Further experience with radiation therapy and concomitant intravenous chemotherapy in advanced carcinoma of the lower female genital tract

Sixty-seven patients with advanced carcinoma of the lower female genital tract (cervix, vagina, and vulva) were treated with radiation and concomitant intravenous cisplatin and/or 5-fluorouracil. Fifty-seven patients (85%) responded completely clinically. Thirty-five (61%) complete responders recurred with a median time to recurrence of 6 months. Twenty-six of the thirty-five patients who recurred had some component of local failure. The 22 complete responders who have not recurred have been followed a median of 13 months. Acute toxicity was minimal, with only 6 patients requiring interruption of therapy. Nine (13%) patients developed severe late complications and eight required surgery. The actuarial 5-year survival is 22%. This treatment regimen is disappointing in terms of both survival and local control.     

Increasing Maternal Blood Pressure with Ephedrine Increases Uterine Artery Blood Flow Velocity during Uterine Contraction

Background: During labor, ephedrine is widely used to prevent or to treat maternal arterial hypotension and restore uterine perfusion pressure to avoid intrapartum fetal asphyxia. However, the effects of ephedrine on uterine blood flow have not been studied during uterine contractions. The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of ephedrine on uterine artery velocities and resistance index using the Doppler technique during the active phase of labor.

Methods: Ten normotensive, healthy parturients with uncomplicated pregnancies at term received intravenous ephedrine during labor to increase mean arterial pressure up to a maximum of 20% above their baseline pressure. Peak systolic and end-diastolic Doppler flow velocities and resistance indices were measured in the uterine artery before and immediately after administration of bolus intravenous ephedrine and after ephedrine washout. Umbilical and fetal middle cerebral arterial resistance indices and fetal heart rate were also calculated.

Results: After ephedrine administration, mean arterial pressure increased by 17 +/- 4%. End-diastolic flow velocity in the uterine artery at peak amplitude of uterine contraction was restored to 74% of the value observed in the absence of contraction. The systolic velocity was totally restored, and the uterine resistance index was significantly decreased, compared with the values in the absence of contraction. Between uterine contractions, ephedrine induced similar but less marked effects. Fetal hemodynamic parameters were not altered by ephedrine administration.     

Infant feeding until the age of 4 months old in Seine-Maritime

This study reports infant feeding practices during the first 4 months of life. A representative sample of 10% of the births in the Seine-Maritime department formed the subject of a questionnaire cohort study carried on at home by public health institution for infants specialized nurses. Among 1,407 interviewed mothers, 52% had been thinking about their future child feeding before birth, essentially with their circles, especially their husbands. The type of feeding had been chosen before pregnancy in 64.3% of cases. Earlier choices resulted more often in breast-feeding. 46.2% of mothers tried to breast-feed their children, however 17% among them discontinued when back home. Carrying out breast-feeding (median duration 10 weeks) delayed the feeding diversification and was associated with a lower frequency of health difficulties in children.     

Major vascular injuries during gynecologic laparoscopy

Background:This study was undertaken to report our experience with major vascular injuries in gynecologic laparoscopy in order to specify the circumstances under which they occurred, the means of diagnosis, the risk factors, and the means for prevention.Study Design:Retrospective case review study.Results:Seventeen patients with 21 major vascular injuries were identified. The average age of the patients was 33.8 ± 11.6 years, and the mean body index mass was 21.6 ± 3.08 kg/m². Three of four of the accidents occurred during the set-up phase of laparoscopy (13 cases; 76.5%), and in 4 cases (23.5%) the accident occurred during the laparoscopic surgery procedure. Eleven (84.6%) of the complications occurring during the set-up phase were secondary to insertion of the umbilical trocar and 2 (15.4%) to insertion of the needle used to create the pneumoperitoneum (P-needle). Half (6 cases; 54.5%) of the major vascular injuries secondary to insertion of the umbilical trocar were observed when reusable trocars were used. In every case, the diagnosis was made during the operation. Two patients died, and two others presented a serious complication (phlebitis; acute ischemia requiring reoperation).Conclusions:Major vascular injuries are rare but serious complications of laparoscopic surgery. Prevention of these accidents relies on the surgeon’s experience and scrupulous respect of the safety rules. In the vast majority of cases, it is necessary to convert to laparotomy immediately, calling in a vascular surgeon.