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Biomedical subjects

F Adnet

Publications and source records attributed to F Adnet.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Severe pulmonary embolism associated with air travel.

BACKGROUND: Air travel is believed to be a risk factor for pulmonary embolism, but the relation between pulmonary embolism and distance flown has not been documented. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the duration of air travel is related to the risk of pulmonary embolism. METHODS: From November 1993 to December 2000, we systematically reviewed all cases of pulmonary embolism requiring medical care on arrival at France's busiest international airport. Data on the geographic origins of all flights and the numbers of passengers were collected in order to evaluate the incidence of pulmonary embolism per 1 million passenger arrivals as a function of the distance traveled. RESULTS: A total of 135.29 million passengers from 145 countries or other areas arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport during the period of the study, of whom 56 had confirmed pulmonary embolism. The incidence of pulmonary embolism was much higher among passengers traveling more than 5000 km (3000 mi) (1.5 cases per million, as compared with 0.01 case per million among those traveling less than 5000 km). The incidence of pulmonary embolism was 4.8 cases per million for those traveling more than 10,000 km (6000 mi). CONCLUSIONS: A greater distance traveled is a significant contributing risk factor for pulmonary embolism associated with air travel.

Aerospace Medicine↗

[Availability of antidotes in French emergency medical aid units].

OBJECTIVE: To study the availability of antidotes in French emergency medical aid units (SAMU). METHODS: The physicians or nurses responsible for antidotes in French emergency medical aid units (SAMU) were interviewed by phone. The study involved 102 SAMU in metropolitan France. Four answers on availability of 37 antidotes were possible: the antidote was available in the emergency vehicle used for interventions; the antidote was available in the hospital-located SAMU; the antidote was available in the referral hospital (emergency unit, intensive care unit, operating room, pharmacy); the antidote was not available or not known to be available. RESULTS: Adrenaline and atropine were available in all the intervention vehicles. Nine other antidotes were available in more than two-thirds of the vehicles: 30% glucose (101/102), isoprenaline (100/102), dobutamine (98/112), sodium bicarbonate (97/102), naloxone (95/102), calcium chloride or bicarbonate (89/102), flumazénil (83/102), sodium lactate (77/102), and magnesium sulfate (66/102). Among the other antidotes, hydroxocobalamine and propranolol were available in 24/102 intervention vehicles and activated charcoal in 22/102. Antidigitalic antibodies and 4-methylpyrazole were not available in any vehicle, and were available in less than 25% of the hospitals. CONCLUSION: There is a great disparity of antidote availability. Certain essential antidotes, for which there is no alternative, are not available in emergency intervention vehicles and even in the hospital. The SAMU should develop an economically acceptable departmental management scheme for exceptional-use antidotes.

Ambulances↗

[Measurement of carbon monoxide in expired breath in prehospital management of carbon monoxide intoxication].

INTRODUCTION: Carbon monoxide detectors are currently used by the French prehospital medical teams. These detectors can also be used to measure expired breath carbon monoxide concentration. The interest of this measurement has never been studied. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate interest of expired breath carbon monoxide concentration measurement in the management of prehospital carbon monoxide intoxication. STUDY DESIGN: Patients with carbon monoxide poisoning were included during 1998. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Four levels of clinical severity: no symptom, minor, medium or severe intoxication were defined. Carbon monoxide concentration were measured in the expired breath (COHbe) at the place of the intoxication and in blood samples collected at the place of the intoxication (COHbs) and at the hospital (COHbh). RESULTS: 209 patients were included, 144 had no symptom (55%), the value of COHbe was 11.6 +/- 7.5% (mean +/- DS) and the value of COHbh was 4.9 +/- 3.3%. 91 patients had minor intoxication (35%), the value of COHbe was 16.4 +/- 7.9% and the value of COHbh was 7.1 +/- 4.5%, 21 patients had sever or medium intoxication (8%) the value of COHbe was 26.4 +/- 17.7% and the the value of COHbh was 12.8 +/- 9.3%. Results for COHbh were obtained for only three patients. Relationship between symptoms and expired breath carbon monoxide and relationship between symptoms and carbon monoxide blood concentration on arrival at the hospital were significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Measurement of expired carbon monoxide concentration, easy and quick to perform is correlated with clinical severity in carbon monoxide poisoning.

Adult↗

A survey of tracheal intubation difficulty in the operating room: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to describe all degrees of endotracheal intubation difficulty among patients attended by eight anesthesiologists during routine surgery over a six-month period. Airway characteristics were routinely assessed preoperatively, according to the anesthesiologists' usual practice. METHODS: Difficult tracheal intubation was evaluated by the Intubation Difficulty Scale (IDS), a quantitative score based on seven variables. An IDS value of 0 is consistent with a procedure without difficulty, and an IDS > 5 with a procedure involving moderate to major difficulty. RESULTS: For 1171 patients undergoing tracheal intubation, IDS was 0 in 55%, and greater than 5 in 8% of cases. External laryngeal pressure, repositioning the patient and added use of a stylet were the most frequent methods chosen to facilitate tracheal intubation. CONCLUSION: There was a high incidence (37%) of minor difficulties encountered during routine surgery.

