0003; and 1 [0-6] vs. 6 [1-9], p <.0001; respectively). CONCLUSION: Recommendations for triage to intensive care are rarely observed, particularly when the unit is full or triage is done over the phone. These recommendations may need to be redesigned to improve their practicability under real-life conditions, with special attention to phone triage and triaging to a full unit.

[Leptospirosis: a rare cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome in metropolitan France]. / La leptospirose: une cause rare de SDRA en France métropolitaine.

We report a case of acute respiratory distress with fatal outcome due to ictero-hemorrhagic leptospirosis. The association with an intra-alveolar hemorrhage suggested the corticosteroid therapy would be useful in this case.

[Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and hemolytic-uremic syndrome in adults. Apropos of 27 cases]. / Purpura thrombotique thrombocytopénique et syndrome hémolytique et urémique de l'adulte. A propos de 27 observations.

UNLABELLED: We report a series of 27 patients included on the basis of either thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) at renal histology (13 cases) or, in the absence of histology, non-immunological hemolytic anemia with schizocytes and thrombopenia (14 cas). The etiopathogenic treatment consisted in the administration of antiagregating agents (in all patients except 3 of group I because of the severity of thrombopenic), corticosteroids (1 case), intravenous immunoglobulins (2 cases) fresh frozen plasma (FFP) without plasma exchange (PE) in 7 cases and PE with FFP in 13 patients. According to the 6 months outcome, 4 groups were considered I: death due to neurological damage; II: chronic hemodialysis; III: partial renal recovery; IV: complete renal recovery. COMMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS: a/Patients with neurological complications have poor prognosis in spite of minor renal involvement and use of PE whose indication is validated in these cases. b/When renal involvement predominates, accelerated hypertension is linked to arteriolar or mixte type of TMA, exposes to an increased risk of hemorrhagic complications of the renal biopsy (4 out fo 5) which questions the usefulness of such biopsy (group II). c/TMA may precede cancer. It has per se a favorable outcome even when metastases are already present, warranting aggressive treatment.

[Acute kidney failure secondary to intravenous immunoglobulin administration. 4 cases and review of the literature]. / Insuffisance rénale aiguë secondaire à l'administration d'immunoglobulines intraveineuses. Quatre observations et revue de la littérature.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is currently used for an increasing number of indications where an immune-medicated disorder is suspected. It is considered as a safe and efficacious treatment but several cases of severe acute renal failure (ARF) have been described since 1987. We report four cases of IVIG-induced ARF and the literature on the subject is reviewed. The chronological and semiological characteristics of this rare adverse effect are analysed. A sudden and marked increase of serum creatinine within the 2 to 4 days following institution of IVIG therapy, especially when the patient becomes oligo-anuric, is very suggestive of IVIG renal toxicity. The recovery of renal function is often obtained in 10 to 15 days after discontinuation of the drug. Histological changes are characterized by osmotic nephrosis injuries. Patients generally presented numerous risk factors such as over 65 years, particularly in men, pre-existing renal disease, long-standing diabetes mellitus or hypertension, volume depletion, quick infusion rate, body-weight adjustment of IVIG doses in fat subjects. The mechanism of renal injury remains speculative but an oncotic overloading of kidney probably occurs. These results indicate the need for research and investigation of risk factors before starting IVIG therapy. Close monitoring of serum creatinine and diuresis should be carried out during and after treatment.

