[Obstetric anaesthesia in two patients with cerebral cavernomas: about two cases]. / Anesthésie obstétricale chez des patientes porteuses de cavernomes cérébraux : à propos de deux cas.

Prevalence of cerebral cavernous malformations is comprised in between 0.4 to 0.8% of the people. Anesthetic management of pregnant women suffering from this disease is often difficult. We have witnessed two cases of delivery concerning two patients suffering from a cerebral cavernous malformation, one with vaginal delivery under peridural analgesia and the other one with cesarean delivery under rachianesthesia. We recommend the realization of a magnetic resonance imaging the year before delivery. Without medullar cavernous malformations, perimedullar analgesia seems to be the preferred method of choice.

[Single-shot ropivacaine wound infiltration during cesarean section for postoperative pain relief]. / Intérêt de l'instillation pariétale unique de ropivacaïne dans la prévention des douleurs après césarienne.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficiency of single-shot ropivacaine wound infiltration during cesarean section for postoperative pain relief, using a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients with planned cesarean section were enrolled between September 2007 and May 2008 and randomized into two groups: single-shot wound infiltration of 20mL of ropivacaine 7.5mg/mL (Group R; n=56) or single-shot wound infiltration of 20mL of saline solution (group T; n=44). The primary goal of this study was the double-blinded evaluation of the postoperative pain after coughing and leg raise using the 100-mm visual analog scales (VAS) during the first 48 postoperative hours after cesarean delivery. The secondary goals were the occurrence of nausea and vomiting and the morphine consumption. RESULTS: Numerical pain rating scale for pain evaluation was significantly lower (P<0.05) in the ropivacaine group than in the control group at M0, M20, M40, M60, H2 and H4. But, at H8, H12 and H24, no significant difference for VAS was noted between the two groups. The occurrence of nausea and vomiting and the total morphine consumption were not significantly different between the two groups during the first 48 postoperative hours. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Single-shot ropivacaine wound infiltration during planned cesarean section is a simple and safe procedure that provides effective reduction of post-partum pain within the first 4hours.

[Delayed presentation of eclampsia: lessons from a case diagnosed at Day 11]. / Eclampsie retardée: leçons à tirer d'un cas survenu à j11 post-partum.

We report a case of late postpartum eclampsia at Day 11 in a 40-year-old woman after normal pregnancy and delivery. The delayed eclamptic episode is defined by seizures between two days and four weeks after delivery. About 40% of late eclampsia has no premonitory symptoms. This case highlights the possible diagnosis of late eclampsia even after normal pregnancy and delivery. Active and prompt management, brain imaging are mandating in cases of persistent headaches in postpartum.

[Incidence of biological tests requested outside of written medical prescriptions in digestive surgical intensive care unit]. / Incidence des demandes d'examens biologiques effectuées hors prescription médicale écrite en réanimation postopératoire de chirurgie viscérale lourde.

OBJECTIVES: Realization of biological tests in intensive care unit requires a written medical prescription. Requests of biological tests outside written medical prescription are sometimes observed. The aim of the survey was to evaluate their incidence and the reasons of these practices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was realized on a 14 days-period in a 8 beds intensive care unit of digestive surgery, in real situation and anyone was informed of the study. Nineteen patients were enrolled during the period of the study. RESULTS: A request of biological tests outside written medical prescription was found in 78% of requests of tests (89/114). The incidence of requests of biological tests outside written medical prescription was 27%. Several reasons could explain these practices. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that there is a high frequency of requests of biological tests outside written medical prescription and that several reasons could explain these practices in intensive care unit.

[Isolated severe neurologic disorders in post-partum: posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome]. / Troubles neurologiques graves isolés dans le post-partum: le syndrome d'encéphalopathie postérieure réversible.

Just after Caesarean section for twin pregnancy and feto-pelvic dysproportion, a woman presented severe headaches and arterial hypertension, then blurred vision, then generalised seizures. There were no oedematous syndrome, proteinuria was negative, ASAT were 1.5 N and platelet count was 120,000/mm(3). Cerebral CT-scan was normal. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) was diagnosed on MRI. A second MRI performed at day 9 showed complete regression of cerebral lesions, while patient was taking anti-hypertensive and antiepileptic drugs. PRES has to be evoked in post-partum central neurological symptoms, even in absence of classical sign of pre-eclampsia, like proteinuria. PRES and eclampsia share probably common physiopathological pathways. There management and prognosis seems identical.

