[Active management of the second twin for vaginal delivery: ruptured versus intact membranes. Apropos a series of 182 patients]. / Accouchement manœuvrier du deuxième jumeau: membranes rompues versus membranes intactes. À propos d'une série de 182 patientes.

AIM: The vaginal management of the second twin (T2) differs throughout our country. In 2009, the French National College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians released practice guidelines, with low-level evidence, encouraging active management of the second twin, using maneuvers with intact membrane. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In our level III labour ward, these maneuvers are systematically performed when the second twin is in a breech or transverse presentation and after ruptured membranes in most cases. We studied 182 twin pregnancies with active management of the T2 at more than 28 weeks of gestation, from 1st January 1996 to 31st December 2010, by comparing the membrane status during delivery of T2. RESULTS: The results did not show any significant differences between the two groups of patients concerning the neonatal or maternal results. The technique is feasible, even by residents. Our results show that total breech extraction of the second twin with ruptured membranes is feasible, which allows for reappraisal of the national recommendations. CONCLUSION: In our practice, it is possible to actively deliver the T2 with ruptured membranes without altering maternal and fetal prognosis and thus simplifying learning for young doctors.

Using WWW and JAVA for image access and interactive viewing in an integrated PACS.

We start from the observations that (1) potential benefits from PACS can only be realized if PACS and HIS are integrated into a 'multimedia medical information system', and (2) that this also requires integration at the level of the user interface. The user interface should allow integrated interaction with information from different subsystems, of which PACS is one. However, in the real world, different information systems are constructed using different technologies. Moreover, radiological image viewing is a highly interactive task that puts a particular burden on the graphical user interface. We describe our experiences in applying technology emerging around the 'World Wide Web' (WWW) for interactive access to an integrated PACS/HIS. We illustrate the use of Web browsers to access new medical services, touch technologies for interactive access to HIS-PACS information, and emphasize the potential of JAVA applets. We argue that JAVA may become an important tool for providing highly interactive user interfaces to larger multimedia information systems. We discuss Web technology in the general context of HIS/PACS integration.