Critical appraisal of organ procurement under Maastricht 3 condition.

The ethics committee of the French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (Sfar) has been requested by the French Biomedical Agency to consider the issue of organ donation in patients after the decision to withdraw life-supportive therapies has been taken. This type of organ donation is performed in the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium. The three former countries have published recommendations formalizing procedures and operations. The French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (Société française d'anesthésie et de reanimation [Sfar]) ethics committee has considered this issue and envisioned the different aspects of the whole process. Consequently, it sounded a note of caution regarding the applicability of this type of organ procurement in unselected patients following a decision to withdraw life-supportive therapies. According to French regulations concerning organ procurement in brain-dead patients, the committee stresses the need to restrict this specific way of procurement to severely brain-injured patients, once confirmatory investigations predicting a catastrophic prognosis have been performed. This suggests that the nature of the confirmatory investigation required should be formalized by the French Biomedical Agency on behalf of the French parliamentarians, which should help preserve population trust regarding organ procurement and provide a framework for medical decision. This text has been endorsed by the Sfar.

Consequences of brain damage in the public debate regarding the end of life. The mediatic prism: a reflection of reality?

For the last 20 years or so, conflicts on life-support have become the object of widespread media coverage. By focusing public opinion on the alleged physicians' unreasonable obstinacy, these publicized cases impact social debates on life-support. By these, they justify claims for the legalization of assisted suicide, specifically the practice of termination of life by lethal injection. Via a conducted survey of the various caretakers and families involved in this type of situation, we propose an analysis based on the different forms of unreasonable obstinacy. The reasonable or unreasonable nature of treatments can often be perceived differently by physicians, caretakers and families. At least 6 unreasonable obstinacy cases can be brought to light. Publicized cases always involve a conflict between the physicians in charge and the families who view the situation as unreasonable. Nonetheless, evidence shows that in these situations, the roles are often reversed, and the families are the ones demanding the use of unreasonable care. A typical example of this is a recent case that became the object of legal proceedings in France. As it turns out, the publicized filter does not reflect the true reality of cases involving unreasonable care. Specific procedures could aid in notifying the existence of such situations. The role of health care professionals (excluding physicians) appears to play an essential part in preventing these situations from happening.

[Euthanasia, assisted suicide and palliative care: a review by the Ethics Committee of the French Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care]. / Fin de vie, euthanasie et suicide assisté : une mise au point de la Société française d'anesthésie et de réanimation (Sfar).

CONTEXT: Management of the end of life is a major social issue which was addressed in France by law, on April 22nd 2005. Nevertheless, a debate has emerged within French society about the legalization of euthanasia and/or assisted suicide (E/AS). This issue raises questions for doctors and most especially for anesthetists and intensive care physicians. OBJECTIVE: To highlight, dispassionately and without dogmatism, key points taken from the published literature and the experience of countries which have legislated for E/AS. RESULTS: The current French law addresses most of the end of life issues an intensive care physician might encounter. It is credited for imposing palliative care when therapies have become senseless and are withdrawn. However, this requirement for palliative care is generally applied too late in the course of a fatal illness. There is a great need for more education and stronger incentives for early action in this area. On the rare occasions when E/AS is requested, either by the patient or their loved-ones, it often results from a failure to consider that treatments have become senseless and conflict with patient's best interest. The implementation of E/AS cannot be reduced to a simple affirmation of the Principle of autonomy. Such procedures present genuine difficulties and the risk of drift. CONCLUSION: We deliver a message of prudence and caution. Should we address painful end of life and moral suffering issues, by suppressing the subject, i.e. ending the patient's life, when comprehensive palliative care has not first been fully granted to all patients in need of it ?

[Critical appraisal of organ procurement under Maastricht 3 condition]. / Analyse critique du prélèvement en condition M3 de Maastricht.

The ethics committee of the French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (Sfar) has been requested by the French Biomedical Agency to consider the issue of organ donation in patients after a decision of withdrawing life supporting therapies has been taken. This category of organ donation is performed in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium. The three former countries have published recommendations, which formalize procedures and operations. The Sfar ethics committee has considered this issue and envisioned the different aspects of the whole process. Consequently, it sounds a note of caution regarding the applicability of this type of organ procurement in unselected patient following a decision to withdraw life supporting therapies. According to the French regulation concerning organ procurement in brain dead patients, the committee stresses the need to restrict this specific way of procurement to severely brain injured patients, once confirmatory investigations predicting a catastrophic prognosis have been performed. It suggests that the nature of the confirmatory investigation required should be formalized by the French Biomedical Agency on behalf of the French parliamentarians. This should help preserving population trust regarding organ procurement and provide a framework to medical decision. This text has been endorsed by the Sfar.

[Hypomagnesemia associated with hypocalcemia after undetected parathyroidectomy]. / Hypomagnésémie associée à une hypocalcémie après parathyroïdectomie méconnue.

