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Adenovirus (AdV) infections constitute a significant cause of morbidity and mortality during haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Recent guidelines recommend repeated screening for AdV in whole blood (WB), with quantitative PCR (qPCR) as the reference standard. Despite pre-emptive antiviral treatment based on qPCR in WB, the mortality rate after disseminated AdV infection remains very high. The aim of our study was to advance early screening for AdV, using a standardized method, so as to enable the earlier initiation of antiviral treatment or adoptive immunotherapy. The diagnostic value of AdV DNA quantification in stool samples was investigated retrospectively and compared with antigen detection and cell culture in 21 patients with AdV infection, from 182 patients followed in the Transplant Unit of Nancy University Hospital Centre, including 18 patients with systemic infection. In 16/18 patients with positive AdV viraemia, AdV DNA was present in stool samples earlier than in WB (median, 42 days; range, 3-199 days), whereas both antigen detection and cell culture were still negative for 11/18 patients with systemic AdV infection. The course of AdV viral loads in stool samples was predictive of adenoviraemia (sensitivity, 89%). Very late and lethal AdV infections were observed in cord blood transplant recipients, and would have been detected much earlier with the use of qPCR on stool samples. This study confirmed that quantification of AdV in stool samples by qPCR is beneficial for the management of transplant recipients, with or without antigen detection., (© 2011 The Authors. Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2011 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.)

We report two cases of invasive infections due to Geosmithia argillacea, an emerging mold, in patients with chronic granulomatous disease receiving prolonged azole antifungal prophylaxis. One patient died despite receiving a combination of four antifungals, and the other developed cerebral and medullary lesions under a combination of caspofungin, posaconazole, terbinafine, and gamma interferon.

In recent years, the population of dialysis patients has become frailer and older. Patients present with more comorbid conditions and experience more complications during their follow-up. The aim of the present study is to describe the workload of the dialysis center during hemodialysis sessions and determine whether comorbidities are associated with increased workload. We conducted a retrospective multicentric study on a sample population of 123 patients selected from a dialysis population within a regional network. We described hospitalizations and HD sessions during a 1-year follow-up. We collected data on 19 prescriptions and events occurring during HD sessions. We described two HD care profiles (easy and difficult) and looked for variables linked with these profiles. We found that age more or equal to 60 years, elevated C-reactive protein and HD catheters are associated with difficult HD care. Surprisingly, apart from heart failure, comorbidities were not linked to greater workload during HD sessions. The development of HD care profiles should be helpful in early detection of frailer patients. This could have concrete applications such as better allocation of human and material resources and better training for the dialysis staff., (Copyright © 2010 Association Société de néphrologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Given the importance of fibrous tissue in leading to myocardial dysfunction, non-invasive assessment of fibrosis could prove a clinically useful tool in heart failure (HF) patients. Biomarkers may be used for early detection of otherwise subclinical disease, diagnostic assessment of an acute or chronic clinical syndrome, risk stratification of patients with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis, selection of an appropriate therapeutic intervention and monitoring the response to therapy. Extracellular matrix (ECM) biomarkers in HF are promising biomarkers. They are able to detect early changes in heart and large vessel structure and function and transition to HF. High ECM biomarker levels have been associated with poor outcome. The ability of treatment to reduce myocardial fibrosis in HF patients may be monitored by the measurement of various serum peptides arising from the metabolism of collagen types. Biomarkers may be selectively influenced by pharmacological agents.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) ablation for palliation of soft tissue tumor pain., Materials and Methods: Retrospective study of 12 patients receiving palliative treatment for soft tissue tumors (5 primary tumors including 4 sarcomas and 1 PEComa and 7 metastatic tumors) with pain refractory to standard management. RF ablation was performed under CT or ultrasound guidance., Results: The efficacy was determined by using pain scores and treatment regimen modifications after RF ablation. Response was graded as absent, partial or complete. Short term symptomatic relief was observed in 100% of cases, with complete response in 43% of cases ; Mid term and long term symptomatic relief was observed in 70% and 83% of cases respectively. We also observed dosage reduction for narcotics with corresponding reduction in related side-effects and functional improvement in some patients. A single case of complication with serosanguinous collection within a region of necrosis was observed., Conclusion: Radiofrequency ablation for palliation of soft tissue tumor pain may be a useful complement to standard management. It results in symptomatic improvement with few complications.

