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Biomedical subjects

F Beaufils

Publications and source records attributed to F Beaufils.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis provides rapid differentiation of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcus bacteremia isolates in pediatric hospital.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are now recognized as the most common cause of nosocomial bacteremia in pediatric patients. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis was used to study the relationships among 12 isolates of CoNS obtained from eight patients with catheter-related bacteremia in two distinct wards of our hospital and 6 epidemiologically unrelated strains. With this method, we were able to discriminate isolates that otherwise were indistinguishable by conventional criteria such as biochemical typing and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Our results indicate that there were episodes of cross-infections among four patients in one ward but independent infectious episodes among four patients in the other ward. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis is a rapid method which seems particularly well suited to the epidemiological study of CoNS isolates.

Bacteremia↗
PubMed1994

Placebo-controlled trial of midazolam sedation in mechanically ventilated newborn babies.

Although midazolam is used for sedation of mechanically ventilated newborn babies, this treatment has not been evaluated in a randomised trial. We have done a prospective placebo-controlled study of the effects of midazolam on haemodynamic variables and sedation as judged by a five-item behaviour score. 46 newborn babies on mechanical ventilation for respiratory distress syndrome were randomly assigned to receive midazolam (n = 24) or placebo (n = 22) as a continuous infusion. Doses of midazolam were calculated to obtain plasma concentrations between 200 and 1000 ng/mL within 24 h of starting treatment and to maintain these values throughout the study. Haemodynamic and ventilatory variables were noted every hour, as were complications and possible side-effects of treatment. Mean (SD) duration of inclusion was 78.7 (30.9) h. 1 patient in the treatment group and 7 in the placebo group were withdrawn because of inadequate sedation (p < 0.05). Midazolam gave a significantly better sedative effect than placebo, as estimated by the behaviour score (p < 0.05). Heart rate and blood pressure were reduced by treatment but remained within the normal range for gestational age and there was no effect on ventilatory indices. The incidence of complications was similar in the two groups. No midazolam-related side-effects were noted. Continuous infusion of midazolam at doses adapted to gestational age induces effective sedation in newborn babies on mechanical ventilation, with positive effects on haemodynamic variables. The course of the respiratory distress syndrome was not influenced by this treatment. Midazolam was given over only a few days and the limited effects on heart rate and blood pressure that we report should not encourage long-term administration.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1994

Doppler echocardiographic assessment of pulmonary circulation in severe respiratory failure of the neonate: an aid for extracorporeal lung support indications.

Extracorporeal lung support (ECLS) for newborns with acute respiratory failure has achieved increased popularity over the last decade. However, precise criteria for its implementation remain controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the value of Doppler echocardiography (DE) in 31 neonates with PaO2 of < or = 50 mmHg, FIO2 of 1, and optimal ventilation. Treatment included mechanical ventilation, paralysis, volume loading, vasopressors, and tolazoline. Markers indicative of ECLS (failure of maximal medical therapy, assessed by AaDO2 of more than 610 mm Hg beyond 8 hours and/or an oxygenation index (OI = mean airway pressure x FIO2%/postductal PaO2) of more than 40 beyond 4 to 6 hours) were present in 23 (group 1) and absent in eight (group 2). Shunt direction and systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) calculated from tricuspid insufficiency velocity were assessed using DE. At the time of admission, sPAP was significantly higher in group 1 (62.1 v 43.7 mm Hg). On day 1, group 1 differed from group 2 in maximum sPAP value (73.2 v 44.4 mm Hg), PaCO2 (56.1 v 40 mm Hg), right-to-left shunting (85% v 25% of the patients), and pulmonary-to-systemic-pressure systolic ratio (sPAP:sSAP) (1.29 v 0.75). Patients with an sPAP:sSAP ratio of more than 1 and patients with high sPAP associated with high PaCO2 on day 1, all later (average, 10 hours later) fulfilled ECLS criteria; this suggests that DE assessment of pulmonary circulation may yield early and predictive markers of impending ECLS indication. Further confirmation of these results would help avoid unnecessary delays in ECLS implementation in newborns with severe respiratory failure.

Echocardiography, Doppler↗
PubMed1994

[Severe poisoning risk linked to intravenous administration of quinine].

BACKGROUND: High concentrations of quinine, the drug of choice for severe malaria, are toxic to the cardiovascular system, producing hypotension and abnormal myocardial conduction. CASE REPORTS: Five children, aged 14 months to 13 years, were admitted because of fever that appeared a few days after their return from an area in which malaria was endemic. Examination of a thick blood film showed Plasmodium falciparum. They were given quinine intravenously. Four children developed a seizure that recurred in three of them; the fifth child suffered from headache, buzzing in the ears and vision anomalies. Four children rapidly developed hypotension followed by cardiac arrest. All children had abnormal ECG. Retrospective study of the instructions given for quinine administration showed that they were inexplicit and were responsible for incorrect dilution of the drug. Four of the five children recovered completely. The fifth child developed ventricular tachycardia followed by bradycardia that did not respond to resuscitation. CONCLUSION: Major errors can be made in prescribing intravenous quinine. This type of treatment must be carefully monitored and is only indicated in severe forms of malaria, which our patients were not suffering from.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Anuria after abdominal surgery in 2 newborn infants. Beneficial effect of noradrenaline].

