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Biomedical subjects

P Farisse

Publications and source records attributed to P Farisse.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Benign asbestosic pleurisies (apropos of 3 cases)].

Report is made on three cases of benign asbestosic pleural effusions that occured in subjects of more than 60 years in age that had had moderate but long occupational contact with asbestos (between 18 and 40 years). We are dealing here with pleural effusions that have an insidious onset and a chronic course, serofibrinous in nature for the three cases, moderately exsudative, with a relatively few accelerated blood sedimentation rate, a level of protids between 34 and 58 g/l and a level of dextrose between 0,70 and 1,15 g/l. Relapses were noted in two of the patients. In two of these cases existed associated pleural calcifications. Important sequelae persist after the cure that consist in pachypeuritis, and one of these cases was submitted to surgery. Confirmation of the diagnosis was found in the surgical material that contained asbestosic bodies; the sputum of the same patient contained also ferruginous bodies. The research of an occupational contact with asbestos has to be systematically performed in the case of subjects that exhibit, after a certain age, an apparently cryptogenetic pleural effusion.

Aged↗

[Pleural biopsies: complications and current value of Abram's needle biopsy. Apropos of 1,000 samples. Value of pleuroscopic biopsy].

The frequency of incidents resulting from Abrams needle biopsy is very low provided certain contraindications are respected : pneumothorax, 3.1% of cases ; hemorrhages, 1.3% ; neoplastic contamination of the bioptic tract, 1.9%. Serious accidents are rare. We only observed 2 serious hemorrhages, one in 1964, the other in 1968. In the latter case, the pleural hemorrhage caused a very serious respiratory insufficiency. The delayed functional reaction is still not well known. However the occurrence of immediate accidents could reflect on radiological sequelae. The value of this examination seems today to decrease slightly at the same time as the frequency of pulmonary tuberculosis decreases. Indeed pulmonary tuberculosis is the main indication for this method because of the history and because of the possibility of culture on Loewenstein medium. In cancer, needle biopsy has two drawbacks, that of being blind and yielding only small samples, while pleuroscopy is free of them. In a series of 77 examinations including 45 cancers, the positivity reached 80%. In only 2 cases did pleuroscopy give a falsely positive result. In the remaining cases there was no neoplastic invasion of the pleura.

Biopsy, Needle↗

[Double-blind study of an immunomodulator of bacterial origin (Biostim) in the prevention of infectious episodes in chronic bronchitis].

A double-blind trial was conducted to evaluate the capacity of an immunomodulator of bacterial origin (Biostim) to diminish the frequency of infectious episodes in chronic bronchitis. The study duration was 9 months, Biostim being administered orally initially, with follow-up examinations after 2 and 4 months. Of the 73 subjects selected, 38 received Biostim and 35 a placebo (no significant differences between the two groups). By the 9th month, the duration in days of infectious episodes and of antibiotic therapy was 13 +/- 1.3 and 11.5 +/- 1.4 days respectively for the group receiving Biostim, and 33 +/- 5.8 and 41 +/- 9.5 respectively for the placebo group (p less than 0.05). No signs of intolerance and particularly no immunotoxicity were observed: absence of elevation of IgE or anti-Biostim antibody titres. Pre-winter administration of Biostim to subjects at high risk would appear to significantly diminish the frequency of infectious episodes and thus the consumption of antibiotics.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

[Thoracoscopy in 1980. A general review (author's transl)].

Examining the literature and their own experience, the authors reviewed the methods, the complications and indications of modern thoracoscopy. They considered the rigid cold light thoracoscope with diathermo-coagulation. The authors stressed the importance of the macroscopic appearance of the pleural cavity, and the need to take numerous biopsies. Several types of anesthesia can be used, although the authors prefer general anesthesia for the comfort of both the patient and the doctor. Complications are very rare, the main ones being hemorrhage, pulmonary perforation and contamination of the puncture route with cancer cells. The first two can be avoided by good technique and diathermo-coagulation. The latter can be prevented by systematic radiotherapy of the puncture route, in mesothelioma patients. Amongst the numerous indications mentioned, three are important: the etiological diagnosis of chronic effusion, where cancer is a major fear. In these cases, the authors get 97% of positive results. Spontaneous pneumothorax is also a good indication: thoracoscopy allows a useful separation of patients, into those who need surgical treatment, or those in whom local adhesion of the pleura with talcum powder would be effective. Finally, pulmonary biopsy via the thoracoscope is a reliable and effective technique in a large number of indications.

Anesthesia↗