Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Cluzel

Publications and source records attributed to P Cluzel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Evolution of the treatment of chronic post-traumatic aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta: 30 years experience].

The authors present the early and late results of a series of 40 patients treated for chronic post-traumatic aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta from 1975 to 2005. With the exception of a patient who died of an intra-pleural rupture before surgery, the patients were treated by aortotomy and prosthetic graft (N=17), aortotomy and direct suture (N=17) or endoprosthesis (N=5). The use of distal aortic perfusion in 22 patients enabled 17 direct sutures (77.3%) thanks to extensive mobilisation of the aortic arch. Endoprostheses have been used since 1997 in high surgical risk patients with severe comorbid conditions. There were no deaths, one transient paraparesia after simple aortic clamping, one reoperation for a haemothorax and four cases of dysphonia due to paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Thirty-five patients (90%) were followed up for an average of 119.7 +/- 16.4 months. There were no clinical complications and the late morphological results were good in all cases with the exception of one type 1 endoprosthetic leak. The treatment of chronic post-traumatic aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta gives excellent early and late results, justifying wide operative indications. The wish to avoid use of a prosthesis in young patients with a long life expectancy should give preference to conventional surgical techniques which, providing distal aortic perfusion is employed, allow direct suture of three quarters of cases. Endovascular treatment is reserved only for "poor surgical risks".

Accidents↗

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in severe diabetic foot ischemia: outcomes and prognostic factors.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcomes of severe ischemic diabetic foot ulcers for which percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) was considered as the first-line vascular procedure. Factors associated with successful PTA were sought. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In 32 consecutive diabetic patients with foot ulcers and severe limb ischemia, PTA was performed if feasible; if not, primary bypass grafting was done when feasible. All patients were followed until healing or for at least one year. Patients with worsening ulcers after PTA underwent bypass grafting. Clinical and angiographic factors influencing outcomes after PTA were sought by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: PTA was done in 25 of the 32 (78%) patients, and considered clinically successful in 13 (52%). After 1 year, the healing rate was 70% and the limb salvage rate 90%. Successful PTA was significantly associated with a higher post-PTA transcutaneous oxygen pressure (P = 0.03) and presence of at least one patent pedal vessel (P = 0.03) in the univariate analysis; only a patent pedal vessel was significant in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Primary PTA in diabetic patients with severe ischemic foot ulcers provides similar outcomes to usual results obtained in severe ischemia in absence of diabetes. The presence of one patent pedal vessel on arteriography before PTA is the best prognostic factor.

Aged↗

[Pseudo-aneurysms of the ascending aorta in patients previously operated for acute aortic dissection].

Pseudo-aneurysms of the ascending aorta are a rare but serious complication of surgery for acute dissection of the aorta. The diagnostic methods and surgical technique have changed in recent years. The authors report their experience over a period of 20 years. From January 1981 to December 2001, 21 patients underwent reoperation for pseudo-aneurysms of the ascending aorta. The average age was 54.2 +/- 3 years. Diagnosis is no longer based on aortography but on transthoracic or oesophageal multiplane echocardiography, thoracic spiral computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Four patients presented with a recent history of severe pulmonary oedema. The risk associated with reopening the sternum is avoided by current operative techniques. The authors have chosen anterograde perfusion of the cervical arteries by direct canulation for cerebral protection. The operative mortality at one month is high (30%). All patients who had pulmonary oedema or cardiogenic shock in the immediate preoperative period died. There were no neurological complications. Twelve patients survived and one has to undergo a further operation for recurrence of the pseudo-aneurysm. The authors conclude that patients operated for dissection of the aorta must be followed up. It is important to resect as much as possible of the pathological aorta during the initial operation to avoid the risk of pseudo-aneurysm formation, at least in the proximal segment of the ascending aorta.

Aortic Dissection↗

[Assessment of cardiac function by magnetic resonance and multislice spiral computed tomography].

Magnetic resonance imaging and multislice spiral computed tomography are ideal techniques for assessing cardiac function. The main objectives of this article are to describe the different aspects, global and regional systolic left ventricular function, diastolic left ventricular function and right ventricular function, and to introduce the agreed parameters for this evaluation.

