[Drug addiction: pregnancy and newborn infant].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Thoumsin.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Spontaneous spinal extradural hematomas are rare entities, especially during pregnancy. The authors report a case of a 26 years old women who developed as Brown-Sequard syndrome during pregnancy. The patient underwent first a caesarean and thereafter a prompt spinal surgical decompression. Complete sensory-motor recovery occurred after 48 hours. Differential diagnosis of cord compression, etiology of bleeding, conditions of recovery after surgery are discussed.
Lower urinary tract infection (LUTI) is a common disease of young women. It usually has a favourable prognosis, but it must not be neglected in view of its frequent recurrences and of the important morbidity it creates leading to social and sexual discomfort. LUTI, therefore, must be diagnosed, and this is done essentially by bacteriological examination of midstream urine. As regards detection of asymptomatic bacteriuria, notably in pregnant or elderly women, the sensitivity of screening is distinctly enhanced by the nitrite and leucocyte esterase tests. Recent publications concerning treatment are in favour of single dose therapy. In uncomplicated urinary tract infections, single doses of antibacterial agents are as effective as the conventional 5 to 7 days administration, and they constitute the treatment of choice of LUTI. In pregnant women, this therapeutic method has the advantage of lesser toxicity and lower frequency of vaginal candidiasis. In patients with frequent recurrences of LUTI, several options are possible: low dose continuous treatment, prophylactic treatment after situations of high risk for reinfection, or self administered single dose as soon as the symptoms reappear. However, the last two methods need to be further evaluated by additional clinical trials.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The purpose of this randomized study was to compare the efficacy of ritodrine alone (51) versus ritodrine plus magnesium gluconate (56). We concluded that high oral doses of magnesium therapy (4 x 3 gr) potentiate the effects of intravenous beta-agonists, allowing a reduction of the dosage needed and a better "tolerance". Considering the low side effects, it seems reasonable to consider using magnesium in the treatment of premature labour.
After decreasing in the first trimester of pregnancy, the total red blood cell mass increases in the second and third trimesters to peak at term at about 120% to 125% of nonpregnant values, but how this is brought about by changes in the rate of erythropoiesis is not known. We evaluated erythropoiesis by measuring serum transferrin receptor (TfR) levels in 406 women during normal pregnancy (N = 317), at delivery (N = 63), or in the early postpartum (N = 27). Despite the presence of the placenta and the frequent occurrence of iron deficiency, TfR levels remained low in the first two trimesters and increased in the third trimester and at delivery. To explain why erythropoiesic activity was relatively low in early pregnancy, we also measured serum immunoreactive erythropoietin (Epo) in relation to the degree of anemia. There was a very strong correlation between serum TfR and Epo levels in the entire group (r = .59, P less than .0001) as well as in each period of pregnancy. Epo levels remained low for the degree of anemia and did not correlate with hematocrit in the first two trimesters, but recovered afterwards. In the early postpartum, Epo production and erythropoiesis were normal. We conclude that: (1) erythropoiesis is decreased in the first part of pregnancy but increases afterwards; and (2) blunted Epo production in early pregnancy could be responsible for that observation.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Pregnancy induces anatomical and physiological changes in the urinary tract. In this condition a bacteriuria, even asymptomatic, may lead more frequently to pyelonephritis. Asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women has therefore got to be treated. According to recent studies, long course antibiotherapy did not prove to be more effective than a single-dose one in the case of non-complicated bacteriuria. Moreover, the maternal and foetal toxicity should be reduced in the latter regimen. In this paper we present the preliminary results of our study comparing a single-dose treatment by fosfomycin trometamol (3 g) and nitrofurantoin (200 mg per day during a week).
45 patients in premature labor entered the study, four dropped out for administrative reasons. The remaining 41 patients started all with an intravenous treatment followed by oral treatment with sustained-release ritodrine at a daily dosage of 120 mg per day until the 36th week of gestation. The mean gestational age at entry was 31.26 weeks +/- 3.27 and at delivery 37.76 weeks +/- 2.11 or a mean gain in days of 44.61 days +/- 20.85. A cluster analysis splitting the patients into four groups regarding the gestational age at entry and the Baumgarten tocolytic index showed that even the high-risk patients benefit remarkably by the treatment. The side effect rate was low as well for palpitation as for tremor. The patient compliance was excellent. No neonatal deaths or stillborns occurred during this study.
We studied 209 women during normal pregnancy, at delivery, or in the early postpartum, to determine whether erythropoietin (EPO) response was appropriate for the degree of anaemia. Serum immunoreactive EPO was measured in 74 nonpregnant women, including 33 normal subjects (16.4 +/- 4.1 mU/ml) and 41 women with hypoplastic, haemolytic, dyserythropoietic, or iron-deficient anaemia. An inverse linear relationship (R = -0.88, P less than 0.0001) between log(EPO) and Hct was observed. Predicted EPO values were derived for each Hct and an O/P ratio of observed/predicted log(EPO) was calculated for each sample (1.00 +/- 0.10, range 0.80-1.20). Serum EPO levels (mU/ml) were significantly higher during pregnancy (30 +/- 16, n = 142), at delivery (31 +/- 16, n = 41), and on day 7 postpartum (37 +/- 35, n = 26) than in normal women (P less than 0.001). EPO levels increased steadily from 18 +/- 6 mU/ml in the first, to 26 +/- 14 mU/ml in the second, and to 35 +/- 18 mU/ml in the third trimester (P less than 0.0001). The O/P ratio was normal on day 7 postpartum (1.01 +/- 0.16), at delivery (1.03 +/- 0.16), and in the third trimester (0.96 +/- 0.15), but was significantly reduced in the first two trimesters (0.88 +/- 0.15, P less than 0.001). A significant negative correlation between log(EPO) and Hct was lacking in the first two trimesters, was present but with a reduced slope during the third trimester and at delivery, and was normal postpartum. We conclude that EPO response to anaemia is impaired in early pregnancy, recovers in late pregnancy, and normalizes rapidly in the postpartum.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Ten Belgian maternity hospitals have collaborated in an international clinical multicenter trial: Multicenter Fetal Movement Trial. Nine maternity hospitals were already managing a computerized data bank before their participation in the trial. In seven of these centers the local team was able to write a program for direct transmission of data, using standard sequential ASCII files. This procedure presents many advantages: there is a gain in time and money, since it is no longer necessary to fill out data collecting forms, or coding at a central level. Transcription errors are avoided, adhesion to strict and standard definitions is guaranteed, the micro-systems are performing in a suitable fashion in each center, modifications of parameters (and corrections) are done very quickly and, automatically carried out, on the basis of clinical data as well as "research" data, transmission by telecommunication is immediately and easily feasible.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.