A case is reported of hypomagnesaemia and hypocalcaemia occurring postoperatively in a 59-year-old man operated on for hypopharyngeal carcinoma which had extended to the upper extremity of the oesophagus. Surgery consisted in total pharyngolaryngectomy, ganglion curage, jejunal transplant, thyroidectomy and tracheostomy. Total parathyroidectomy was not mentioned in the surgical report. Hypocalcaemia was first noticed on the day following the procedure. On the tenth postoperative day, the patient became agitated and had myoclonia and muscle fasciculations. Nystagmus and orthostatic hypotension also occurred. There were no cardiac signs. Treatment with calcium alone was insufficient. These symptoms only disappeared once magnesium sulphate had been added.

[Direct re-instillation through endotracheal intubation tubes during enteral nutrition for short bowel syndrome]. / Réinstillation directe par connexion de sondes d'intubation endotrachéales lors d'une nutrition entérale pour grêle court.

Case report of a 65-year-old man, operated on for small bowel infarction. Only the initial 40 cm of the jejunum, and the last 10 cm of the ileum were vital and could be kept. The ileo-caecal valve and the colon were not resected. Two stomas were carried out: a left-sided jejunostomy, and a right-sided ileostomy. Enteral nutrition was attempted, but jejunal outflow increased. It was therefore decided to attempt re-instillation of jejunal juices directly to the ileum using two 33 CH endotracheal tubes connected with soft chest drain tubing. A bag was placed over the jejunal tube to collect any leakage. Semi-elemental enteral nutrition could then be successfully carried out, and parenteral feeding stopped. With this simple appliance, the patient was able to lead as normal a life as possible. After 42 days of such feeding, the patient had only lost 2 kg in body weight, and intestinal continuity was re-established.

[Recto-colonic and hepatic involvement in graft-vs-host disease after bone marrow transplantation]. / Atteinte recto-colique et hépatique lors de la réaction de greffon contre l'hôte aprés une greffe de moelle osseuse.

We report the case of a child suffering from a graft versus host disease after an allogenic bone marrow transplantation. He developed intestinal, hepatic and cutaneous symptoms. The outcome after treatment was favorable with a total normalization.

[Diaphragm of inferior vena cava associated with Budd-Chiari syndrome. Contribution of ultrasonography and color Doppler echocardiography]. / Diaphragme de la veine cave inférieure associé à un syndrome de Budd-Chiari. Apport de l'échographie et du Doppler couleur.

We report the case of a young man presenting clinical features of portal hypertension of unknown origin. The ultrasonographic examination showed suprahepatic blockage signs leading to the diagnosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome caused by incomplete diaphragm of the inferior vena cava. The color Doppler examination suggested caval obstruction, showing an abrupt shift from a laminar to a bosterous flux. Secondly cavograms and surgery later confirmed the diagnosis.

[Report of a case of post-radiation hepatopathy]. / A propos d'un cas d'hépatopathie post-radique.

We report the case of a 65 year-old woman treated by radiation therapy alone for Hodgkin's disease. She developed febricule, nonicteric cholestasis, and inflammatory syndrome two months after irradiation. The clinical record, biological and histological results allowed us to dismiss another etiology especially an hepatic location of Hodgkin's disease. Out come after a twenty months predominance of pathohistological abnormalities in the centrilobular region were in favor of a radiation-induced hepatitis.

[Alithiasic cholecystitis and viral hepatitis B disclosing periarteritis nodosa]. / Cholécystite alithiasique et hépatite viral B révélatrices d'une périartérite noueuse.

The authors report the case of a patient with acute alithiasic cholecystitis associated with viral B hepatitis revealing periarteritis nodosa. Histopathological results showed signs of focal arteritis in the gallbladder and liver. Because of the negativity of the viral DNA in serum and the lack of histopathological necrosis in hepatic specimen, the patient was treated by steroid therapy only with a rapid regression of signs of vasculitis and the disappearance of the hepatitis markers.

[Infectious complications after surgery of esophageal pathology. Apropos of 60 cases]. / Complications infectieuses après chirurgie pour pathologie oesophagienne. A propos de soixante cas.

Infections after oesophageal surgery are studied on sixty patients who received perioperatively two antibiotics (cefoxitin and amikacin). Postoperative infection rate is 62% (pneumopathies: 27%, leakage of cervical anastomoses: 17%). Different parameters which can induce postoperative infection are analyzed. The only significative data are the duration of total parenteral nutrition and of intensive care stay. The commonest isolated organisms are gram negative bacilli (61%) and streptococci (30%). Yeasts infections are frequent, and significantly correlated with antibiotic treatment duration.

[Block of the cervical plexus for the unipolar exclusion of a gastroplasty after bronchial fistula]. / Bloc du plexus cervical pour exclusion unipolaire d'une gastroplastie après fistule bronchique.

A 46 year old man was operated on for an oesophageal carcinoma. Total oesophagectomy and gastroplasty were carried out. Postoperatively, a fistula developed between the gastroplasty and the right main bronchus. This led to respiratory impairment, with pulmonary infection, pleural effusion and hypoxia; the patient could not remain supine. A cervical oesophagostomy was decided on; to carry it out, a cervical plexus block was preferred to a cervical epidural anaesthesia because of the lesser respiratory and haemodynamic effects of the former technique. The procedure was well supported by the patient, and no significant hypoxia was detected by continuous pulse oximetry. Artificial ventilation of this patient was therefore successfully avoided.