Coronary Circulation↗

Initial imaging assessment of severe blunt trauma.

OBJECTIVES: Total body computed tomography (CT) scan is increasingly used in traumatised patients, but the need for an initial rapid imaging assessment beforehand remains unknown. To address this problem, we assessed the value of an initial imaging assessment (chest X-ray, pelvic X-ray, abdominal ultrasonography) in severely traumatised patients in a prospective study. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study of a cohort in a level 1 trauma centre of an university teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: 400 patients with severe blunt trauma. Within 30 min of arrival in the hospital, these patients underwent a rapid imaging assessment at the bedside, including chest and pelvic X-ray, and an abdominal ultrasonography. The decision taken for each imaging technique (chest drainage or thoracotomy, pelvic angiography, and laparotomy, respectively) was judged as appropriate or inappropriate. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Emergency chest drainage or thoracotomy was performed in 78 cases (78 appropriate), pelvic angiography in 8 cases (5 appropriate) and immediate laparotomy in 48 cases (47 appropriate). Emergency treatment was decided in 108 patients, and the decisions were considered appropriate in 392 (98%, 95% CI: 97%-99%) cases. Three variables (heart rate, systolic arterial pressure and Glasgow Coma Scale) were independent predictors of the need for an emergency decision, but among patients who had none of these criteria, 16% required an emergency decision. CONCLUSIONS: A simple and rapid initial imaging assessment enabled appropriate emergency decisions before further imaging assessment was performed. We recommend that every patient with severe blunt trauma receive this initial assessment.

Abdominal Injuries↗

Endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms: is there a benefit regarding postoperative outcome?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms has raised great interest amongst vascular surgeons. The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative morbidity and mortality rates of endovascular treatment with those of open surgery, from the anaesthesiologist's standpoint. METHODS: From January 1997 to June 2000, 425 consecutive patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms were referred for regular surgery. Thirty-nine patients who needed a visceral or renal artery revascularization, or a nephrectomy were excluded. The remaining 386 patients were studied in a prospective manner. Aneurysms were evaluated with spiral computerized tomography scanning and calibrated aortography. After informed consent, only those patients with a suitable vascular anatomy underwent endovascular treatment (n = 193). All other patients underwent open surgery and are considered as a control group (n = 193). Endovascular treatment was performed by a femoral or an iliac retroperitoneal route. All stent-grafts were made to measure using auto-expandable stainless-steel stents covered with a standard polyester prosthetic graft. RESULTS: Six patients in the endovascular treatment group needed to be converted to the open surgical technique (during the same operation) because of rupture of the iliac bifurcation (1 patient), a large endoleak (2 patients), or technical problems (3 patients). CONCLUSION: The amount of bleeding and the need for blood products were significantly lower in the endovascular treatment group. Despite the absence of significant differences regarding cardiac complications and mortality, there was a lesser incidence of pneumonia, acute respiratory and renal failure. Patients in the endovascular treatment group spent less time in the intensive care unit and in the Hospital.

Age Factors↗

Use of gadolinium-based contrast agent for renal angiography: case report and review of the literature.

A 67-year-old woman suffering from chronic renal failure (Creatinine 480 micromol/L) underwent a gadolinium renal angiography, which visualized a stenosis of the right renal artery. There was no deterioration of renal function after the arteriography. A review of the literature is presented which show the efficiency of this technique to visualize the renal arteries, and the absence of nephrotoxicity after the use of gadolinium as a based contrast agent in high risk patients.

Aged↗

An ultrasensitive bacterial motor revealed by monitoring signaling proteins in single cells.