BACKGROUND: Abdominal surgery in neonates may be complicated by acute renal failure that is sometimes due to increased intra-abdominal pressure. Correction of the decreased renal perfusion may be difficult. CASE REPORTS: Case no 1. A girl weighing 3,000 g was operated on at 3 hours of life for congenital omphalocele. Closing the defect induced increased intra-abdominal pressure and decreased systemic pressure. Despite dopamine, dobutamine, followed by furosemide, anuria persisted without manifestations of heart failure. Noradrenaline (0.1 to 0.7 micrograms/kg/min intravenously) given 24 hours after surgery resulted in normalization of systemic pressure and diuresis. Case no 2. A boy was born at gestational week 30, weighing 1,450 g. At 8 days of age, he was suffering from shock that was attributed to perforation of the bowel due to necrotizing enterocolitis. Surgery was complicated by acute circulatory and renal failure that did not respond to dopamine, dobutamine or furosemide. Infusion of noradrenaline, (0.2 to 0.6 micrograms/kg/min intravenously) induced diuresis within 3 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Noradrenaline can be useful in patients with postoperative increased intra-abdominal pressure. It should only be given after correction of hypovolemia, control of myocardial function, and when dopamine remains ineffective.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1993

[Analysis of emergency recruitment in a pediatric hospital. Effect on the organization of available care].

BACKGROUND: The increasing demand on the emergency wards of pediatric hospitals raise the question of whether the services delivered are adequate for the explicit and implicit needs of outpatients. POPULATION AND METHODS: The files of all the 334 children consulting at the medical emergency ward of Robert-Debré hospital in Paris between April 19 and April 26, 1989 were analyzed. Socio-demographic data, reasons for visit and final diagnosis were collected. Each outpatient was assigned to one of 3 categories: 1) severe emergency; 2) simple emergency; 3) consultation. Further data on the events leading to the visit were obtained by a second survey covering 213 children seen between May 11 and May 14, 1991 from 8 hrs to 20 hrs. RESULTS: The mean age of the 334 children in the first survey was 3.2 years. Half of the mothers were unemployed. Half of the families was of foreign extraction. 3.4% of the children had no social insurance. Ten percent of the patients were frequent users of the emergency ward. Infectious diseases were the most prevalent reason for visit. Severe emergencies were 28%, simple emergencies 44% and consultations 28%. Among the 213 children of the second survey, half of the families had seen (43%) or attempted to see (7%) a physician outside the hospital before coming to the emergency ward. CONCLUSION: The needs of the children could best be met by performing a true medico-social examination at the medical emergency ward, enhancing access for children and revitalizing a partnership with the community to provide continuous care for those children in need of it.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1993

[Treatment of renal vein thromboses in the newborn].

Surgical thrombectomy is not a rational approach to neonatal renal vein thrombosis since the occlusion mainly involves intrarenal branches rather than the main renal vein, which is even patent in some instances. Conservative management combines supportive therapy for renal failure and systemic hypertension, if needed, and either heparin or thrombolytic agents. Streptokinase has proven difficult to handle in neonates and should not be used. Urokinase has been used in 18 patients but results are difficult to interpret because these cases occurred over an 18-year period. Plasminogen tissue activator, the latest thrombolytic agent developed, has been used in few pediatric patients. An international task force is currently studying whether or not a randomized study is warranted to provide data for standardizing thrombolytic therapy in pediatric renal vein thrombosis.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1993

[Characteristics of the fibrinolytic system in the newborn].

Recent development of microassays and determination of age-specific normal ranges have shed new light on the components and functioning of the neonatal fibrinolytic system. Plasminogen and tissue plasminogen activator levels are low in neonates, who generate plasmin more slowly and in smaller amounts than adults. Quantitative and qualitative changes occur as the fibrinolytic system matures. This is also true of the coagulation system responsible for the production of thrombin, which is the target for plasmin. These data are essential to assess the risk of thrombosis in neonates and, if appropriate, to guide management decisions including selection of a thrombolytic agent, of the optimal dosage, and of the best laboratory tests for monitoring purposes. Ongoing studies are investigating the mechanisms involved in neonatal lysis of thrombin clots occurring naturally or as the result of thrombolytic therapy.

Fibrinolysin↗
PubMed1993

[Thrombosis of the renal veins in the newborn: treatment and long term prognosis].

Thirty-nine neonates with renal vein thrombosis diagnosed in our hospital department between 1973 and 1991 were studied retrospectively. Twenty-five patients were and 14 were not treated with urokinase (UK). Among the five deaths (13%), four occurred at the acute stage from non-renal complications and one occurred at the age of three months from end-stage renal failure. Eight patients (21%) have moderate renal failure after a mean follow-up of 7.4 years; a single patient (2%) developed end-stage renal failure after 7.9 years and 25 patients (64%) have a normal glomerular filtration rate after a mean follow-up of 4.5 years. Rates of death and chronic renal failure were 8% and 32%, respectively, in the group given UK and 21% and 7%, respectively, in the group not given UK. Among 54 involved kidneys, only 10 (19%) recovered normal function and morphological features. Functional impairment was seen in 11 of 37 (30%) kidneys treated by UK and 10 of 17 (59%) kidneys not treated by UK. Although these data suggest that UK may be effective in promoting recanalization of renal veins obstructed by thrombosis, confirmatory evidence could be obtained only by performing a prospective therapeutic trial.

