Biomedical subjects
F Meyer
Publications and source records attributed to F Meyer.
[Communication and transparency concerning risk-benefit analysis in public health: the example of medication].
As far as communication of the evaluation of risk benefit assessment of medications is concerned, validated and interpreted data only have to be taken into account. Free access to information by the public has to be considered seriously and there is now a real and strong demand. This situation has to be viewed in parallel with the huge development of websites communicating information on health issues. This report summarizes the discussion between the authorities and pharmaceutical companies and reports the different concrete proposals that emerged.
Primary sarcoma of the inferior vena cava: review of diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes in a case series.
Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava is a rare mesenchymal tumor. The diagnostic approach, based on general guidelines of oncologic surgery, seems to be relatively routine; specific aspects of treatment, including vascular reconstruction, depend on tumor stage, grade, and location. In this report, the management of this disease in 5 patients is summarized and the literature is reviewed. A thorough diagnostic assessment includes sonography, computed tomography, angiography or duplex ultrasonography, perioperative pathohistologic examination, and appropriate differential diagnosis. Radical resection is associated with the best outcome and long-term survival. In this series, 4 of 5 patients underwent tumor resection. In 2 patients, the disease was classified as R0. Another patient had R1 status found at resection and underwent postoperative radiation after the tumor bed was marked intraoperatively. She has remained stable since treatment. One patient died of pulmonary metastases 32 months after primary R1 tumor resection. The 5th patient has been stable since diagnosis; resection was not possible because of severe accompanying diseases and because consent for surgical intervention could not be obtained from the patient. There is reasonable hope that leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava can be treated successfully, even in advanced stages, with novel antineoplastic drugs and radiotherapeutic protocols. However, general treatment recommendations have not yet been compiled.
Effects of a fish oil supplement on blood pressure and serum lipids in patients treated for coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a concentrate of fish oil on blood pressure and serum lipids in patients treated for coronary artery disease. DESIGN: One hundred and twenty-five patients were randomly assigned to receive 15 g/day MaxEPA (4.5 g eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids) or olive oil. Blood pressure and serum lipids were measured at enrollment and six months thereafter. MAIN RESULTS: As an important proportion of antihypertensive or antianginal drug users stopped their usual medication during the trial, blood pressure increased in both groups. The increase in systolic blood pressure was less in the fish oil group than in the control group (P = 0.002). Serum triglyceride levels decreased markedly in the fish oil group while they remained constant in the control group (P = 0.0001). Fish oil supplementation had no effect on total cholesterol and only marginal independent influence on high density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, fish oil supplementation has a beneficial effect on blood pressure and serum triglycerides in patients treated for coronary artery disease.
[Major measles epidemic in the region of Quebec despite a 99% vaccine coverage].
The 1989 measles outbreak in the province of Quebec has been largely attributed to an incomplete vaccination coverage. In the Quebec City area (pop. 600,000) 1,363 confirmed cases of measles did occur. A case-control study conducted to evaluate risk factors for measles allowed us to estimate vaccination coverage. It was measured in classes where cases did occur during the outbreak. This population included 8,931 students aged 5 to 19 years old. The 563 cases and a random sample of two controls per case selected in the case's class were kept for analysis. The vaccination coverage among cases was at least 84.5%. Vaccination coverage for the total population was 99.0%. Incomplete vaccination coverage is not a valid explanation for the Quebec City measles outbreak.
Production and in vivo biologic actions of recombinant mouse interferon alpha 2.
We have expressed a recombinant mouse interferon alpha (r.Mu-IFN alpha 2) in Escherichia coli under the control of a tryptophan promoter using a synthetic adaptor formed by annealing two partially complementary oligonucleotides which introduced an ATG start codon and re-established the complete coding sequence of the mature IFN alpha 2 protein in the expression vector. Levels of up to 10(7) reference units of Mu-IFN alpha 2 per liter of culture were obtained using this construction. This recombinant mouse interferon alpha 2 exhibited antiviral activity in mice infected with EMC virus and antitumor activity in mice inoculated with Friend leukemia cells in a manner similar to that of natural mouse interferon alpha/beta.
[Herpetic meningoradiculitis].
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[Transitory bilateral ophthalmoplegia in an epileptic patient treated with hydantoins].
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[Colectasia with perforation in hemorrhagic and ulcerous rectocolitis. A propos of 2 cases, one with perforation. Cure by subtotal emergency colectomy].
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[Relationship between dietary fibers and constipation (author's transl)].
Twenty-two women suffering from constipation were compared with an equal number of controls. Although both groups had similar mean daily total dietary fiber intake (12.4 and 12.7 g respectively) and mean daily cereal fiber intake (3.3 and 3.6 g respectively), the mean mouth-to-anus transit time for food was significantly longer (p less than 0.01) in constipated women (66.8 h) than in controls (48.5 h).
[Comparative study of visual evoked potentials in Leber's disease and alcohol-tobacco neuritis using flash stimulation].
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Risk of automobile accidents among elderly drivers with impairments or chronic diseases.
A case-control study was conducted in Quebec elderly men in order to document the risk of road accidents associated with impairments or chronic medical conditions. All 1,400 drivers who had had an accident with either mild bodily injury or only property damage during their 70th year in 1988 and 1989 were selected as cases from the accident file of the "Société de l'Assurance Automobile du Québec" (SAAQ). They were compared to 2,636 controls randomly selected among drivers of the same age. Information on medical conditions was also obtained for all subjects from the SAAQ. Mileage and driving habits were documented through a mail questionnaire. Relative risk of accidents associated with medical conditions were estimated while controlling for confounders. Overall, the results suggest that elderly drivers of private vehicles with impairments or chronic medical conditions are not at increased risk of road accidents. Only those with arrhythmias had a significant increase in risk (OR = 1.63, CI: 1.00-2.65). This study does not support more severe norms for elderly drivers.
[Nutritional recommendations and risk of death from all causes].
This study evaluated the relationship between meeting the Nutrition Recommendations and mortality from all causes in a cohort of 1,623 men from the Quebec City area followed from 1985 to 1991. The usual dietary intake was assessed by a self-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Most participants did not meet the Nutrition Recommendations. During the follow-up 69 men died. The mortality was significantly lower among those who did not meet the recommendations for total fat (RR = 0.45, CI: 0.25-0.81) or for carbohydrates (RR = 0.49, CI: 0.26-0.92). This unexpected result could be attributable to an excessive alcohol intake or to dietary changes in the direction of the Nutrition Recommendations, made prior to the dietary assessment often because of illness. It would be interesting to continue the follow-up of this cohort to evaluate the long-term effect of a diet meeting the Nutrition Recommendations on mortality from all causes.
Percutaneous treatment of rare latrogenic arteriovenous fistulas of the lower limbs.
Postoperative iliac and popliteal arteriovenous fistulas are extremely rare. This article describes the percutaneous endovascular treatment of iatrogenically induced arteriovenous fistula in two patients with simultaneous use of intravascular ultrasound. In a 61-year-old woman, a fistula between popliteal artery and vein, inadvertently created during implantation of a prosthetic knee joint, was treated with a novel polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) stent graft. A 48-year-old man underwent endovascular treatment of a large fistula between the right common iliac artery and the left common iliac vein, inadvertently induced during surgery on an intervertebral disc. Congestive heart failure induced by the arteriovenous communication was reduced rapidly. Our results indicate that percutaneous treatment in conjunction with intravascular ultrasound is a useful therapeutic option for vascular lesions. It is less invasive than open vascular reconstruction and has a comparably high success rate.