Understanding biology at the single-cell level requires simultaneous measurements of biochemical parameters and behavioral characteristics in individual cells. Here, the output of individual flagellar motors in Escherichia coli was measured as a function of the intracellular concentration of the chemotactic signaling protein. The concentration of this molecule, fused to green fluorescent protein, was monitored with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Motors from different bacteria exhibited an identical steep input-output relation, suggesting that they actively contribute to signal amplification in chemotaxis. This experimental approach can be extended to quantitative in vivo studies of other biochemical networks.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Regional distribution of gas and tissue in acute respiratory distress syndrome. I. Consequences for lung morphology. CT Scan ARDS Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the computed tomographic (CT) analysis of the distribution of gas and tissue in the lungs of patients with ARDS with that in healthy volunteers. DESIGN: Prospective study over a 53-month period. SETTING: Fourteen-bed surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-one consecutive patients with early ARDS and 11 healthy volunteers. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: A lung CT was performed at end-expiration in patients with ARDS (at zero PEEP) and healthy volunteers. In patients with ARDS, end-expiratory lung volume (gas + tissue) and functional residual capacity (FRC) were reduced by 17% and 58% respectively, and an excess lung tissue of 701+/-321 ml was observed. The loss of gas was more pronounced in the lower than in the upper lobes. The lower lobes of 27% of the patients were characterized by "compression atelectasis," defined as a massive loss of aeration with no concomitant excess in lung tissue, and "inflammatory atelectasis," defined as a massive loss of aeration associated with an excess lung tissue, was observed in 73% of the patients. Three groups of patients were differentiated according to the appearance of their CT: 23% had diffuse attenuations evenly distributed in the two lungs, 36% had lobar attenuations predominating in the lower lobes, and 41% had patchy attenuations unevenly distributed in the two lungs. The three groups were similar regarding excess lung tissue in the upper and lower lobes and reduction in FRC in the lower lobes. In contrast, the FRC of the upper lobes was markedly lower in patients with diffuse or patchy attenuations than in healthy volunteers or patients with lobar attenuations. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that striking differences in lung morphology, corresponding to different distributions of gas within the lungs, are observed in patients whose respiratory condition fulfills the definition criteria of ARDS.

Analysis of Variance↗

Regional distribution of gas and tissue in acute respiratory distress syndrome. II. Physiological correlations and definition of an ARDS Severity Score. CT Scan ARDS Study Group.

OBJECTIVES: (a) To assess whether differences in lung morphology observed in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are associated with differences in cardiorespiratory parameters, lung mechanics, and outcome. (b) To propose a new ARDS Severity Score to identify patients with a high mortality risk. DESIGN: Prospective study over a 53-month period. SETTING: Fourteen-bed surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-one consecutive patients with early ARDS. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Cardiorespiratory parameters were measured using a Swan-Ganz catheter, the pressure-volume (PV) curve was measured using the gross syringe method, and fast spiral computed tomography (CT) was performed. Patients with diffuse attenuations (n = 16) differed from patients with lobar attenuations (n = 26) regarding: (a) mortality rate (75% vs. 42%, p = 0.05), (b) incidence of primary ARDS (82% vs. 50%, p = 0.03), (c) respiratory compliance (47 +/- 12 vs. 64 +/- 16 ml per cmH2O(-1) p = 0.04), and (d) lower inflexion point (8.4 +/- 2.0 vs. 4.6 +/- 2.0 cmH2O, p = 0.001). A third group of patients with patchy attenuations (n = 29) had a mortality rate of 41 %, a respiratory compliance of 56 +/- 18 ml per cmH2O(-1) and a lower inflexion point of 6.3 +/- 2.7 cmH2O. The bedside chest radiograph accurately assessed lung morphology in only 42% of the patients. In contrast to the scores based on the bedside chest radiograph, a new ARDS Severity Score based on CT lung morphology and cardiorespiratory parameters identified a subgroup of patients with a high mortality rate (> or = 60%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ARDS, differences in lung morphology are associated with differences in outcome and lung mechanics. A new ARDS Severity Score based on CT lung morphology and cardiorespiratory parameters accurately identified patients with the most severe forms of ARDS and a mortality rate above 60%.

