Échographie et arrêt cardiaque intra- et extrahospitalier : mise au point et perspectives

Cardiac arrest is a frequent emergency for doctors and resuscitation teams. Patients displaying asystole or pulseless electrical activity are non-shockable. They have extremely poor outcomes. The use of sonographers might contribute to a better understanding of cardiac arrest (CA) etiology and facilitate its treatment. A systematic search in databases (NLM-Gateway^®, CNRS-INIST/Pascal^®, Science Direct^®, Ovid^®, and Bibliovie^®) of primary documents and notices allowed us to select clinical trial studies. Editorials, case report and animals studies were excluded from the analysis. The various physiopathological and semiological status revealed by echocardiography are useful to detect the aetiology of cardiac arrest. In the very first minutes following the arrest, a significant increase of right ventricle (RV) volume suggests a pulmonary thromboembolism or a RV infarction. After 4 min of CA, a physiological increase of RV volume is observed, in relation with the pressure balance between high and low arteriovenous pressures. RV and/or left ventricle collapses are straightaway pathological whichever due to pericardic effusion, pneumothorax or schock. A synthesis algorithm dedicated to care of CA, including transthoracic echocardiography for search of curable causes, is proposed. This algorithm fulfills the ILCOR, ERC and AHA recommendations. The echocardiography should be part of ACLS, nevertheless clinical studies are needed to assess its impact on morbimortality.     

Monitorage continu et automatisé de la précharge dépendance en anesthésie et en réanimation : intérêts et limites

Objectives

To describe preload dependence monitoring tools currently available as well as their limits and potential applications in the anaesthesiology setting.

Data source

References were obtained from PubMed data bank (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi) using the following keywords: fluid responsiveness, cardiopulmonary interactions, preload dependence, hypovolemia, cardiac output.

Data synthesis

When measured in optimal conditions, dynamic parameters are the best predictors of fluid responsiveness as compared to static indicators in patients under general anaesthesia and mechanical ventilation. These dynamic parameters rely on cardiopulmonary interactions and allow evaluating preload dependence and the ability of the heart to transform an increase in preload into an increase in cardiac output. Recently, it is possible to monitor these dynamic parameters either invasively (from the arterial pressure waveform) or noninvasively (from the plethysmographic waveform). These tools have intrinsic limitations. However, they have potential to be used for fluid optimization during anaesthesia.     

Rein et prééclampsie

During normal pregnancy, renal blood flow and GFR increase gradually until they reach a peak of about 150% of their normal values by the end of the 1^st trimester.     

Pancréatite aiguë et bradycardie

Acute pancreatitis is frequently associated with electrocardiographic abnormalities, including arrhythmias and repolarization. We briefly describe a male patient with a severe acute pancreatitis who presented several bradycardias during his hospitalization in our intensive care unit. The aim of this case report is to underline the probability of severe arrhythmias during acute pancreatitis, which can increase morbidity of this pathology. Despite many publications or reports, causes of increased EKG abnormities during severe pancreatitis remained unclear and are probably multifactorial. To prevent accidents or complications, patients with severe acute pancreatitis should have a continuous EKG monitoring.     

Foie et prééclampsie

HELLP syndrome complicates PE in 5 to 20 % of cases.     

Céphalées post-brèches méningées et blood-patch : aspects théoriques et pratiques

Objective

To review the current research and formulate a rational approach to the physiopathology, cause and treatment of post-dural puncture headache (PDPH).

Data sources

Articles published to December 2011 were obtained through a search of Medline for the MeSh terms “epidural blood-patch” and “post-dural puncture headache”.

Study selection

Six hundred and eighty-two pertinent studies were included and 200 were analysed.

Data synthesis

Resulting of a dural tap after spinal anaesthesia or diagnostic lumbar puncture or as a complication of epidural anaesthesia, PDPH occurs when an excessive leak of cerebrospinal fluid leads to intracranial hypotension associated to a resultant cerebral vasodilatation. Reduction in cerebrospinal fluid volume in upright position may cause traction of the intracranial structure and stretching of vessels. Typically postural, headache may be associated to nausea, photophobia, tinnitus or arm pain and changes in hearing acuity. In severe cases, there may be cranial nerve dysfunction and nerve palsies secondary to traction on those nerves. The Epidural Blood-Patch (EBP) is considered as the “gold standard” in the treatment of PDHP because it induces a prolonged elevation of subarachnoid and epidural pressures, whereas such elevation is transient with saline or dextran. EBP should be performed within 24–48 hours of onset of headache; the optimum volume of epidural blood appears to be 15–20 mL. Severe complications following EBP are exceptional. The use of echography may be safety puncture. The optimum timing of epidural blood-patch, the resort of repeating procedure if the symptomatology does not disappear, the alternative to the conventional medical treatment need to be determined by future clinical trial.