[Follow-up with the assistance of TB-info software of 208 tuberculosis patients who were treated in 2004]. / Intérêt de l'utilisation du logiciel TB-info pour le suivi des patients mis sous traitement antituberculeux: analyse des 208 patients de la cohorte 2004.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of the TB-info software was assessed on the care of patients treated with antituberculosis regimen (ATT). METHODS: Cohort study of patients with tuberculosis who received an ATT in 2004 in two hospitals and five medical centres in Paris. Follow-up was implemented with the TB-info software. Data were compared to those of the 1999-2003 cohort. RESULTS: Two hundred and nine ATT were initiated in 2004, with a mean duration of 7.2 months. Demographic and clinical data reflected this population precariousness: 79% were foreign-born, 25% lived in institutions and half of them had no or unusual health insurance. Compared to the previous cohort, viral co-infections were tested in more than 80% cases and showed association with HIV, HBV or HCV in 11, 10 and 5% of the patients, respectively. Twenty-one patients were lost for follow-up (11%) and 76% of the smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis therapies were declared successful but only 34% were declared cured with the WHO criteria. CONCLUSION: Analysis of the data obtained with TB-info software showed an improvement of tuberculosis patients care with more co-infection tested and less lost for follow-up. These results confirm the usefulness of this software for patients care and assessment of physicians practice in France.

Massive hemoperitoneum due to uterine perforation by the Bakri Balloon, during the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage.

The current case describes a very rare complication of Bakri Balloon during the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage; a massive hemoperitoneum with a hemodynamic shock, due to a migration through the right broad ligament, with an anterior uterine rupture, and an irreversible wound of the right uterine artery. This event occurred even if the unfold placement was controlled with ultrasound guidance, to a patient who has never had abdominal surgery (Cesarean section included).

Tuberculosis in European cities: establishment of a patient monitoring system over 10 years in Paris, France.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a persistent public health problem in European cities. France has been unable to report on treatment outcomes until now, and it is not known whether the World Health Organization (WHO) target cure rate of 85% has been met. METHODS: All patients placed under treatment in four hospitals and five out-patient Social Medical Centres in Paris were followed up between 1996 and 2005. Patient monitoring and evaluation were performed using a new software programme, TB-INFO. RESULTS: In a cohort of 1127 patients, 76% had pulmonary TB, of whom 39% were smear-positive, 81% were foreign-born and 9.3% were human immunodeficiency virus positive. At the end of the follow-up, 16% were cured and 54% had completed treatment. Among the 1118 non-multidrug-resistant patients, these percentages were 17% and 46%, respectively, for smear-positive pulmonary patients. Some patients died (1.9%) or failed treatment (0.1%), but many more defaulted (20.5%) as they interrupted treatment (1.5%), were lost to follow-up (19.5%) or were transferred out (7.9%). CONCLUSIONS: This 10-year follow-up of TB patients, managed with TB-INFO software, shows that a patient monitoring system can be implemented in France, providing essential information. Treatment success in this cohort of patients was far below the WHO target.

Heat, cold and inflammation.

Although therapeutic heat and cold measures are widely used in rheumatic diseases, their application in joint inflammations is still broadly empirical. Animal experiments concerning the effects of systemic hyperthermia and of local heat and cold applications upon experimentally induced inflammations (dextran edema, formol edema, kaolin edema, carrageenan edema, adjuvant arthritis) show that some inflammations are significantly depressed, i.e. they are effected by a useful therapeutic influence, but that cold and heat can also act as enhancing inflammatory stimulus. Under certain conditions, whole-body hyperthermia has immuno-suppressive effects. Although the exact points of intervention of heat and cold investigations, acute exsudative inflammations seem to be better influenced by cold; on the contrary, chronic torpid and proliferous inflammations are better influenced by heat. Prostaglandin mediated inflammations can be aggravated by cold, because it stimulates the prostaglandin synthesis; acute exsudative inflammatory processes are most often aggravated by heat. These results show that both therapeutic agents should be applied within a well-defined range and with care.

[Rifampicin, pregnancy, hormonal contraception, menopause and aging]. / Rifampicine, gestation, contraception hormonale, ménopause et sénescence.

PIP: Rifampicin (usually 600 mg per day, with ethambutol 1 gm or isoniazide) was given to 106 patients with tuberculosis: 6 during pregnancy, 4 of whom were taking estrogen and progestagens for hormonal imbalance , 14 women taking oral contraceptives or steroids, 25 women with increased estrogen levels, and 5 elderly women taking testosterone. Particular attention was paid to liver function considering reports of jaundice in pregnancy, oral contraception, and use of rifampicin with isoniazide. The 6 pregnancies resulted in 5 normal infants (1 with meconium staining) and 1 fetal death at 6 months. During pregnancy there were 3 incidents of elevated serum glutamic-pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) 30-150 units, and 1 of liver toxicity. The authors' concluded that there was no proof that rifampicin caused the hormonal imbalance or fetal death, and it can be prescribed safely, especially after the first 3 months. In 12 progestagen and estrogen users, there were 1 jaundice treated by stopping rifampicin but not the pill, and 4 incidents of elevated SGPT of 35-90 units. The authors recommended following those taking pills and rifampicin with regular SGPT tests. 5 patients received cyclofenil, 400 or 800 mg per day, in addition to rifampicin to induce ovulation or treat menopausal symptoms: this resulted in 1 case of hepatic toxicity. Cyclofenil is preferred over estrogen for treating menopausal symstoms in patients on rifampicin. 5 postmenopausal women received methyl-testosterone and ethinyl estradiol without any change in SGPT.^ieng