Analysis of Variance↗

Regional distribution of gas and tissue in acute respiratory distress syndrome. III. Consequences for the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure. CT Scan ARDS Study Group. Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether differences in lung morphology assessed by computed tomography (CT) affect the response to positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). DESIGN: Prospective study over a 53-month period. SETTING: Fourteen-bed surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-one consecutive patients with early adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Fast spiral thoracic CT was performed at zero end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP) and after implementation of PEEP 10 cmH2O. Hemodynamic and respiratory parameters were measured in both conditions. PEEP-induced overdistension and alveolar recruitment were quantified by specifically designed software (Lungview). Overdistension occurred only in the upper lobes and was significantly correlated with the volume of lung, characterized by a CT attenuation ranging between -900 and -800 HU in ZEEP conditions. Cardiorespiratory effects of PEEP were similar in patients with primary and secondary ARDS. PEEP-induced alveolar recruitment of the lower lobes was significantly correlated with their lung volume (gas + tissue) at functional residual capacity. PEEP-induced alveolar recruitment was greater in the lower lobes with "inflammatory atelectasis" than in the lower lobes with "mechanical atelectasis." Lung morphology as assessed by CT markedly influenced the effects of PEEP: in patients with diffuse CT attenuations PEEP induced a marked alveolar recruitment without overdistension, whereas in patients with lobar CT attenuations PEEP induced a mild alveolar recruitment associated with overdistension of previously aerated lung areas. These results can be explained by the uneven distribution of regional compliance characterizing patients with lobar CT attenuations (compliant upper lobes and stiff lower lobes) contrasting with a more even distribution of regional compliances observed in patients with diffuse CT attenuations. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ARDS, the cardiorespiratory effects of PEEP are affected by lung morphology rather than by the cause of the lung injury (primary versus secondary ARDS). The regional distribution of the loss of aeration and the type of atelectasis -- "mechanical" with a massive loss of lung volume, or "inflammatory" with a preservation of lung volume-- characterizing the lower lobes are the main determinants of the cardiorespiratory effects of PEEP.

Analysis of Variance↗

Treatment of aortic arch dissection using the elephant trunk technique.

The elephant trunk technique was developed to facilitate multiple-stage treatment of extensive aneurysm of the thoracic aorta. However, little information is available concerning its usefulness for aortic dissection. From April 1992 to July 1998, we used the elephant trunk technique for treatment of aortic arch dissection in 22 patients (including 19 men) with a mean age of 58.5 years (range 21 to 85 years). Twelve patients presented with type A dissection (acute in 3 and chronic in 9), 3 with type B acute dissection, and 7 with "non A/non B" dissections with retrograde extension to the aortic arch or entry site located in the aortic arch without involvement of the ascending aorta. All patients had aneurysms of the descending (n = 7) or thoracoabdominal (n = 15) aorta. Procedures were performed under hypothermic circulatory arrest at between 15 degrees and 20 degrees C. Antegrade cerebral perfusion was used in three cases. The procedure was associated with aortic valve replacement and/or coronary bypass in 6 cases and bypass of one or more supraaortic vessels in 13. In two patients the distal end of the elephant trunk was attached with an endovascular prosthesis during the same procedure. The ensuing results in these patients indicate that the elephant trunk technique can be highly effective for treatment of complex aortic arch dissection.

