[Treatment of patients with severe head injuries].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Chevalier.
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Plasma exchange was used in three cases of peripheral neuropathy of polyradiculoneuritis type in patients with AIDS. The neurologic lesion in the first case was due to a cytomegalovirus, and plasma exchange appeared to provide additional benefits (to antiviral treatment) during the first attack of polyradiculoneuritis. The peripheral neurologic disorders were probably related to the HIV itself in the other two cases, and plasma exchange was carried out only briefly because of the seriousness of the situation, which was unaffected. Although plasma exchange is possible, if particular technical precautions are taken, in patients with AIDS, the present series is too small for valid scientific evaluation.
In has been suggested that monitoring of blood levels of serum proteins could be of value in order to assess the prognosis of trauma patients. A study was set up to assess the value of albuminaemia, prealbuminaemia, transferrin and ceruleoplasmin levels in intensive care unit patients admitted after multiple trauma including head injury. This study involved 43 patients (31 men and 12 women), with a mean age of 26 years (range: 15 and 71 years). Two patients had extradural haematoma. The other patients had brain contusion associated with extradural haematoma (5 cases), subdural haematoma (1 case) and open brain wound (1 case). All these patients were sedated with penthiobarbital, paralysed with pancuronium bromide and mechanically ventilated. Serum protein levels were measured on the first and eighth days of the stay in the intensive care unit. In these patients that survived, there was a significant decrease in albuminaemia and transferrin levels, no change in prealbuminaemia and a significant increase in ceruleoplasmin levels. Ten patients died during the study. They presented a greater decrease in albuminaemia and prealbuminaemia as compared with the survivors. There was no difference in the evolution of ceruleoplasmin and transferrin levels between the two groups. Thus, whilst the difference between survivors and non-survivors was significant for the group, for the individual patient the difference was too small to be of any prognostic value.
The transfusion of young red blood cells (neocytes) is a complementary approach to the present treatment of thalassaemia major patients. Fresh neocytes were harvested from 34 volunteers with the IBM 2991 cell washer (CW). The upper part of 24 units was separated into 6 aliquots (T1-T6) of 15 ml each and the residue homogenized. Four biological criteria were used to evaluate young red cell quality, the erythrocyte pyruvate kinase activity, the mean corpuscular volume, the reticulocyte count and ektacytometry; each sample (T1-T6) showed an enrichment with neocytes as compared with the standard unit. A real efficiency of this technique with the IBM 2991 CW was obtained with the first third of the unit, corresponding to the T1-T4 fractions. The estimation of the theoretical mean life span of T1-T2 was 270 days. The last 10 units were separated into two halves: the enrichment of the first half was worse than in the first third of the previous technique. We concluded that the transfusional program of thalassaemia patients could profit by the use of the most enriched part of a standard blood unit with the IBM 2991 CW.
The certified sickness absence of workers in the French National Electric and Gas Company was studied for 12 months and has been described according to the demographic and occupational characteristics of the employees. The results showed that the principal factors affecting absence are sex, job, and salary. The high percentage of absent women was explained by neither the type of occupation nor family status. Respiratory diseases, accidents, and musculoskeletal and psychiatric disorders were the leading diagnostic categories. Indices of severity, duration, and frequency were calculated and compared between groups. The duration of absence increased with the severity of the medical cause of absence and with the patient's age.
Iodine research holds an increasing place in thyroid pathology, either to cover a radioisotopic investigation with paradoxal results or to find an iatrogenic cause to an unexplained hypo- or hyperthyroidism in new born children as well as in adults. To determine iodine overloads we may need a urinary iodine estimation, in addition to blood iodine determination (quickly eliminated products) or instead of it (difficult blood taking: new born children, etc.). Classically, the 24 hours urinary iodine estimation (total urinary iodine) covers this need but, in practice, as we generally deal with ambulatory patients, the risks linked to the obtention of a perfect 24 hours urine collecting make us abandon it. This article presents an original and simple way of getting round this difficulty: it demonstrates that an excellent iodine overload estimation can be obtained by measuring simultaneously from a simple miction: on one hand iodine concentration, on the other hand the urinary creatinine.
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We have characterized a monoclonal antibody (L2) specific for a determinant of Human DQ class II antigens. After immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence analysis performed on a panel of DR homozygous cell lines and HLA deleted mutants, it behaves like a monomorphic anti-DQ reagent and does not react with the products of the various DR alleles. On immunoblotting, it reacts with an epitope of the DQ alpha chain.
Duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) was found in the serum of 1-6% of Pekin ducklings originated from French commercial flocks. The viremia was followed in the serum of 5 ducklings over a span of 3 mth by monitoring the levels of DHBV DNA and the endogenous DNA polymerase (DNAp) activity. The DHBV DNA levels in serum were quantified either by the DNA dot hybridization technique including counting of retained radioactivity, or by successive dilutions of each serum sample followed by DNA hybridization. The counting of the retained radioactivity was plotted on a curve and its evolution compared with that of viral DNAp activity. DHBV DNA levels in serum, estimated by both methods paralleled those of the DNAp activity, which peaked at the 4th or 5th week posthatch to decrease and fluctuate thereafter. Occasional discordance between DHBV DNA levels and the endogenous DNAp activity was observed, which could be correlated with the degree of repair of the single stranded gap of serum DHBV DNA. Parallel follow up studies comparing quantitative estimations of serum viral DNA and of DNAp activity, as presented here, may provide some clues for the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the establishment of the HEPA DNA virus carrier state. Such comparative studies may also be crucial for optimal monitoring of antiviral drugs in both human clinical trials and animal experimental studies.
We present haematological and immunological data obtained in 11 patients with the rare association of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and multiple myeloma (MM). CLL occurred before MM in six cases and both diseases were diagnosed simultaneously in five. With regard to CLL, no peculiar clinical feature was found; in six patients, MM was characterized by extra-osseous lesions. A significant remission (3-7 years) was obtained in three patients. In six patients, CLL and plasma cells synthesized Ig molecules with different light chains, probably indicating the coexistence of two distinct clonal proliferations. In two cases where monoclonal Ig synthesized by both types of cells had the same type of light chains, studies with anti-idiotypic antibodies showed that the two proliferations were also distinct. The pathophysiology of this rare association is discussed in the light of these findings and of data from the literature.
A case of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is reported in a young homosexual Venezuelan male. It is of special interest to note the association of cytomegalovirus polyvisceral infection, frequent during AIDS, and a brain immunoblastic lymphoma, an infrequent tumour in that pathology.
In order to lower the risks of infection and other complications during prolonged venous catheterization, percutaneous axillary venepuncture is advocated as an access route to the superior vena cava. This study relates the results of 151 attempts. Most of the patients were tracheostomized and under controlled ventilation. Catheterization was successful in 79% of the cases (119 cases). In 92 cases access to the superior vena cava was sought and in 27 cases the pulmonary artery. No major complication was observed. Bacterial contamination of the catheter tip was found in 21% of cases. Percutaneous catheterization of the axillary vein appeared to be a safe and reliable technique, especially for prolonged catheterization in high risk patients.
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This work is a study of the radioinduced transformations undergone by intraglobular hemoglobin. Mössbauer spectrometry allows us to study in a wide range of doses the effect of X rays on deoxyhemoglobin as well as on oxyhemoglobin. Using this technique we have shown large differences between these two derivatives of hemoglobin. Deoxyhemoglobin leads to the formation of only one ferric nonheme compound while oxyhemoglobin produces this same compound as a last step after intermediary production of deoxyhemoglobin, methemoglobin, hemichromes, and hemochromes. We have also found that heat incubation and X rays have a similar effect on HbO2 except for the dissociation, which is absent in heat incubation. We have found a value for the energy needed for such a radiodissociation of HbO2 similar to that given by other authors utilizing other methods. Finally, we propose some explanations for the formation of the different compounds involved based on structural considerations.
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The mode of action and the target cell of a suppressive factor continuously and spontaneously produced by a human hybrid T cell line constructed recently are reported. This factor was shown to suppress pokeweed mitogen-induced B cell differentiation when added within the first 48 hr of culture. It does not suppress B cell differentiation induced by Nocardia extracts, a relatively T-independent mitogen. The target cell for this factor seems to be a T lymphocyte in that it can be absorbed by E-rosetting cells but not by B lymphocytes or monocytes. This factor does not impair mitogen or allogeneic-induced lymphocyte proliferation and has an apparent m.w. of approximately 45,000 as estimated by Sephacryl S200 gel chromatography.
The performance of a calculator was studied on 19 patients requiring therapy with mechanical ventilation. Values of total compliance displayed by this calculator device were compared with values obtained with the syringe method. The determination of compliance were made at a series of values for Tidal volume (T. V.): 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 23 and 26 ml.kg-1. Measurements were performed while patients were paralysed by pancuronium bromide. In each patient the calculator device displayed values that correlate closely with the value obtained by the syringe method. Compliance increased between 3 and 26 ml.kg-1 of T. D. Between 4 and 15 ml.kg-1 of TD the changes of compliance were nearly identical whatever the method of measurement used. The calculator can be used for reliable monitoring or recordings of total compliance.