Female↗
PubMed1992

Pharmacokinetics of midazolam during continuous infusion in critically ill neonates.

Midazolam is a water soluble benzodiazepine, with a short elimination half-life in adults and children. An IV bolus (0.2 mg.kg-1) immediately followed by continuous infusion of 0.06 mg.kg-1.h-1 was administered to 15 critically ill neonates at a gestational age of 32.8 weeks, who required sedation for mechanical ventilation. Heart rate and blood pressure were closely monitored. Hypotension occurred in 4 patients after the bolus dose or during the continuous infusion. Three of them had also been given fentanyl. Individual pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated: plasma clearance was 3.9 ml.min-1, elimination half-life was 12.0 h. Because of its short half-life compared to diazepam, midazolam may be used during the neonatal period to achieve rapid, brief sedation. However, it should be administered cautiously to neonates, particularly in premature infants, or if fentanyl is also given.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1992

Effectiveness of the daily record review at the medical emergency room department in a French teaching children's hospital.

We evaluate the effectiveness of the daily record review (DRR) of 4393 ambulatory medical patients seen at the emergency room department of a teaching pediatric hospital in Paris between 8th January and 11 March 1991. For these patients, 137 potential quality problems were found, 117 of them remaining after discussion with the junior. For 80 of the 117 confirmed problems (68.4%), the reviewing senior estimated that sufficient advice had been given to the child's usual caretaker or health care provider and (or) the children returned to seek medical advice when indicated. Experts proved the procedure to be reliable: they detected a problem for 36% of the cases with potential quality problems and for only 2% of a sample of control records considered without potential quality problems after the DRR.

Emergency Service, Hospital↗
PubMed1992

Molecular epidemiology unravels the complexity of neonatal Escherichia coli acquisition in twins.

Combined analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism of regions of genes coding for rRNA (ribotyping) and esterase electrophoretic typing was used to document neonatal acquisition of Escherichia coli in twins. Our study shows vertical mother-to-infant transmission of one strain of E. coli to one twin and the development of neonatal septicemia with a distinct nonvirulent carboxylesterase type B1 E. coli strain for the other twin.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration. Management in case of neonatal leucinosis].

BACKGROUND: Neonates with classic maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) undergo rapid neurological deterioration by the end of the first week of life. Exchange transfusion and peritoneal dialysis are the usual emergency treatment. Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration (CAVHF) appears to be safe and more rapidly effective. CASE REPORT: Martin was born at the 37th week from a normal pregnancy. Abnormal movements of legs and lethargy appeared on the 7th day of life. Progressive brain dysfunction with coma led to intubation on the 13th day. A diagnosis of MSUD was immediately made and CAVHF was initiated and continued for 19 hours. The plasma leucine, valine and isoleucine levels fell from 2,248 to 275, 640 to 91 and 298 to 13 mumol/l, respectively. Neurologic improvement was dramatic, except for moderate hypertonia which lasted for the 2 following days. CONCLUSION: CAVHF is an appropriate treatment for very young patients with inborn errors of metabolism. It appears safer and more rapidly effective for eliminating branched-chain amino acids than other techniques, such as peritoneal dialysis with or without exchange transfusions. It also permits more rapid introduction of the specific diet.

Hemofiltration↗
PubMed1992

[Congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Value of preoperative stabilization].

Seventy-two patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) diagnosed in the first 12 hours of live have been reviewed retrospectively. Forty-eight patients born before 1985 (group I) were compared to 24 patients born between 1985 and 1989 (group II). The management was different for the 2 groups. Group I was operated on immediately. For group II, delayed surgery after stabilization was preferred. For this group, stability was sought before, during and after surgery. Therapy was first aimed at optimizing ventilation and oxygenation by way mechanical ventilation. Pharmacologic agents were used in an attempt to decrease pulmonary vascular resistance and improve cardiac output. The survival rate was 37.5% before 1985, 62.5% after 1985 (P less than 0.01). Main prognostic factors were Apgar score, paCO2, pH, ventilation index, alveolar-arterial difference in oxygen and oxygenation index. The stabilization before surgery improved the survival rate.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed1990

[Antibiotic therapy of nosocomial infections in children].

The choice of antibiotics for the treatment of hospital-acquired infections in children is a rational choice based on the child's general condition, on the site of infection, on the most probable pathogens and on their current sensitivity to antibiotics. The antibiotic chosen must reach bactericidal concentrations at the site of infection for rapid reduction or the inoculum and to limit the systemic spread of infection, thereby decreasing the risk of a rapidly expanding infectious process in the younger children. The optimal antibiotic is selected on the basis of what is known about bacterial resistance. General therapeutic rules must be adjusted to the epidemiological situation prevailing in each hospital department.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