Choc anaphylactique au latex en cours de césarienne : à propos de deux cas survenus en Guadeloupe

We report the cases of two patients who experienced anaphylactic shock during Caesarean section over a five-year period in Guadeloupe (French West Indies). Outcome was good in both cases after adequate resuscitation and postevent analysis showed latex responsibility as causal agent. Consistently with others findings, these cases suggest a high incidence and severity of latex anaphylactic reactions during caesarean section. Moreover, in West Indies, latex sensitization may occur more frequently due to contact with the Hevea brasiliensis tree or tropical fruits. Further epidemiological studies focusing on tropical overseas territories and on gyneco-obstetrical procedures are needed to confirm these trends. Such data are needed to evaluate the need and cost-effectiveness of primary prevention strategies such as latex withdrawal from maternity wards.     

Techniques de dialyse en réanimation pédiatrique

In pediatric intensive care unit, the available modalities of acute renal replacement therapy include intermittent hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and continuous renal replacement therapies. No prospective studies have evaluated to date the effect of dialysis modality on the outcomes of children. The decision about dialysis modality should therefore be based on local expertise, resources available, and the patient's clinical status. Poor hemodynamic tolerance of intermittent hemodialysis is a common problem in critically ill patients. Moreover, many pediatric intensive care units are not equipped with dedicated water circuit. Peritoneal dialysis, a simple and inexpensive alternative, is the most widely available form of acute renal replacement therapy. However, its efficacy may be limited in critically ill patients. The use of continuous renal replacement therapy permits usually to reach a greater estimated dialysis dose, a better control of fluid balance, and additionally, to provide adequate nutrition.     

Conditions de prise de décision d’admission ou de non admission en réanimation chirurgicale

Objectives

To describe the condition of the decision-making of admission and non-admission in intensive care unit.

Study design

Non-interventional observational cohort.

Patients and methods

Retrospective analysis of declarative terms of decision-making of patients admitted or denied in a surgical intensive care unit. The decision-making in the two admitted or not admitted troops was compared.

Results

That it is during a non-admission (149 decisions) or of an admission (149 decisions), the decision-making process was not very different. The instruction of the files was regarded as collegial in nearly 80% of the cases by the intensivist in load. The dialogue precedent the decision utilized generally several speakers but who could be residents. The participation of the patient and/or his close relations, as that of the ancillary medical personnel was rare. No person of confidence or anticipated directive was quoted. More than 50% of the decisions were taken within a time lower than 30 minutes. The decisions of non-admission were considered to be more difficult than the decisions of admission. Traceability was not automatically given.

Conclusion

Thus, this study shows that in its current form the intensivists of the service estimate that in the majority of the cases the instruction of the files was collegial. However, the conditions of seniorisation of the decision, the collection of opinion of the patient and/or his close relations and the traceability are tracks of improvement to be implemented in certain circumstances of admission or non-admission.     

Prise en charge de la prééclampsie dans un réseau de périnatalité

At community level, the perinatal management can be summarized as follows:     

Aspects médicolégaux de la prise en charge de la prééclampsie

When analyzing various recommendations formulated by the colleges of specialty, as well as precedents, the following guidelines can be formulated with respect to communication as part to the management of PE.     

Prise en charge anesthésique des patients porteurs de myotonie de Steinert : à propos de deux cas cliniques

Steinert disease, the most common myopathy in adults, is a challenge for anaesthesiologists and critical care physicians during the perioperative time. The risk of myotonic crisis, malign hyperthermia and the increased sensitivity to anaesthetic drugs shouldn’t be forgotten. On contrary, Steinert disease is rarely revealed in the postoperative period. It should be evoked in case of postoperative pulmonary complications such as difficult weaning with neurological symptoms like hypotonia or muscular weakness.     

Rôle de la génétique dans la variabilité interindividuelle en anesthésie

Objective

This review discusses variability among patients in anesthesia, due to genetic polymorphisms.

Data sources

Articles in French and English languages were retrieved from PubMed database. The initial request was “anesth* and (genotyp* or polymorphism* or genetic*)”.

Study selection

Original articles, general reviews and one case report. Letters were excluded.

Data extraction

Rare genetic diseases were excluded from the scope of this review. We stressed on frequent genetic polymorphisms that may have a daily impact in anesthesiology.

Data synthesis

Most results were related to pain studies. We selected various examples to describe how genetic polymorphisms impacts the pharmacology of a given drug, and what are the clinical consequences.

Conclusion

There is a growing field of pharmacogenetic related evidences in anesthesiology. The results from various animal and human studies underline the genetic origin of variability among individuals. How anaesthesists have to integrate these parameters for their daily practice is still unclear, but pharmacogenetic will obviously be a leading field of anesthesia research in the future.     

Principes généraux de la prise en charge hospitalière de la prééclampsie

The management of the PE patient requires admission in order to perform a meticulous assessment of the mothers’ and fetal state, distinguishing between the severe and the mild forms.     

Revues de morbi-mortalité (RMM) en anesthésie-réanimation : retour d’expérience au CHU de Nancy

Objectives

Assessment of the morbidity mortality conferences (MMC) durableness in the Anaesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Department of the Urban Hospitals of Nancy University Hospital; evaluation of the proportion of medical education in the corrective actions implemented, and research for improvement ways.