Role of metformin accumulation in metformin-associated lactic acidosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of metformin accumulation in the pathophysiology of metformin-associated lactic acidosis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We used high-performance liquid chromatography to measure plasma metformin concentrations in 14 patients who experienced lactic acidosis (pH < 7.35 and lactate concentration 5 > mmol/l) while receiving chronic metformin treatment. Their treatment was generally based on alkalinization and dialysis therapy. RESULTS: Clinical shock and/or evidence of tissue hypoxia was found in all patients with the exception of one who had a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced anuria. Ten patients had significant metformin accumulation (plasma metformin concentrations 4.1-84.9 mg/l, normal value 0.6 +/- 0.5 mg/l before drug intake), generally because of failure to withdraw metformin despite intercurrent pathological conditions affecting its renal elimination (serum creatinine concentrations ranging from 269 to 1,091 mumol/l). There was no metformin accumulation (plasma metformin 0.03-0.7 mg/l) in the four other patients, who had less severe renal failure (serum creatinine 140-349 mumol/l). The severity of the patient's general condition did not predict early hospital mortality (death before discharge from the intensive care unit) even in patients in shock. Whereas it was high in those without metformin accumulation (only 1 of 4 patients recovered), early hospital mortality was low in the 10 patients with metformin accumulation and was not related to its extent (3 patients died with end-stage hepatic failure or cardiac failure). Correlation studies showed a positive correlation between serum creatinine and plasma metformin and between plasma metformin and arterial lactate but, for the latter correlation, only in patients with metformin accumulation. CONCLUSION: Metformin-associated lactic acidosis is not necessarily due to metformin accumulation; true type B (aerobic) lactic acidosis, i.e., without an apparent associated hypoxic factor, seems exceptional. Neither the severity of the clinical picture nor the degree of metformin accumulation predicted survival; rather, the prognosis was dependent upon the severity of the associated pathological conditions.

Metformin-associated lactic acidosis in diabetic patients with acute renal failure. A critical analysis of its pathogenesis and prognosis.

To determine the respective role of metformin accumulation and tissue hypoxia in triggering metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA), we measured plasma (PM) and red blood cell (RM) metformin concentrations in 14 patients with MALA and in 58 diabetic patients on well-tolerated chronic metformin treatment. In this control group RM was 0.9 +/- 0.5 mg/l. In MALA, lactic acidosis was of comparable severity whether there was significant cellular metformin accumulation (9 patients with severe renal failure) or not (5 patients with less severe renal failure). Factors of hypoxia were found in all patients except three with isolated anuria and major metformin accumulation. Early mortality was low in patients with metformin accumulation (no rapid death with the exception of two patients with end-stage hepatic failure) whereas it was high in those with metformin accumulation (4 patients died rapidly). In conclusion, MALA is not always associated with metformin accumulation. The prognosis of MALA depends mainly not upon the degree of metformin accumulation but rather upon the severity of hypoxic factors.

[Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia associated with cancers. Symptomatic treatment by plasma exchange]. / Anémies hémolytiques micro-angiopathiques associées aux cancers. Traitement symptomatique par échanges plasmatiques.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the interest of plasmapheresis in the management of cancer-associated microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia (MHA) not due to cancer treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: [corrected] National retrospective study using the file of the French Hemapheresis Society. RESULTS: We isolated 6 patients (5 men and a woman aged 32 to 69-year-old) who had prostatic (4 cases) or breast carcinomas or Hodgkin's disease. Diagnosis of cancer preceeded MHA in 3 patients (from 2 to 4 years). Bone or bone marrow metastases were demonstrated in 5 patients. The clinical presentation included anuria (4 cases), bleeding (4 cases), and laboratory findings were consistent with microangiopathic haemolysis and thrombopenia in all cases and intravascular coagulation (2 cases) and/or renal failure (4 cases). MHA symptomatic treatment included 4 to 10 courses of plasmapheresis, extra-renal epuration (4 patients), anticoagulation (4 patients) and/or antiagregant (3 cases), haemodialysis (4 cases) and vincristine (2 cases). Cancer treatment consisted of antitumoural chemotherapy (2 cases) and/or hormonotherapy (5 cases). In all cases, haemolysis, thrombopenia and intravascular coagulation were controlled within 30 days. MHA treatment was effective alone in 3 patients. No relapse were observed in 3 patients whereas the course of cancer continued in 2 patients. Two patients relapsed and died from MHA after 4 and 36 months. Two patients relapsed and died from MHA within a few months and 1 was lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Symptomatic treatment of cancer-associated MHA including plasmapheresis may be useful while waiting for an aetiologic management of the tumour.

Pancreatitis related to severe acute hypertriglyceridemia during pregnancy: treatment with lipoprotein apheresis.

We report a clinical observation of acute pancreatitis due to severe hypertriglyceridemia in a pregnant woman. In order to decrease the serum triglyceride level rapidly, two lipaphereses were undertaken using the double-filtration technique. This lipoprotein apheresis technique is briefly described and the efficacy in reducing rapidly hypertriglyceridemia is outlined. Like in 3 previously published reports, the patient had a rapid recovery, confirming that lipoprotein apheresis should be an adequate and a well-tolerated treatment in such a condition.