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D Peyramond

Publications and source records attributed to D Peyramond.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

6-day amoxicillin versus 10-day penicillin V for group A beta-haemolytic streptococcal acute tonsillitis in adults: a French multicentre, open-label, randomized study. The French Study Group Clamorange.

We compared the efficacy and safety of amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d. for 6 days and penicillin V 1 MU t.i.d. for 10 days in the treatment of group A beta-haemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) tonsillitis in adults. 342 patients with acute tonsillitis and a positive test for streptococcal antigen were included in a multicentre, randomized, open-label study; 338 patients were evaluable in an intention-to-treat analysis, and 234 with a positive throat swab culture in a per-protocol analysis. In the per-protocol analysis, the GABHS eradication rate at the end of treatment was comparable in the two groups: 92% (115/125) on amoxicillin and 92.7% (101/109) on penicillin (p = 0.95), as were the clinical success rates of 96% and 95.4%, respectively (p = 0.92). At the follow-up visit (day 28-32), 90.8% of patients treated with amoxicillin and 92.6% of those treated with penicillin V were free of GABHS (p = 0.85). Sore throat disappeared significantly faster on day 2 (p = 0.039) in the amoxicillin group. The intention-to-treat analysis gave similar clinical results. Tolerability was good in both groups. The efficacy and safety of amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d. for 6 days were not statistically different from those of penicillin V 1 MU t.i.d. for 10 days in the treatment of streptococcal tonsillitis in adults.

Acute Disease↗

Anti-HIV activity of the combination of didanosine and hydroxyurea in HIV-1-infected individuals.

HIV is known to be present in massive amounts in both resting and actively replicating cells in infected individuals. We tested the combination of didanosine and hydroxyurea, known to suppress viral production in vitro in both of these cell types, in a small number of asymptomatic patients. After 3 months of well tolerated treatment, we observed a large reduction of viral load in the peripheral blood of all 12 patients, down to nonquantifiable levels in 7 of 12 as measured by infectious virus titer, and 6 of 12 as measured by plasma HIV-RNA. In this subgroup of 6 patients, whose baseline HIV-RNA was below 14,000 copies/ml, the median increase in CD4+ count after 90 days of treatment was 244 cells/mm3.

Adult↗

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Animals↗

[Diagnosis of acute infectious epidural inflammation. Role of magnetic resonance imaging].

External pachymeningitis, usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus, is a rare pathological entity which is difficult to diagnose at an early stage, has a poor functional prognosis and often requires an emergency surgical treatment. We report three cases in which magnetic resonance imaging provided an early diagnosis of the epidural space infection before severe neurological deficits, such as paraparesis and/or paraplegia, set in. Following an anti-staphylococcal treatment with fluoroquinolone and beta-lactamase-resistant beta-lactam antibiotics with good bone penetration administered intravenously during 4 to 6 weeks, then orally for 5 to 6 months cure without functional sequelae was obtained in all three patients.

Acute Disease↗

Invasive aspergillosis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: report of 33 cases. French Cooperative Study Group on Aspergillosis in AIDS.

