[Evaluation of management of infarction in the Franche Comté province by the use of the Franche Comté Cardiology Registry, May 2005-May 2006]. / L'évaluation des pratiques professionnelles pour la prise en charge des infarctus en Franche-Comté. Expérience d'une évaluation à l'échelle régionale par l'utilisation des données du registre franc-comtois de cardiologie, mai 2005-mai 2006.

RATIONALE: The management of acute infarction often necessitates a network of organisation between different centres, thus making it the object of an evaluation of professional practices (EPP). We report the experience in the Franche Comté province of an EPP at a regional level in the management of infarction. METHODS: All of the patients admitted to 10 of the 11 centres in the region were included in a prospective survey. Quality indicators for acute and chronic care were defined, as well as scores, on the basis of use of treatments specified in guidelines. RESULTS: Between May 2005 and May 2006, 1,170 patients were admitted. The patients' risk levels and quality scores were calculated. The rate of use of the quality indicators was higher in our survey than that observed in all of the published studies, except for the use of betablockers. The quality of care could therefore be considered as highly satisfactory. Comparison between the centres revealed some differences. Even after adjustment for the risk score on admission, the quality score for acute care was related to mortality at 1 month. CONCLUSIONS: An EPP is possible for the management of infarction, on a regional scale such as in the province of Franche Comté. The acute quality score turned out to be an independent factor for mortality. The indicators showed that the quality of care was highly satisfactory, even though more progress could be made in the prescription of betablockers.

Predictive value of admission hyperglycaemia on mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

RATIONALE AND AIM: In patients with an acute myocardial infarction, admission hyperglycaemia (AH) is a major risk factor for mortality. However, the predictive value of AH, when the risk score and use of guidelines-recommended treatments are considered, is poorly documented. METHODS: The first fasting plasma glucose levels after admission, risk level, guidelines-recommended treatment use and 1-year mortality were recorded. Patients with first fasting glucose level after admission > 7.7 mmo/l were considered to have AH. RESULTS: Three hundred and twenty patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 404 with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) were included. One hundred and seventy-five (24%) patients had pre-existing diabetes (diabetes group), 154 (21%) had AH (AH+ group) and the remainding 395 (55%) had neither diabetes nor AH (AH- group). The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score was lower in the AH- group, but the use of guidelines-recommended treatment was comparable in all groups. At 1 year, the mortality rate was higher in the AH+ group compared with the AH- group (18.8 vs. 6.1%, P < 0.01) and similar to that in the diabetes group (18.8 vs. 16.6%, P = NS). The relation between glycaemic status and mortality remained strong [AH+ vs. AH-, OR = 3.0 (1.5, 6.0) and diabetes vs. AH-, OR = 3.6 (1.7, 6.6)] after adjustment for the GRACE risk score [OR = 2.4 (1.8, 3.1) per 10% increase] and for treatment score [OR = 0.7 (0.6, 0.8) per 10% increase]. CONCLUSIONS: In patients without a history of diabetes, the presence of AH indicates an increased risk of 1-year mortality, similar to that of patients with diabetes, even when the risk score and use of guidelines-recommended treatment are controlled for.

[Study of a protocol of intra-articular analgesia after arthroscopy of the knee]. / Etude d'un protocole d'analgésie intra-articulaire après arthroscopie du genou.

The purpose of this study was to assess the analgesic effects of intra-articular injection of a morphine-bupivacaine combination following knee arthroscopy. 47 patients were evaluated. Knee arthroscopies were all performed under general anaesthesia, using propofol, alfentanil, isoflurane and nitrous oxide. Analgesic effects were evaluated by a visual analogic pain scale. Serum bupivacaine was measured during the first 8 postoperative hours. Analgesia was good in the immediate postoperative period, with minimal side effects. The serum bupivacaine levels were low. However the analgesic efficacy of intra-articular injection of morphine-bupivacaine should be corroborated through a double blind study.

[Cyanobacteria, their toxins and health risks]. / Les Cyanobactéries, leurs toxines et les risques pour La santé.

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) commonly occur in fresh and brackish water where they produce blooms under certain environmental and climatic conditions. Since some species produce neurotoxins, hepatotoxins, cytotoxins, and endotoxins, blooms can be hazardous for animal and human health. Several cases of human cyanobacterial poisoning have been documented, but accurate assessment of the risk is difficult for lack of knowledge concerning exposure levels and the incidence of this kind of poisoning. Most human cases have been reported after oral consumption of contaminated drinking water or swimming in recreation waters where blooms have occurred. Further study is needed to evaluate and manage this risk, especially in regions dependent on surface water for drinking and recreational water areas. This is especially true in tropical and intertropical areas where climatic conditions promote occurrence of cyanobacteria blooms and nothing is known of the impact on public health.