Adult↗

Blood neutrophil functions and cytokine release in severe alcoholic hepatitis: effect of corticosteroids.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several observations point to an important role of interactions between polymorphonuclear neutrophils and cytokines in severe alcoholic hepatitis. The polymorphonuclear neutrophil activation status and the local and systemic pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine responses were quantified. The effect of corticosteroids, widely used in this setting, was evaluated using these parameters. METHODS: We studied blood polymorphonuclear neutrophil functions in terms of L-selectin and beta2-integrin expression, H2O2 production and IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor alpha synthesis capacity. We also measured IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha and IL-10 plasma and liver tissue levels. Fifteen patients with alcoholic hepatitis were compared to 15 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis without alcoholic hepatitis, and to 10 healthy volunteers. The impact of a 28-day course of corticosteroids on blood neutrophils activation status and cytokine levels was evaluated in patients with alcoholic hepatitis. RESULTS: Blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils were activated, as shown by increased H2O2 production (48+/-6 vs 29+/-6 MFI in healthy controls), and decreased L-selectin expression (300+/-61 vs 449+/-59 in healthy controls). Upon stimulation, polymorphonuclear neutrophils synthesized large amounts of IL-8 (21.7+/-9.2 ng/ml vs 8.8+/-10 ng/ml in healthy controls) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (524+/-132 pg/ml vs 79+/-144 pg/ml in healthy controls). Tumor necrosis factor alpha and IL-8 plasma and tissue levels were markedly increased as IL-10 was barely detectable in alcoholic hepatitis patients, compared to cirrhotic patients and healthy controls. During steroid therapy, plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8 fell as early as day 14, while levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 increased on day 21. Finally, polymorphonuclear neutrophil functions returned to normal after treatment. CONCLUSION: Severe alcoholic hepatitis appears to be associated with polymorphonuclear neutrophil activation and an imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines; during steroid therapy a normalization of these parameters was observed.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Evaluation of transesophageal echocardiography for diagnosis of traumatic aortic injury.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic aortic injury is a frequent cause of death after blunt trauma, but few patients survive to reach a trauma center. The role of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the diagnosis of traumatic aortic injury remains debated. METHODS: Over a 9-yr period, 209 blunt trauma patients (mean age, 34 +/- 13 yr) were suspected of having traumatic aortic injury because of enlarged mediastinum and/or sudden deceleration, and underwent TEE and angiography (aortography and/or contrast-enhanced computed tomography. RESULTS: Traumatic aortic injury was diagnosed in 42 patients (20%). Angiography (aortography and/or contrast-enhanced computed tomography) was less accurate (sensitivity, 83%; specificity, 100%) than TEE (sensitivity, 98%; specificity, 100%) for the diagnosis of aortic injury because it failed to diagnose most minor injuries (intramural hematoma or limited intimal flap, n = 7). However, when considering only patients with major aortic injury (n = 33; i.e., those who might need surgery), angiography (sensitivity, 97%; specificity, 100%) and TEE (sensitivity, 97%; specificity, 100%) were equivalent. CONCLUSION: Transesophageal echocardiography is an accurate method for diagnosis of traumatic aortic injury. Nevertheless, the clinical implications of limited aortic injuries diagnosed by the technique have yet to be determined.

Accidental Falls↗

Diaphragm and chest wall: assessment of the inspiratory pump with MR imaging-preliminary observations.

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the thorax with three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and functional quantification was evaluated as a tool for structure-function evaluation of chest-wall mechanics. Good agreement was found between the corresponding spirometric and MR imaging values of lung volumes. Fast MR imaging of the thorax with 3D reconstruction should improve the ability to evaluate the inspiratory pump in clinical and research investigations.

Adult↗

Transjugular versus percutaneous renal biopsy for the diagnosis of parenchymal disease: comparison of sampling effectiveness and complications.

PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness and safety of transjugular renal biopsy with those of percutaneous renal biopsy for diagnosis of renal parenchymal disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Results and complications of 400 consecutive transjugular renal biopsies performed between 1993 and 1998 with a modified Colapinto transjugular hepatic biopsy system were compared retrospectively with those of 400 percutaneous renal biopsies performed during the same period. Transjugular renal biopsy was associated with 14 cardiac and 35 hepatic biopsies. Number of glomeruli per tissue core, adequacy of tissue core for histopathologic diagnosis, and rate and severity of complications were analyzed. RESULTS: Renal tissue was obtained with percutaneous renal biopsy in 382 (95.5%) of 400 patients and with transjugular renal biopsy in 383 (95.8%) of 400 patients. The mean numbers of intact glomeruli per tissue core with optical microscopy were 11.2 +/- 7.7 (SD) and 9.8 +/- 7.6 for percutaneous renal biopsy and transjugular renal biopsy, respectively. With immunofluorescent microscopy, the mean numbers were 6.4 +/- 5.3 and 4.6 +/- 4.6 for percutaneous renal biopsy and transjugular renal biopsy, respectively. Tissue cores were adequate for histopathologic diagnosis in 98.2% with both techniques. Major complications occurred with transjugular renal biopsy in four patients and with percutaneous renal biopsy in three patients. CONCLUSION: Use of transjugular renal biopsy provides diagnostic yield and safety similar to those of percutaneous renal biopsy and allows multiorgan biopsy during the same procedure. It can be recommended in patients with percutaneous renal biopsy contraindication or failure.

Adult↗