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Biomedical subjects

T Pottecher

Publications and source records attributed to T Pottecher.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Concentrations of pefloxacin in plasma and tissue after administration as surgical prophylaxis.

Plasma and epiploic-fat drug concentrations determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and fat penetration of pefloxacin and its metabolite (norfloxacin) given for antimicrobial prophylaxis were studied in patients scheduled for colorectal surgery. Concentrations of pefloxacin in plasma decreased about 40% from the beginning of the operation to closure of the peritoneum, and corresponding levels in epiploic fat stayed stable. The plasma and tissue norfloxacin concentrations were very low. Concentrations of pefloxacin in tissue were greater than MIC at which 90% of isolates are inhibited for sensitive bacteria (members of the family Enterobacteriaceae). The penetration of pefloxacin into epiploic fat was about 32%.

Adult↗

[Techniques for measuring intracranial hypertension].

A wide variety of monitoring devices have been used for intracranial pressure measurement. The aim of this article is to present the most common devices and to assess their accuracy, stability and complications, with reference to current literature. Measurement with an intraventricular catheter remains, the reference method. However new techniques with distal measurement (fiberoptic or strain gauge) seem to be accurate, but have a higher cost. Some practical problems, such as the zero pressure reference level and the side of measurement, are also discussed.

Brain↗

Early assessment of transplanted liver function: lignocaine clearance test (MEGX).

The purpose of this study was to assess the value of lignocaine biotransformation into monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) and conventional liver function tests in the early post-operative period as an indicator of graft function and as a diagnostic tool for complications after hepatic transplantation. Monoethylglycinexylidide formation, plasma bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), factor V index (FVI) and prothrombin time index (PTI) were measured in 71 patients undergoing 80 liver transplantations respectively at 12 (T1), 24 (T2), 48 (T3) and 72 h (T4) after liver graft revascularization. Patients were divided into two group according to the post-operative outcome. Patients with favourable outcome (n = 59) had significantly higher monoethylglycinexylidide synthesis, higher factor V index and prothrombin time index plasma concentrations, lower bilirubin, ASAT and ALAT plasma concentration (P < 0.0001 at T2 and T3) than those with complicated time course (n = 21). Monoethylglycinexylidide synthesis was the best discriminant of a favourable outcome, whereas bilirubin and ALAT concentrations were associated with complications (bilirubin for primary non function [PNF], ALAT for acute rejection). Thus, the combination of parameters at T2 was a very efficient predictor of primary non function, acute rejection and an uncomplicated time course.

Anesthetics, Local↗

[Fat embolism still exists. A retrospective study of 17 cases in a surgical intensive care unit].

Fat embolism is a severe complication in patients with femoral fractures. This retrospective study records 17 cases of post traumatic fat embolism diagnosed between 1979 and 1993 among 430 patients admitted for femoral fractures (incidence: 2.7%). These cases underline the high frequency of early hypovolaemia (10/17), of respiratory and cerebral disorders (15/17), all occurring during the first post trauma week. Three cases were observed in the postoperative period. Severity of fat embolism is proved by three deaths and a mean mechanical ventilation period of 13 days. With early osteosynthesis, incidence of fat embolism could be lowered to 0.2%. Prevention is based on osteosynthesis, avoidance of hypovolemia and of hypoalbuminemia.

Critical Care↗

[Antibiotic prophylaxis and appendectomy].

Analysis of clinical studies shows that a single preoperative systematic administration of antibiotics may reduce postoperative sepsis rate after appendicectomy. If the appendix is gangrenous or perforated, this therapy must last for a longer time and is not considered as a prophylaxis. In clinical practice, there are obvious advantages in the use of a single agent efficient against both aerobes and anaerobes. According to the literature, cefotetan or cefoxitin (2 g in adults, 40 mg.kg-1 in children) can be proposed.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[Information to relatives of organ donors. Factors of consent or refusal. Results of a multicenter study].

