L’électroencéphalogramme n’est pas un examen légitime pour la confirmation du diagnostic de mort cérébrale

PURPOSE: In France, legislation mandates that the clinical diagnosis of brain death be confirmed by one paraclinical test before organ donation is allowed. That test may be either the electroencephalogram (EEG) or cerebral angiography. We report a case in which the clinical diagnosis of brain death was first confirmed by two EEGs performed according to the French guidelines, but ruled out by cerebral angiography. Considering that the EEG is no longer recommended to establish the diagnosis of brain death, we discuss the relevance of maintaining the EEG for brain death diagnosis in France. CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 58 yr-old man was admitted to the intensive care unit because of coma secondary to a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage with herniation below the falx shown by computed tomography. Clinical criteria of brain death were rapidly present. Two EEGs first confirmed the diagnosis but a four-vessel cerebral angiography was finally performed because the patient moved spontaneously. This cerebral angiography showed flow in the right internal carotid artery. A computed tomography performed the next day definitely confirmed the absence of brain death and organ donation did not occur. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates the limitations of the EEG for this indication and suggests that angiography should be preferred. French legislation is probably maladjusted and would benefit by incorporating guidelines of other countries like Canada. International harmonization of criteria for brain death diagnosis would also be welcome.     

Lateral femoral condyle osteochondral fracture caused by a patella luxation: advantages and disadvantages of PLA fixation

A lateral patella luxation is occasionally complicated by an (osteo)chondral fracture. These fractures are usually located at the inferomedial part of the patella. In this case report we describe an osteochondral fracture of the lateral femoral condyle after a dislocation of the patella. The latter is a more severe injury because it involves an important weight bearing part of the knee joint. Refixation of the osteochondral fracture should be pursued. Various surgical techniques using nonresorbable materials have been described. We describe the advantages and disadvantages of refixation with biodegradable pin fixation for an osteochondral fracture caused by a patellaluxation.     

The value of bacterial culture during clean orthopedic surgery: a prospective study of 1,036 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether bacterial cultures of the wounds of patients undergoing clean orthopedic surgery would help predict infection. METHODS: During 1 year, 1,256 cultures were performed for 1,102 patients who underwent clean orthopedic surgery. Results were analyzed to evaluate their ability to predict postoperative infection. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the cultures were 38%, 92%, 7%, and 99%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Cultures performed during clean orthopedic surgery were not useful for predicting postoperative infection.     

A nationwide survey of excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson's disease in France

To determine the prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and that of dozing and sudden onset of sleep episodes (SOS) while driving in ambulatory patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in France, a national sample of private and public neurologists was asked to recruit the first 10 consecutive nondemented PD patients. Each patient completed a questionnaire including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the likelihood of dozing off and experiencing SOS episodes behind the wheel. Clinical and demographic data were collected. One thousand six hundred and twenty‐five patients with PD were included in the survey. Twenty‐nine percent of the patients suffered from EDS (ESS score ≥10) but only 0.8% declared a high chance of dozing while driving and 0.5% reported totally unpredictable SOS episodes while driving. Risk factors for EDS were male gender, reduced activity of daily living, and a high daily levodopa equivalent dosage. Risk factors for SOS episodes while driving were an ESS score ≥10, male gender, and low Hoehn and Yahr staging. EDS is common in ambulatory patients with PD and is a major risk factor for dozing and for SOS episodes behind the wheel in patients who drive. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society     

Progression of amiodarone induced cataracts

Amiodarone hydrochloride is a potent antiarrhythmic agent recently approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration. Anterior subcapsular lens opacities were observed in seven of fourteen patients treated with moderate to high doses of amiodarone at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in San Francisco in 1982. The present report summarizes the present status of these same fourteen patients ten years later. Anterior subcapsular lens opacities developed or progressed in all patients continuing treatment with this antiarrhythmic agent during the following ten year interval. Although Snellen visual acuities are not decreased, subtle visual impairment is present as measured by contrast sensitivity measurements with and without glare. This decrease in visual acuity is not a contraindication for therapy with this potentially life saving drug.