We report an outbreak of colonization with Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) in the Haemodialysis unit of our hospital. From October 2004 to September 2008, 19 patients were found positive. The risk of acquiring this multi-resistant bacterium is extremely important in patients undergoing haemodialysis, heightened measures have gradually been set to control cross transmissions: first isolation, then geographic clustering of carriers and finally creating cohorting sectors with different staff for carriers, contacts and VRE free patients. This re-organization was supplemented by strengthening procedures for hand hygiene, active screening of patients and enhanced cleaning. Monitoring of the epidemic curve has allowed us to demonstrate the effectiveness of measures introduced. However, deleterious effects were observed in patients whose habits were changed; we could also highlight significant impact on the activity of the unit.

The presence of distant metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma decreases the 10-year survival of patients by 50%. Bone metastases represent a frequent complication especially of follicular thyroid cancer and severely reduce the quality of life causing pain, fractures, and spinal cord compression. Diagnosis is established by correlating clinical suspicion with imaging. Imaging is essential to detect, localize, and assess the extension of the lesions and should be used in conjunction with clinical evidence. Bone metastases are typically associated with elevated markers of bone turnover, but these markers have not been evaluated in differentiated thyroid cancer. Skeletal and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging and fusion 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose whole-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) are the best anatomic and functional imaging techniques available in specialized centers. For well-differentiated lesions, iodine-PET scan combined (124)I-PET/CT is the newest imaging development and (131)I is the first line of treatment. Bisphosphonates reduce the complications rate and pain, alone or in combination with radioiodine, radionuclides, or external beam radiotherapy and should be employed. Surgery and novel minimally invasive consolidation techniques demand an appropriate patient selection for best results on a multimodal approach. Basic research on interactions between tumor cells and bone microenvironment are identifying potential novel targets for future more effective therapeutic interventions for less differentiated tumors.

Background: Gonadorelin (LH-RH) analogues are used in urology, gynaecology and paediatrics. Sterile abscesses sometimes occur at the injection site although the underlying mechanism is poorly understood., Case Report: A 72 year-old man presented weeping ulceration of the right buttock several days after the 9th intramuscular injection of an LH-RH analogue (leuprorelin SR 11.25 mg) for prostate cancer. There was no local reaction following the 10th injection but an abscess was observed at the injection site after the 11th injection. Screening for an infectious aetiology was negative. Histological examination of a skin biopsy specimen demonstrated granulomatous inflammation with a necrotic centre. Intradermal reaction to triptorelin, an LH-RH analogue containing no excipient, was negative. Intradermal reaction to leuprorelin SR, which contains lactic acid polymer, was positive with the appearance of an erythematous papule after 20 minutes, as well as demonstration of granulomatous reaction upon histological examination of a biopsy specimen obtained 10 days later., Discussion: This case suggests a foreign body reaction to leuprorelin SR, or more probably to the lactic acid polymer excipient, as seen with Newfill (L-polylactic acid) used to treat lipoatrophy.

The administration act, as each step of the drugs circuit, can lead to an adverse drug event potentially harmful for the patient. The aim of this study was to highlight the adverse drug events outcoming at the administration stage and to suggest improvement elements. Errors were identified in a retrospective manner. We compared the written prescriptions ("Prescription forms") with the administration registration ("Administration forms"). The differences observed between these two paper media were classified according to the errors types defined by the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists and by the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. This study settled in the pediatric intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. We checked 1035 administrations lines: 180 errors (17,4%) were detected, including 63 omissions, 44 infusion rate errors, 42 administrations without prescription, 20 administration time errors, 7 dose errors, 2 drug form errors, 2 errors of other types, but no route of administration error. This method choice is debatable because without direct observation we could only compare what was noted to be administrated and not what was really administrated. We did not try to identify neither the causes nor the consequences of these errors on the patients. Following this study, several improvements have been set up: a new "Prescription form" (expecting the computerized prescription order entry) and reconstitution and dilution protocols for the most prescribed drugs.