PURPOSE: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a rare condition, which is mainly reported as isolated cases either antemortem or at autopsy. The role of AIDS itself is controversial, because many of the reported patients exhibited the classic risk factors such as neutropenia and steroid therapy. The aims of this study were to report 33 patients with IA during AIDS and their outcome, focusing on the risk factors and the value of diagnostic procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients from 17 different medical centers in France were retrospectively included in the study. For pulmonary IA, we defined two types of patients: those with "confirmed IA," describing all the patients with histologically proven disease, and those with "probable IA," who had the development of a new pulmonary infiltrate on chest radiograph and a positive bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid culture for Aspergillus species without identification of other pathogens. For extrapulmonary IA, the diagnostic criteria included both positive histology and culture. RESULTS: Of the 33 cases included in this series, 91% were recorded during the last 3 years (1989 to 1991), suggesting that aspergillosis is an emerging complication in AIDS. Approximately 50% of the patients did not exhibit any classic risk factor, i.e., neutropenia and steroid treatment; almost all patients had a CD4 cell count less than 50/mm3. The mycologic culture from BAL was the method of choice for the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary disease because it was known to correlate well with histologic findings obtained either antemortem or postmortem. Of 28 patients with a positive BAL culture for Aspergillus, 15 underwent a biopsy or autopsy and 14 were positive at histology. Serum antigen detection was positive in only 4 of 16 tested patients. Clinical and radiologic signs did not differ from those observed in neutropenic patients without human immunodeficiency virus, except for the higher incidence of neurologic complications in AIDS. Interestingly, we observed three cases of invasive necrotizing tracheobronchial aspergillosis with acute dyspnea and wheezing. The use of amphotericin B (0.5 mg/kg/d) and/or itraconazole (200 to 600 mg/d) was most often unsuccessful. Only four patients experienced clinical and radiologic improvement. The mean interval between the diagnosis of IA and death was 8 weeks (range: 3 days to 13 months). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that aspergillosis is an important life-threatening condition in the advanced stage of AIDS. It requires an early diagnosis with BAL fluid culture and careful therapeutic evaluation.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Polymerase chain reaction detection of cytomegalovirus DNA in peripheral blood leukocytes as a predictor of cytomegalovirus disease in HIV-infected patients.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and evaluate a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for early diagnosis and prompt management of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in HIV-infected patients. METHODS: A total of 110 HIV-infected patients (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stages II to IV) were sampled sequentially for isolation of CMV from peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL; n = 560) and for amplification of CMV DNA in PBL. Semiquantitative analysis of the PCR product was performed and each PCR-positive specimen was assigned a score between 1+ and 4+ (corresponding to four points on a standard curve of dilutions: 80, 800, 8000 and 80,000 CMV genome copies). RESULTS: Levels of CMV DNA in blood increased with HIV infection stage. We focused on eight patients who developed one or more episodes of retinitis during longitudinal follow-up, in whom we found a strong correlation between viraemia, high PCR signal (3+ or 4+) (P < 0.0001) and clinical symptoms. Relapse was preceded by an increase in CMV DNA and resolution correlated with clearance of CMV DNA from blood. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent high PCR levels always preceded virus isolation and may be the first indication of organ involvement and thus early treatment. PCR scores were consistently useful as indicators of drug efficacy and for monitoring of treatment.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Epidemiologic features and clinical presentation of acute Q fever in hospitalized patients: 323 French cases.

PURPOSE: To contribute to the knowledge of epidemiologic and clinical features of patients hospitalized with Q fever in France. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 22,496 sera submitted between 1982 and 1990 to the French National Reference Center for Rickettsial Diseases (NRC). The diagnosis of acute Q fever was based on an IgG titer greater than or equal to 1:200 and an IgM titer greater than or equal to 1:25 against phase II Coxiella burnetii antigen on an indirect immunofluorescence test (IFA). Fifteen cases prior to 1985 were diagnosed on the basis of a complement fixation titer greater than or equal to 1:8. A serosurvey of blood donors from Marseille was also conducted in 1988 on 924 sera, using IFA with a cutoff titer of 1:25. RESULTS: The serosurvey conducted in 1988 showed a seroprevalence of 4.03%, without age or sex prediction. The incidence rate of acute Q fever detection at the NRC was 0.58 per 100,000 inhabitants over the 9-year period. Three hundred twenty-three clinical cases were diagnosed, rising from 1 in 1982 to 107 in 1990. In patients hospitalized for acute Q fever, there was a significantly higher sex ratio of males to females (2.3), which, coupled with the age distribution, indicated that elder males, who are overrepresented due to our recruitment bias, are more susceptible to C. burnetii infections. The mean age of the patients was 45.5 years, while the risk was increased in the 30 to 39 age group as well as in the 60 to 69 age group. Usual epidemiologic risk factors were found in 20.1% of the cases. Hepatitis (61.9%) was a more common clinical presentation in our patients with Q fever than pneumonia (45.8%). This might reflect differences in strains of C. burnetii or the biology of the host. However, French farmers and stock breeders commonly drink unpasteurized raw milk from their cattle, which might indicate a relationship between hepatitis and infection via the digestive tract. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that many cases of acute Q fever are undiagnosed. A greater awareness of the disease and more extensive serologic testing of patients with symptoms compatible with Q fever may improve the situation.