The French law on organ harvesting in brain dead patients allows this to be done without the family's consent, but prescribes to inform the relatives. Despite this, most teams do not harvest organs if the family is strongly opposed to the procedure. Information given to the relatives is therefore a very important point in the management of the donor. This prospective multicentre enquiry was designed to assess the conditions in which relatives were informed, and to determine the criteria which improve the rate of consent for the donation. After such information had been given, a questionnaire was filled in and sent to France-Transplant. Two hundred and seven interviews were analysed over an 18-month period. In two thirds of cases, the relatives were interviewed less than three hours after the diagnosis of brain death had been made. A written information sheet was used in only one third of interviews. Information was given by telephone in 11% of cases. Organ donation was accepted, on average, in 74% of cases. This ratio, which did not depend on the hospital, increased with the age of the donor: 66% for donors aged less than 18 years to 86% for those more than 50 years old. The aetiology of brain death was not a factor determining acceptance of the donation. The main factor was the conditions of interview: acceptance rate was the highest when there was a one hour delay between giving the information on the donor's brain death and that concerning organ donation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Pharmacokinetics of intravenous fusidic acid in patients with cholestasis.

The pharmacokinetics of fusidic acid and 3-ketofusidic acid were investigated in cholestatic and noncholestatic patients after intravenous administration of single and multiple doses of 500 mg of sodium fusidate. The patients, all with low serum albumin levels, were divided into three groups. Group I consisted of six noncholestatic patients; group II consisted of nine mildly cholestatic patients with mild hepatic impairment (conjugated bilirubin, 47 mumol liter-1; alkaline phosphatase, 280 IU liter-1; gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, 190 IU liter-1); group III consisted of six benign intrahepatic cholestatic patients with high isolated conjugated hyperbilirubinemia (98.1 mumol liter-1). Assays were performed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. At steady state, the mean peak concentrations in serum were 63.7, 44.9, and 92.2 micrograms ml-1 in groups I, II, and III, respectively; over a dosage interval, areas under the concentration-time curve were 411.1, 238.7, and 603.4 micrograms.h ml-1 and the mean body clearances were 0.34, 0.53, and 0.25 ml min kg-1 in groups I, II, and III, respectively. The accumulation ratio of fusidic acid increased from 2.8 and 2.4 in groups I and II to 4.2 in group III. At steady state, the ratios of the areas under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 8 h for 3-ketofusidic acid/fusidic acid were 0.11, 0.09, and 0.10 in the three groups, respectively. Only very small amounts of fusidic acid and 3-ketofusidic acid were found in urine. These results substantiate the following hypotheses. In group I and II patients the clearance is higher than that in healthy volunteers because of the increased free, unbound fraction of fusidic acid, a consequence of lower serum albumin concentrations, resulting in increased distribution in tissue and hepatic metabolism. In group III patients, the higher bilirubinemia results in competition with fusidic acid for the limited glucuronidation, thus compensating for the increased elimination with fusidic acid because of the low serum albumin concentration. These results suggest that fusidic acid can be administered normally even to patients with high bilirubinemia because the postoperative serum albumin concentration is usually low.

Adult↗

[Does automatized disinfection of traps by chlorine reduce water related contamination?].

Sanitary U bends are very contaminated places from a microbiological point of view. They may even be dangerous for immunocompromised patients. Although daily chloride disinfection of U-bends is ineffective, it seems to work when performed after each use of sanitary devices. On line disinfection reduces not only U-bend bacteriological contamination but also all surrounding surfaces.

Disinfection↗

[Comparative value of clinical signs of difficult tracheal intubation in women].