Background: Conventional antibody induction therapy is currently used in heart transplantation despite safety concerns. This 6-month, prospective, randomized, multicenter, open-label study examined whether basiliximab offers a tolerability benefit compared with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) while maintaining similar efficacy in de novo heart transplant recipients., Methods: Adult heart transplant recipients were randomized to receive basiliximab (20 mg on Day 0 and Day 4) or ATG (2.5 mg/kg/day for 3 to 5 days) with cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil and steroids. The primary safety end-point was a composite of serum sickness, fever, cutaneous rash, anaphylaxis, infection, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia and post-transplant proliferative disease. Efficacy was assessed by a composite end-point of death, graft loss, acute rejection Grade > 1B, acute rejection associated with hemodynamic compromise or treated with antibody therapy, or loss to follow-up, whichever occurred first., Results: Eighty patients were randomized and analyzed. By Month 6, the incidence of the composite safety end-point was significantly lower with basiliximab than with ATG (50.0% vs 78.6%, p = 0.01), and infectious death was less frequent in the basiliximab group (0 of 38 vs 6 of 42, p = 0.027). The composite efficacy end-point occurred in 24 patients (63.2%) in the basiliximab arm vs 28 patients (66.7%, p = not significant [NS]) receiving ATG. Acute rejection episodes of Grade > or = 1B were reported with similar frequency (50% with basiliximab vs 45.2% with ATG, p = NS); 7 patients (18.4%) in the basiliximab group and 3 (7.1%) in the ATG group had rejection Grade > or = 3A., Conclusions: These results suggest that basiliximab offers improved tolerability with similar efficacy compared with current polyclonal antibody induction therapy in de novo heart transplant patients.

Fractures of the distal extremity of the tibia include physeal injuries among teenagers and more complex fractures among adults. Displacement causes the compression of the muscles located between the distal tibia and the superior extensor retinaculum (SER). Among the muscles of anterior compartment of the leg, the extensor hallucis longus (EHL) is particularly vulnerable due to the amount of muscle fibers extending under the SER. Consequently, a partial anterior compartment syndrome could result, affecting only the distal portion located under the SER. In clinical practice, Mubarak measured the intramuscular pressure isolated under the SER and suggested the physio-pathological hypothesis of a compression of distal muscle fibers. The aim of this study is to compare the ratios of anterior compartment muscle fibers extending under the SER. Twenty legs were dissected in order to study how much of these muscles extend under the SER, their passages possibly dividing into two of the SER, as well as their vascularization and their innervation. On the last seven legs, the engagement of the muscles were measured in the spontaneous position and with a dorsal flexion of 0 degrees . The posterior muscle fibers of this compartment always descend lower than the anterior fibers. EHL muscle fibers and those of the inconsistent fibularis tertius always extend under the retinaculum, unlike those of the tibialis anterior and of the extensor digitorum longus. The EHL muscle extends under the SER more than the other muscles. Its posterior fibers are longer when this muscle goes through a dividing into two of the retinaculum. Its vascularization seems lesser, which could explain why this muscle tends to suffer more. The deep fibular nerve innervates the anterior compartment of the leg, yet no nerve branches can be found under the upper edge of the retinaculum. In all cases, the muscle fibers do not extend as much under the SER in a 0 degrees of dorsal flexion. This anatomical study allows us to explain why the EHL is more likely to suffer from this partial compartment syndrome and confirms that when the latter occurs it is necessary, in all cases, to do emergency surgery opening the distal crural fascia and necessarily including the SER.

