Potential for Zika virus transmission through blood transfusion demonstrated during an outbreak in French Polynesia, November 2013 to February 2014.

Since October 2013, French Polynesia has experienced the largest documented outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKAV) infection. To prevent transmission of ZIKAV by blood transfusion, specific nucleic acid testing of blood donors was implemented. From November 2013 to February 2014: 42 (3%) of 1,505 blood donors, although asymptomatic at the time of blood donation, were found positive for ZIKAV by PCR. Our results serve to alert blood safety authorities about the risk of post-transfusion Zika fever.

[Phaeochromocytoma and pregnancy: anaesthetic management about two cases]. / Phéochromocytome et grossesse: prise en charge anesthésique, à propos de deux cas.

Phaeochromocytoma during pregnancy is an uncommon situation and there are only few reports on the anaesthetic management of these patients at the time of the caesarean section. These cases require a multidisciplinary collaboration. We reported two cases of parturient with late diagnosis of noradrenergic phaeochromocytoma. Caesarean section was made in both cases before the delayed surgical treatment of the phaeochromocytoma itself. We precisely described the hypertension management before caesarean section in both cases and the anaesthetic techniques used for the surgery: general anaesthesia in the first case and locoregional anaesthesia in the second one. General anaesthesia used to be the most described technique in the past years. However, some arguments seem to indicate that locoregional anaesthesia could be a better technique in terms of peroperative hypertension control and fetal morbidity. Moreover, magnesium sulfate should be considered as a first line treatment for the control of peroperative hypertension. Our second case is one more description of the use of locoregional anaesthesia in this particular situation, as it was previously poorly reported. Further studies are needed to definitely assess the superiority of locoregional anaesthesia in terms of morbi-mortality in this context.

[Impact of Cormack and Lehane's grade on Intubating Laryngeal Mask Airway Fastrach using: a study in gynaecological surgery]. / Impact du grade de Cormack et Lehane sur l'utilisation du masque laryngé Fastrach: étude en chirurgie gynécologique.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of Cormack and Lehane grade on the Intubating Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA-Fastrach) using in women. STUDY DESIGN: Open prospective study. PATIENTS: The study included 115 scheduled gynaecologic surgery women. METHODS: An LMA-Fastrach was systematically performed in patients with a Cormack's grade > or =3 or when Arne's score was > or =7 whatever the Cormack. After induction of anaesthesia and neuromuscular blockade, Cormack's grade was assessed and LMA-Fastrach was inserted. Proper insertion was confirmed by the easiness of assisted ventilation and the normal aspect of the capnographic curve. Intubation through the LMA-Fastrach was carried out with the specific kit's endotracheal tube. More than two attempts were considered as a failure of the technique and an alternative method was performed. The following parameters were noted: age, weight, height, clinical predictors for difficult intubation (Arne et al.'s score), number of LMA-Fastrach insertion, ventilation efficiency through LMA-Fastrach, successful intubation with LMA-Fastrach and oesophageal intubation. RESULTS: Ventilation through the LMA-Fastrach was efficient in 97%. The success rate of intubation was 94.8% (86% on the first attempt). The success rate of ventilation and intubation were not statistically different according to the different Cormack's grades. The obesity (BMI>30) did not change the success rate of ventilation and intubation through the LMA-Fastrach. CONCLUSION: In women with either predicted or unpredicted difficult intubation, the success rates of ventilation and intubation through the LMA-Fastrach don't seem to be influenced by Cormack grade and obesity.