A prospective study was designed to compare the value of clinical signs aimed to predict difficult intubation in women. A group of 663 women, scheduled for elective surgery, were assessed by an anaesthetist at the preanaesthetic visit. Following parameters were assessed: the degree of mouth opening, the chin-hyoid bone and the chin-thyroid cartilage distances, dental and facial abnormalities, age, weight. All patients were ranked on the Mallampati scale. Another anaesthetist carried out the anaesthetic induction and endotracheal intubation. The latter was deemed to have been difficult if special procedures had been required (use of a stylet, a fibroscope, or Sellick's manoeuvre). In accordance with these criteria 12.5% of women were difficult to intubate. Furthermore, he assessed the degree of glottic exposure, using a Macintosh blade and according to Cormack's classification. Six per cent of women were ranked C or D in Cormack's classification (C: the glottic aperture was not seen; D: the epiglottis was not seen). Finally 66% of women with difficult intubation and 84% of those with severely abnormal glottic exposure were ranked greater than 1 on the Mallampati scale. This scale had high sensitivity (0.84), but a specificity of only 0.66. Other clinical criteria (mouth opening, the chin-hyoid bone distance) had a lower sensitivities, but seemed more specific. Multivariate analysis showed that specificity could be improved (0.84) if the distance between the upper and lower incisor teeth (mouth opening) was associated with Mallampati's rank, without any loss in sensitivity. A simple chart is proposed to assess the risk of difficult intubation.

Adult↗

[Cardiac arrest during anesthesia and recovery period].

Cardiac arrests (CA) occurring during anaesthesia and recovery can be classified into three groups: CA not related to anaesthesia (NACA), CA related to anaesthesia (ACA), whether partially (PACA) or totally (TACA). In the French survey, NACAs were three times more frequent than ACAs. Nearly 25% of ACAs occurred at induction and consisted mainly in TACAs. Another quarter of ACAs occurred during maintenance and consisted mainly in PACAs. About 50% of ACAs occurred after the end of anaesthesia and had the highest mortality rate. Cardiac arrest corresponds to the status of a heart unable to generate the minimum aortic blood flow required for functioning of vital organs. For the brain, a zero-blood flow of more than 4 seconds results in coma. Consequently CA exists when the time interval between two subsequent efficient systoles is greater than 4 seconds. Anaesthetic agents can result in CA by 1) overdose (absolute, relative), 2) anaphylactoid/anaphylactic reactions, 3) specific effects (acetylcholine-like effect, hyperkalaemia and malignant hyperthermia for succinylcholine; vagal effect of vecuronium and atracurium; cardiotoxicity of bupivacaine) and 4) drug interaction. In hypoxic CA, severe neurologic impairment often still exists at the time of onset of CA. The anaesthesia machine and controlled ventilation can induce CA by hypoxic ventilation, overdose of anaesthetic vapour, excessive CO2 reinhalation, hypoventilation, disconnection, excessive pressure in airways. Cardiac hypothermia can be a cause of CA as well as a cause of unsuccessful CPR. Massive infusion of unwarmed fluids and IPPV with unheated gases generate a temperature gradient within the heart which may result in severe arrhythmias and CA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anaphylaxis↗

[Anesthesia in elderly patients: results of an INSERM survey].

This study analyses the results of a national prospective inquiry, made in France between 1978 and 1982, with regard to patients over 60-year-old. In this group, including 20% of all surgical patients, occur 54% of all complications and 65% of all cardiac arrests related to anaesthesia (partially or totally). The complications are mainly circulatory and less often respiratory. Among the latter the major events are unrecognized ventilatory depression and aspiration of gastric content during recovery period. These data substantiate the necessity of an adequately staffed and equipped recovery room.

Age Factors↗

[Postoperative fever].

When faced with a case of postoperative fever, the diagnostic procedure is of paramount importance. It's first step is analytical and clinical, basing on examination of the patient and search for indicators of gravity. The first aim of examination is to recognize a septic collection related to surgery and/or intensive therapy. The following step is synthetical and has to consider the type of surgery and the status of the patient. The symptomatic therapy of high fever relies on opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents; their indications and limits are discussed.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