Preoperative management of thyroid nodule is still controversial. Since 25 years ago, preoperative evaluation of thyroid nodule has been modified and improved. The aim of this study was to review, from a surgical point of view, the role of radionuclide imaging results in the management of patients with thyroid nodules.

Legionnaires' disease is one of the major infectious risks related to hospital water systems. It is commonly accepted, that the disease is transmitted to man mostly by inhalation of water aerosols contaminated by Legionella pneumophila. The ability of L. pneumophila to multiply intracellularly within some amoebae better explains the ecology, the pathogenicity, and the virulence of this bacterium against human alveolar macrophages. The presence of these amoebae in water systems located where cases of Legionnaire's disease broke out, partly explains the difficulty in eradicating Legionella. Some studies also show that amoebae can play a major role in the transmission of the disease to man. Some other studies point out that inhaled amoebae could be involved in the pathogenesis of Legionnaire's disease. Future strategies to prevent the transmission of Legionella will probably have to include efficient treatments against amoebae.

Background and Objectives: A difficult issue in anaesthesia is its titration for an individual patient to avoid over- and underdosage. Common practice is to use an initial dose and increase it subsequently if the defined end-point is not reached. This assumes that the end-point is reached after a similar interval of time in all patients given a similar dose. In order to test this hypothesis we measured the time to reach end-points such as loss of consciousness (LOC), a bispectral index (BIS) value of 60, the minimal BIS and the minimal mean arterial pressure (MAP) values., Methods: Thirty patients aged 18-60 yr scheduled for general surgery were included in this observational study. After preoxygenation, induction was performed with 6% inspired concentration of sevoflurane in 6 Lmin-1 oxygen using the SiBI connector and the tidal volume technique. Remifentanil was administered when the BIS value was 60 and tracheal intubation was performed 4 min later., Results: Time (median, minimum-maximum) to LOC, a BIS value of 60, the minimal BIS and MAP values were, respectively, 75 (45-135), 120 (75-270), 300 (120-720) and 450 (120-1200) seconds. The time to the minimal BIS value was significantly (P < 0.05) shorter than the time to reach the minimal MAP value., Conclusions: These results demonstrate large inter-patient variability for the time necessary to reach defined end-points of depth of anaesthesia when a similar dose of anaesthetic is given. Measuring the time to reach a predefined BIS value would allow application of nociceptive stimuli only at adequate levels of hypnosis and would facilitate titration.

Supraventricular arrhythmias are considered to be benign when the ventricular rate is slowed and treated by anticoagulants. The aim of this study was to determine the possible influence of these arrhythmias in resuscitated cardiac arrest. Between 1980 and 2002, 151 patients were admitted after a cardiac arrest. Supraventricular arrhythrmias were identified as a possible cause of the cardiac arrest in 21 patients. They underwent echocardiography, exercise stress test, Holter ECG monitoring , coronary angiography and electrophysiological investigation. After these investigations, three patients had a malignant form of the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, two were asymptomatic and, in the third patient, ventricular fibrillation was induced by treatment with diltiazem. In 8 patients, a rapid supraventricular arrhythmia was considered to be the cause of cardiac arrest by cardiogenic shock; 2 patients had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 5 had severe dilated cardiomyopathy which regressed in one patient. In ten patients, cardiac arrest due to ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation was provoked by a rapid (> 220 beats/min) supraventricular arrhythmia; two patients had no apparent underlying cardiac pathology. In the others, myocardial ischaemia or acute cardiac failure were considered to be the cause of the cardiac arrest. The authors conclude that rapid supraventricular arrhythmias may cause cardiac arrest either by cardiogenic shock or degenerescence to ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. Usually, this event occurs in patients with severe cardiac disease but it may occur in subjects without cardiac disease or by an arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy.