[Preoperative betablockers use in vascular and thoracic surgery]. / Utilisation préopératoire des bêtabloquants en chirurgie vasculaire et thoracique.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate betablockers use and effect in the preoperative period in vascular and thoracic surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study concerning patients scheduled for high or intermediate surgical risk procedure (n = 321) in a French vascular and thoracic surgery department during 2002. Eligibility for betablocker therapy was defined as previously described for inclusion criteria in Mangano's Study (N Engl J Med 1996;335:1713-20). Therapy effect was evaluated with heart rate in the operating room. RESULTS: Forty-six percent (99/213) of eligible patients for betablockers were really treated in the preoperative period. In patients treated with betablockers, 40% appeared in the operating room with the most favorable heart rate (55-65 b/min). During surgical procedure, heart rate over 80 b/min was observed in more than 30% of patients with betablocker therapy. In patients eligible for betablocker therapy but untreated with these drugs, only 12% have received betablockers in the preoperative period. CONCLUSION: Betablockers underuse is important in the preoperative period, and effect on heart rate is rarely optimal. This fact should encourage physicians to apply protocols for perioperative betablockers administration.

[Septic shock]. / Choc septique.

Septic shock is the most severe systemic inflammatory response to infection. Despite recent progress in prevention and critical care therapy, this syndrome is the most common cause of death in intensive care units. Major advances have been realized recently in the understanding of septic shock. Cellular receptors involved in bacterial recognition have been identified as Toll-like receptors. After bacterial challenge, these receptors become activated and initiate in septic shock patients a biphasic immunological response associated with coagulation disorders. Genetic variability among humans and their predisposition towards pathologic inflammatory responses have also been demonstrated. These current views on the pathophysiological aspects of septic shock open new therapeutic perspectives which should change the prognosis of this syndrome.

Amplitude measurements of Faraday waves.

A light reflection technique is used to measure quantitatively the surface elevation of Faraday waves. The performed measurements cover a wide parameter range of driving frequencies and sample viscosities. In the capillary wave regime the bifurcation diagrams exhibit a frequency independent scaling proportional to the wavelength. We also provide numerical simulations of the full Navier-Stokes equations, which are in quantitative agreement up to supercritical drive amplitudes of epsilon approximately equal 20%. The validity of an existing perturbation analysis is found to be limited to epsilon<2.5%.

[Dynamic left intraventricular obstruction after reconstructive mitral valve surgery]. / Obstruction dynamique intraventriculaire gauche après chirurgie réparatrice valvulaire mitrale.

A 71-years-old patient, undergoing mitral valve repair for degenerative valvulopathy and correction of pectus excavatus experienced a cardiogenic shock after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass. The shock occurred after calcium chloride administration and was unresponsive to inotropic drugs. Transoesophageal echocardiography showed left ventricular outflow tract obstruction due to systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve. Discontinuation of inotropic drugs and volume expansion restored the haemodynamic status. By its haemodynamic effects calcium chloride can cause left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, recognized by transoesophageal echocardiography.

Selective repopulation of normal mouse liver by Fas/CD95-resistant hepatocytes.

Hepatocyte transplantation might represent a potential therapeutic alternative to liver transplantation in the future; however, transplanted cells have a limited capacity to repopulate the liver, as they do not proliferate under normal conditions. Recently, studies in urokinase (uPA) transgenic mice and in fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH)-deficient mice have shown that the liver can be repopulated by genetically engineered hepatocytes harboring a selective advantage over resident hepatocytes. We have reported that transgenic mice expressing human Bcl-2 in their hepatocytes are protected from Fas/CD95-mediated liver apoptosis. We now show that Bcl-2 transplanted hepatocytes selectively repopulate the liver of mice treated with nonlethal doses of the anti-Fas antibody Jo2. FK 506 immunosuppressed mice were transplanted by splenic injection with Bcl-2 hepatocytes. The livers of female recipients were repopulated by male Bcl-2 transgenic hepatocytes, as much as 16%, after 8 to 12 administrations of Jo2. This only occurred after anti-Fas treatment, confirming that resistance to Fas-induced apoptosis constituted the selective advantage of these transplanted hepatocytes. Thus, we have demonstrated a method for increasing genetic reconstitution of the liver through selective repopulation with modified transgenic hepatocytes, which will allow optimization of cell and gene therapy in the liver.