Multicentre, prospective, double-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial comparing different non-opioid analgesic combinations with morphine for postoperative analgesia: the OCTOPUS study.

BACKGROUND: Head-to-head comparisons of combinations of more than one non-opioid analgesic (NOA) with morphine alone, for postoperative analgesia, are lacking. The objective of this multicentre, randomised, double-blind controlled trial was to compare the morphine-sparing effects of different combinations of three NOAs-paracetamol (P), nefopam (N), and ketoprofen (K)-for postoperative analgesia. METHODS: Patients from 10 hospitals were randomised to one of eight groups: control (C) received saline as placebo, P, N, K, PN, PK, NK, and PNK. Treatments were given intravenously four times a day during the first 48 h after surgery, and morphine patient-controlled analgesia was used as rescue analgesia. The outcome measures were morphine consumption, pain scores, and morphine-related side-effects evaluated 24 and 48 h after surgery. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-seven patients undergoing a major surgical procedure were included between July 2013 and November 2016. Despite a failure to reach a calculated sample size, 24 h morphine consumption [median (inter-quartile range)] was significantly reduced in the PNK group [5 (1-11) mg] compared with either the C group [27 (11-42) mg; P<0.05] or the N group [21 (12-29) mg; P<0.05]. Results were similar 48 h after surgery. Patients experienced less pain in the PNK group compared with the C, N, and P groups. No difference was observed in the incidence of morphine-related side-effects. CONCLUSIONS: Combining three NOAs with morphine allows a significant morphine sparing for 48 h after surgery associated with superior analgesia the first 24 h when compared with morphine alone. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT: 2012-004219-30; NCT01882530.

[Cotrimoxazole Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia treatment failure: co-infection cytomegalovirus role?]. / Echec de traitement d'une pneumocystose par le cotrimoxazole: rôle de la co-infection par le cytomégalovirus?

Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia is a classic opportunist infection affecting AIDS patients. However it is less frequent since systematic prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapies. Treatment resistance is rare in France. We report the case of a severe Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia with treatment resistance to standard treatment and fatal outcome. The different causes of treatment resistance, notably the role of CMV co-infection, were reviewed and discussed.

Tracheal intubation of morbidly obese patients: LMA CTrach vs direct laryngoscopy.

BACKGROUND: LMA CTrach (CT), a modified version of the intubating LMA Fastrach, allows continuous video-endoscopy of the tracheal intubation procedure. We tested the hypothesis that the CT is efficient for tracheal intubation of morbidly obese patients who are at risk of a difficult airway. METHODS: After Ethics' Committee approval, 104 morbidly obese patients (BMI >35 kg m(-2)) scheduled for bariatric surgery were included in this prospective study. Patients were randomly assigned in two groups: tracheal intubation using direct laryngoscopy (DL) or the CT. Induction of anaesthesia was standardized using sufentanil, propofol and succinylcholine. Characteristics and consequences of airway management were evaluated. RESULTS: Preoperative characteristics of patients and consequences of anaesthesia induction on physiological variables were similar in both groups. Difficulty in facemask ventilation was similar in both groups. Tracheal intubation was successfully carried out with DL and CT. Forty-nine per cent of the patients from the CT group required laryngeal mask manipulation (ventilation and view optimization) resulting in increased duration of tracheal intubation by 57 s as compared with DL. Oxygenation was of better quality in the patients managed with CT than with DL. Blind tracheal intubation was mandatory in eight (17%) patients of the DL group, while tracheal intubation was seen in all patients of the CT group. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the CT was an efficient airway device for ventilation and tracheal intubation in case of a difficult airway in morbidly obese patients.