The water used in dilution of the dialysis solutions constitutes an essential element of the efficiency and the safety of this therapeutics. Water must be specifically treated, and some technical rules must be respected, such as disinfection of the equipment for water treatment, to guarantee a satisfying level for whole the installation. This article reports the investigations, which were led to find the spring of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which contamined in a recurring way the water feeding dialysis equipment. The observation of samples'chronology and an analysis of the sanitary pad suggested a contamination during disinfection. Sample of residual water from the pump used for the injection of Dialox identified this reservoir as origin of the contamination. To stop this contamination by P. aeruginosa, a pump maintenance revision and purges of the system were used.

Introduction: To analyse the causes of death among HIV-infected adults in France in the year 2000., Methods: Based on data from a national survey, our study describes and analyses the causes and characteristics of patients with immunological and virological response (CD4>200/mm3, ARN-HIV<500 copies/mL), who died during antiretroviral treatment., Results: Among a total of 964 deaths registered, data on 864 cases were available for analysis. One hundred forty-nine patients (17%)were immunovirological responders. The underlying causes of death were non AIDS-defining malignancies for 36 (24%), mainly due to lung cancer (16 cases), hepatocarcinoma (7) and ano-rectal carcinoma (3), AIDS for 22 (15%), mainly due to Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (10 cases) and uterine cancer (3), cardiovascular diseases for 22 (15%), post hepatitis C hepatic failure for 16 (11%), suicide for 16 (11%), and bacterial infections for 14(9%). When comparing characteristics of death in the 149 responders versus the 715 other patients, the responders were significantly more frequently: co-infected by HCV+ (45 vs. 33%), injected drug addicts (40 vs. 27%),alcoholics (38 vs. 28 %), and dyslipidemics (19 vs. 11%). In 2000,around 20% of registered deaths of HIV patients in France had occurred among good immunovirological responders., Conclusion: To further reduce mortality among such efficiently treated patients, attention must be focused on treatable conditions such as hepatitis C, dyslipidemia and on the prevention of malignancies such as lung cancer and cervical or ano-rectal carcinoma.

The authors present the tragic case of an 18-month-old child who was bitten by a dog, causing amputation of the forearm and substantial damage to the cutaneous muscle on his back, shoulder, thorax, and neck. A free latissimus dorsi flap was performed to preserve the humerus from which the periosteum had been torn away. A series of cutaneous expansions were then undertaken to graft skin back onto the back, the armpit, and the shoulder stump, to allow for a mechanical prosthesis. A study of the literature on this subject proves that dog bites are more frequent and serious (sometimes even fatal) in young children than in adults. In view of the current legislation, it would seem that the public health authorities are doing little to resolve this distressing problem.

Aim of the Study: To evaluate the prevalence of pancreatic pseudocyst after persistent fistula closure with somatostatin or octreotide. To compare the patient characteristics according to the subsequent presence or absence of pseudocyst., Patients and Methods: This retrospective study from January 1994 to August 1999 included 15 patients with an external pancreatic fistula. Fistula closure was observed for all patients with somatostatin or octreotide. CT scan was performed 66 +/- 34 days after the end of this treatment., Results: CT scan was normal in 9 patients (favorable group) and showed pancreatic pseudocyst (failure group) in 6 patients. Pancreatic fistula etiologies were different between the two groups. The 5 patients presenting pancreatic fistula after duodenopancreatectomy belonged to the favorable group. Six of the 10 patients presenting pancreatic fistula after pseudocyst drainage belonged to the failure group. There were no other differences between the two groups., Conclusion: Persistent pancreatic fistula can be cured with somatostatin or octreotide. However, fistulas occurring after duodenopancreatectomy are more easily cured with somatostatin or octreotide than fistulas occurring after external pseudocyst drainage. Somatostatin or octreotide cannot be considered to be an effective treatment for pancreatic fistula occurring after pseudocyst drainage, despite the fact that 40% of them were permanently cured.