Acute Disease↗

[Chemotherapy for human immunodeficiency virus infection. Current status and perspectives].

The role of drugs inhibiting viral replication in patients infected with HIV has been confirmed. Until now only dideoxynucleosides, which are reverse transcriptase inhibitors, have demonstrated antiviral activity in humans. A number of compounds acting on other steps of the viral cycle are currently being evaluated and clinical trials are being performed. Some investigators are attempting to inhibit the binding of viral particles to target cells and their penetration into these by acting on the interaction between HIV ant the CD4 molecule. Another approach consists in the characterization of enzymatic activities which are specific of HIV, other than reverse transcriptase, such as ribonuclease H, integrase or protease, in order to prepare specific inhibitors. Attempts are made to inhibit retroviral gene expression and production of viral particles in infected cells. The development of new nucleoside analogues and drugs with mechanisms of action and toxicities different from those of zidovudine should allow in the near future combination chemotherapy of HIV infection.

Dideoxynucleosides↗

Severe falciparum malaria (21 cases).

The incidence of severe falciparum malaria is increasing in the developed countries and mortality remains high despite progress in intensive care management and schizonticide treatment. Many authors emphasize the importance of exchange transfusion (EXT) in the most severe cases. We studied 21 cases (34 +/- 12 years, 6 females; SAPS: 8.4 +/- 3.7) of severe malaria (according to WHO criteria) consecutively admitted to ICU between 1985 and 1990: 3 patients underwent EXT. Twenty were febrile above 39 degrees C, 10 had cerebral malaria, 14 hepatic impairment, 8 acute renal failure, 5 pulmonary oedema. Nine patients required mechanical ventilation, 1 haemodialysis, 1 intracranial pressure monitoring. Mean parasitemia was 13%, 16 patients had thrombocytopenia less than 50 x 10(9)/l, 3 anemia less than 7 g/dl and 3 leucopenia less than 2.8 x 10(9)/l. Nineteen received quinine i.v., 1 mefloquine, 1 chloroquine. Sixteen patients received blood products transfusion, 3 were treated by EXT in addition. Twenty were cured and discharged from hospital without sequelae (mean stay: 14 days); 4 had nosocomial infection, 1 a splenic infarction. One patient (17-years-old; SAPS: 17; parasitemia: 7.8%) died 12 h after admission from non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema with multi-organ failure. The literature and this study lead us to propose EXT in patients with unfavourable evolution after conventional treatment rather than in all the patients with a parasitemia above 10% at admission. A randomized study to compare conventional treatment in ICU with or without EXT is necessary.

Adolescent↗

Acute silicosis due to inhalation of a domestic product.

A 20-yr-old woman with no history of pulmonary disease presented with acute dyspnea and fever. After various investigations and treatments the symptoms persisted and a lung biopsy was performed. Pathologic analysis disclosed the presence of silicotic crystals within lung tissue and mediastinal lymph nodes. The patient admitted having repeatedly inhaled a domestic scouring powder rich in silica during the preceding 6 months. This is the first report of acute pulmonary silicosis developing after exposure to a common household product.

Acute Disease↗

[Ideal treatment of malaria attack: more questions than answers? Experience of a department of infectious diseases].

The number of cases of malaria imported to western Europe from tropical areas is steadily growing, due to the increased number of people traveling to endemic regions and to the spread of Plasmodium strains resistant to chemoprophylaxis. This has prompted the WHO to frequently update its guidelines concerning preventive therapy. We report on 143 consecutive cases of benign attacks of malaria in patients returning primarily from western and central Africa. Plasmodium falciparum was responsible for 80% of the cases. Forty-one percent of the patients had followed their preventive regimen correctly; mefloquine failed in 3 of them. Three early relapses were observed after curative treatment, including 2 patients who had received intravenous quinine for more than 5 days. Because P. falciparum infection is potentially lethal, we suggest that the treatment of malaria attacks be optimized, by systematically dosing serum quinine levels, in order to adjust the administered doses, and, as a first-line therapy, by prescribing a combination of drugs to patients at high risk of resistance.

Adolescent↗