Severe nitrous oxide embolism during venous stripping.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to V Cottin.
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The use of laparoscopic surgery has grown considerably, and the occurrence of some accidents, albeit rare, is now reported. Among them, gas embolism can induce a bad postoperative outcome. We report seven cases of carbon dioxide embolism (CO2) during laparoscopic surgery. In the seven cases gas embolism occurred during insufflation or a few minutes later. All the patients had a previous abdominal or pelvic surgical history. Five patients presented cardiac bradycardia or arrhythmia. Cardiovascular collapse or cyanosis was the first manifestation in three cases. Sudden bilateral mydriasis was the earliest neurologic sign, present in five cases. Finally, the gas embolism complication was lethal in two cases. In summary, this study strongly stresses the need for precise rules of prevention of gas embolism, and close monitoring of cardiac rhythm during insufflation of carbon dioxide. The patients who had previous surgery should be considered as a risk population.
Infection of sheep by visna-maedi virus causes an interstitial pneumonitis similar to that associated with human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1). Visna-maedi virus infection of alveolar macrophages leads to their activation. In this study we determined whether an imbalance in oxidant-antioxidant activity may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. We investigated the spontaneous and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced release of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in alveolar macrophages from lambs experimentally-infected with visna-maedi virus, and in ovine alveolar macrophages infected in vitro. Alveolar macrophages from lambs experimentally-infected in vivo exhibited normal spontaneous H2O2 release and had superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities similar to those from control animals. In contrast, after in vitro stimulation with PMA the H2O2 production by macrophages from experimentally-infected lambs was significantly increased. Similarly, spontaneous and PMA-induced H2O2 production by in vitro infected macrophages was significantly increased as compared to controls. In conclusion, the increased capacity of alveolar macrophages infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type-1-related visna-maedi virus to release hydrogen peroxide on stimulation suggests an oxidant-antioxidant imbalance, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of the observed chronic interstitial pneumonitis.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: Acute interstitial pneumonitis is the main pulmonary side effect during methotrexate (MTX) treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of the study was to determine the following: (1) the incidence of MTX-induced pneumonitis during low-dose long-term MTX treatment for chronic arthritis; (2) whether periodic pulmonary function tests were useful for detecting MTX pneumonitis before clinical symptoms; and (3) whether any subclinical abnormality of pulmonary function was present in asymptomatic patients receiving MTX treatment. DESIGN: Pulmonary function tests, including diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DCO) measurements, were performed in 124 patients receiving low-dose MTX for rheumatologic diseases at the time of initiating treatment, and then at 3 months, 6 months, and at 6-month intervals thereafter. Mean duration of treatment was 23 months. RESULTS: MTX treatment was interrupted in six patients for acute onset of clinical symptoms; criteria for diagnosis of MTX pneumonitis were fullfilled in four cases (incidence: 3.2%); no risk factor could be identified. No significant decrease in pulmonary function parameters could be observed before the onset of clinical symptoms of MTX pneumonitis, and this adverse effect could not be predicted by periodic function tests. A statistically significant decrease was found in FVC (-2.2%, p=0.04), FEV1 (-5.0%, p<0.001), and diffusing capacity per alveolar volume, DCO/VA (-4.8%, p=0.03), but not DCO (-1.3%, p>0.05), in the 118 other asymptomatic patients during MTX treatment. CONCLUSION: We found minor subclinical alterations in pulmonary function in asymptomatic patients receiving low-dose long-term MTX treatment, but periodic pulmonary function tests did not allow us to detect MTX-induced pneumonitis before clinical symptoms. Therefore, we recommend that these tests should not be systematically performed while patients are receiving treatment.
Iatrogenic respiratory disorders include bronchic manifestations (asthma, bronchospasm, cough) and bronchiolar manifestations (constrictive or proliferative bronchiolitis). Many pharmacologic agents can induce a bronchospasm. The bronchospasm induced by acetylsalicylic acid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, often severe, is mediated by the inhibition of the cyclooxygenase enzyme; it can be prevented by eviction of the drug or desensitization. Leukotriene receptor antagonists and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors may also be useful. Beta-blockers including cardioselective beta-blockers, cholinergic agonists, inhaled agents, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE), vindesine, histamine liberators, etc..., can also induce a bronchospasm. Most of the same agents can also induce an isolated cough, particularly beta-blockers, inhaled agents, and ACE, which cause 75% of the reported cases of iatrogenic cough. ACE-induced cough usually disappears within 1 to 4 days after withdrawal of the treatment, confirming the diagnosis; ACE-induced cough may be prevented by sodium cromoglycate. The risk of obliterans bronchiolitis with expiratory airflow impairment during rheumatoid arthritis is increased by D-penicillamine. Many drugs can be involved in the pathogenesis of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, which presents with various clinical and radiological aspects. The physician has to keep in mind that bronchospasm, cough, or bronchiolitis of unknown origin, may have a iatrogenic cause.
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