Patients

All the cases of death and near-death in the operating room and all the cases deemed to be instructive or useful for security improvement.

Method

Retrospective analysis of MMC activity since its initiation in 2005.

Results

Durability of MMC and good attendance rate have been sustained over time. As in the USA, MMCs result firstly in resident's education and continued medical education actions. Medical education actions represent 75% of all corrective measures, followed by changes in practices (62%), in procedures (48%) and in organisation (5%).

Discussion

The development process of a culture of the safety has been initiated and perpetuated. Some ways of improvement have been proposed: MMC must certainly be widened as well regarding to the categories of addressees, as the topics (any event deemed to be noteworthy for the safety of care) or the time scale of the analysis. Others propositions: preparation of the presentations with a colleague experienced in MMC; participation of external MMC experts; monitoring of local markers of security of care and of corrective measures efficiency; inclusion of MMC cases presentation in the trainees pedagogic objectives.     

Impact de la mise en place d’un réseau de soins en traumatologie sur la mortalité des patients traumatisés graves du bassin

Aim

To evaluate the impact of a regional trauma network on intra-hospital mortality rates of patients admitted with severe pelvic trauma.

Study

Retrospective observational study.

Patients

Sixty-five trauma patients with serious pelvic fracture (pelvic abbreviated injury scale [AIS] score of 3 or more).

Methods

Demographic, physiologic and biological parameters were recorded. Observed mortality rates were compared to predicted mortality according to the Trauma Revised Injury Severity Score methodology adjusted by a case mix variation model.

Results

Twenty-nine patients were admitted in a level I trauma centre (reference centre) and 36 in level II trauma centres (centres with interventional radiology facility and/or neurosurgery). Patients from the level I trauma centre were more severely injured than those who were admitted at the level II trauma centres (Injury Severity Score [ISS]: 30 [13–75] vs 22 [9–59]; P < 0.01). Time from trauma to hospital admission was also longer in level I trauma centre (115 [50–290] min vs 90 [28–240] min, P < 0.01). Observed mortality rates (14%; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI, [1–26%]) were lower than the predicted mortality (29%; 95% CI [13–44%]) in the level I trauma centre. No difference in mortality rates was found in the level II trauma centres.

Conclusion

The regional trauma network could screen the most severely injured patients with pelvic trauma to admit them at a level I trauma centre. The observed mortality of these patients was lower than the predicted mortality despite increased time from trauma to admission.     

Description de la prévention et estimation de la fréquence des erreurs de programmation de vitesse d’administration en continu des médicaments en réanimation par une application informatique

Objectives

To assess the usefulness and the feasibility to use a software supervising continuous infusion rates of drugs administered with pumps in ICU.

Study design

Follow-up of practices and inquiry in three intensive care units.

Material

Guardrails software^TM of reassurance of the regulations of the rates of pumps (AsenaGH^TM, Alaris).

Methods

First, evaluation and quantification of the number of infusion-rates adjustments reaching the maximal superior limit (considered as infusion-rate-errors stopped by the software). Secondly, appreciate the acceptance by staffs to such a system by a blinded questionnaire and a quantification of the number of dataset pumps programs performed with the software.

Results

The number of administrations started with the pumps of the study in the three services (11 beds) during the period of study was 63,069 and 42,694 of them (67.7 %) used the software. The number of potential errors of continuous infusion rates was 11, corresponding to a rate of infusion-rate errors of 26/100,000. KCl and insulin were concerned in two and five cases, respectively. Eighty percent of the nurses estimated that infusion-rate-errors were rare or exceptional but potentially harmful. Indeed, they considered that software supervising the continuous infusion rates of pumps could improve safety.

Conclusion

The risk of infusion-rate-errors of drugs administered continuously with pump in ICU is rare but potentially harmful. A software that controlled the continuous infusion rates could be useful.     

Intérêt de l’échographie en ALR pédiatrique

The use of ultrasonographic guidance for regional anaesthesia has known recently a big interest in children in recent years. The linear ultrasound probes with a 25 mm active surface area (or probes with 38 mm active surface area in older children), with high sound frequencies in the range 8–14 MHz, allow a good compromise between excellent resolution for superficial structure and good penetration depths. In children, the easiest ultrasound guided blocks are axillar blocks, femoral blocks, fascia iliaca compartment blocks, ilio-inguinal blocks and para-umbilical blocks, caudal blocks. They permit a safe and easy learning curve of these techniques. The main advantage of ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia is the visualization of different anatomical structures and the approximate localization of the tip of needle. The other advantages for ultrasound guided peripheral nerve blocks in children are: faster onset time of sensory and motor block, longer duration of sensory blockade, increase of blockade quality and reduction of local anesthetic injection. The use of ultrasonographic guidance for central block allows to visualize different structures as well as spine and his content. Spinous process, ligament flavum, dura mater, conus medullaris and cerebrospinal fluid are identifiable, and give some information on spine, epidural space and the depth between epidural space and skin. At last, in caudal block, ultrasounds permit to evaluate the anatomy of caudal epidural space, especially the relation of the sacral hiatus to the dural sac and the search of occult spinal dysraphism. Benefit of this technique is the visualization of targeted nerves or spaces and the spread of injected local anaesthetic.