This study investigated the changes in the hypnotic component of anaesthesia, estimated by the bispectral index of the electroencephalogram, during normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. Twenty-six patients (20 men, 6 women), aged 61 +/- 11 years (Mean +/- SD) scheduled for cardiac surgery were premedicated with hydroxyzine and meperidine. Anaesthesia was induced and maintained with a computer-controlled continuous infusion (not adjusted for haemodilution) of sufentanil (effect site concentration 0.4-0.6 ng mL-1) and a manually adjusted continuous infusion of propofol (4.4 +/- 1.8 mg kg-1 h-1). Cardiopulmonary bypass was normothermic with moderate haemodilution. Bispectral index was measured with a referential montage before, 30 s, 1, and 3 min after cardiopulmonary bypass onset, before and after aortic cross-clamping, 30 min after cardiopulmonary bypass onset, before and after aorta cross-clamp release and before and after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass. Bispectral index values were 48 +/- 8 before cardiopulmonary bypass onset, 50 +/- 10 before, and 48 +/- 8 after end of cardiopulmonary bypass (P = NS). No patient had increases in bispectral index values during cardiopulmonary bypass consistent with awakening. We conclude that with the anaesthetic regimen presented in this study bispectral index values do not change during normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass.

Prevalence and incidence of urinary lithiasis are increasing in western countries. Oxalocalcic stone is the major form of urinary calculi but other forms are not unusual. Caracteristics of the collected stone may improve the diagnosis investigations. Rationnal blood and urine examinations are essential for this medical managment. Most of the various metabolic abnormalities in cause can be corrected from specific dietary measures.

Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disease, specially in women after the age of fourty. The clinical manifestations may be insensitive, aspecific or absent, which may impair diagnosis. Clinical, anamnestical and biological features may lead to a diagnostical suspicion that needs to be confirmed by a determination of serum TSH. Serum TSH determination allows the early recognition of subclinical hypothyroidism. However the signification of this moderate increase in TSH level is controversial, and uncertainty remains over the benefits of treating such patients yielding slightly elevated TSH concentration. Hypothyroidism is usually caused by a primary autoimmune thyroid disease, and seldom due to central hypothalamic or pituitary disorder.

Patients undergoing vascular surgery present a major challenge for the medical and surgery teams because patients admitted for vascular surgery frequently have other associated disorders. Vital functions must be optimized preoperatively in this population. Several problems may arise in the preoperative and postoperative periods. The risk of hypothermia or cardiovascular instability and early treatment of postoperative complications require careful management. Several diagnostic and therapeutic tools are available but their routine use has not always been validated by clinical trials in the pathophysiological setting of vascular disease. We present several examples of discordance between the pathophysiological models and results of clinical studies and raise the question of therapeutic objectives.

Since September 1994, danaparoid (Orgaran), a heparinoid, has been used in our centre to treat patients with thrombocytopenia occurring during heparin therapy and who need continuing antithrombotic therapy. We carried out a retrospective study using clinical and biological data on the first 13 consecutive patients treated with danaparoid (for 1 to 18 consecutive days). The platelet count returned to normal for ten patients, but one patient died having contracted a severe sepsis and bleeding occurred in one patient with acute renal failure. In the three other cases, the diagnosis of heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) was in retrospect unlikely and the death of these patients was related to severe underlying diseases which were held responsible for thrombocytopenia. We confirm that danaparoid appears to be an effective, well-tolerated substitute for heparin in HIT patients. The French regulation Temporary Authorization for Prescribing Medicines allowed the prompt use of this as yet unmarketed drug and collection of reliable and pertinent data.

The originality of this observation of the complete occlusion of the left coronary artery lies in its painless character on the angina level. The affection was revealed by the clinical manifestations of the left ventricular failure in severe ischaemic myocardiopathy. The diagnosis of the ischaemia was made during the physical exercise test coupled with thallium scintigraphy. It therefore seems to be a form of silent ischaemia in major coronary lesions, for which the only conceivable therapeutic option is surgery, considering the particularly pessimistic spontaneous prognosis.