Adolescent↗

Study of the "sniffing position" by magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: The "sniffing position" is widely considered essential to the performance of orotracheal intubation and has become the cornerstone of training in anesthesiology. However, the anatomic superiority of this patient head position has not been established. METHODS: Eight healthy young adult volunteers underwent magnetic resonance imaging scanning in three anatomic positions: head in neutral position, in simple extension, and in the "sniffing position" (neck flexed and head extended by means of a pillow). The following measurements were made on each scan: (1) the axis of the mouth (MA); (2) the pharyngeal axis (PA); (3) the laryngeal axis (LA); and (4) the line of vision. The various angles between these axes were defined: alpha angle between the MA and PA, beta angle between PA and LA, and delta angle between line of vision and LA. RESULTS: Both simple extension and sniffing positions significantly improved (P < 0.05) the delta angle associated with best laryngoscopic view. Our results show that the beta value increases significantly (P < 0.05) when the head position is shifted from the neutral position (beta = 7 +/- 6 degrees ) to the sniffing position (beta = 13 +/- 6 degrees ), and the alpha value slightly (but significantly) decreases (from 87 +/- 10 degrees to 63 +/- 11 degrees; P < 0.05). Anatomic alignment of the LA, PA, and MA axes is impossible to achieve in any of the three positions tested. There were no significant differences between angles observed in simple extension and sniffing positions. CONCLUSIONS: The sniffing position does not achieve alignment of the three important axes (MA, PA, and LA) in awake patients with normal airway anatomy.

Adult↗

Randomized study comparing the "sniffing position" with simple head extension for laryngoscopic view in elective surgery patients.

BACKGROUND: The "sniffing position" is recommended for optimization of glottic visualization under direct laryngoscopy. However, no study to date has confirmed its superiority over simple head extension. In a prospective, randomized study, the authors compared the sniffing position with simple head extension in orotracheal intubation. METHODS: The study included 456 consecutive patients. The sniffing position was obtained by placement of a 7-cm cushion under the head of the patient. The extension position was obtained by simple head extension. The anesthetic procedure included two Laryngoscopies without paralysis: the first was used for topical glottic anesthesia. During the second direct laryngoscopy, intubation of the trachea was performed. The head position was randomized as follows: group A was in the sniffing position during the first Laryngoscopy and the extension position during the second, group B was in the extension position during the first laryngoscopy and the sniffing position during the second. Glottic exposure was assessed by the Cormack scale. RESULTS: The sniffing position improved glottic exposure (decreased the Cormack grade) in 18% of patients and worsened it (increased the Cormack grade) in 11% of patients, in comparison with simple extension. The Cormack grade distribution was not significantly modified between the two groups. Multivariate analysis showed that reduced neck mobility and obesity were independently related to improvement in laryngoscopic view with application of the sniffing position. CONCLUSIONS: Routine use of the sniffing position appears to provide no significant advantage over simple head extension for tracheal intubation in this setting. The sniffing position appears to be advantageous in obese and head extension-limited patients.

Adult↗

In-hospital and long-term prognosis of elderly patients requiring endotracheal intubation for life-threatening presentation of cardiogenic pulmonary edema.

OBJECTIVE: We studied the in-hospital course, long-term prognosis, and functional status of elderly patients with life-threatening cardiogenic pulmonary edema requiring mechanical ventilation. DESIGN: Semiprospective evaluation. SETTING: Twelve intensive care units and one emergency prehospital medical department in university hospitals. PATIENTS: Patients, aged >75 yrs, with life-threatening cardiogenic pulmonary edema requiring invasive airway management during the prehospital phase between January 1994 and January 1999 were included. INTERVENTION: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 79 patients were studied, of which 55 were included in the prospective phase and 24 during the retrospective phase. The age range was 75-99 yrs, with a mean age of 82.4 +/- 5.9. The male/female ratio was 35:44. The in-hospital mortality was 26.6%. The mean follow-up time for all 58 survivors was 23 months (range, 2-56 months). Among those discharged, survival at 1 yr was 69%. At 3 months after hospital discharge, 49 (87%) patients lived at home, 46 (82%) were able to bathe themselves, 35 (62%) could walk at least one block, and 34 (61%) could climb one flight of stairs. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality after severe pulmonary edema requiring endotracheal intubation in a very elderly cohort has a predictably high mortality, although not related directly to the degree of presenting respiratory compromise. However, approximately 50% of the overall cohort returned to relatively good functional status, despite advanced age and a severely compromised presentation. Aggressive airway management appears, therefore, justified in this select group of patients.

Aged↗

[Acute verapamil poisoning. A proposal of a strategy for therapeutic management].

Verapamil poisonings are rare, but are associated with a high proportion of deaths. The authors present a case of acute poisoning by verapamil associated with collapsus and a high degree of heart block. They propose a strategy for therapeutic management based on the study of calcium-channel blocker mechanisms of toxicity.

Acute Disease↗

Radiopacity of clomipramine conglomerations and unsuccessful endoscopy: report of 4 cases.

BACKGROUND: The radiopacity of ingested substances may serve as a clue to the presence of particular compounds, as this characteristic varies considerably among medications and household products. Tablet conglomerations are also variably radiopaque. We report 4 cases of clomipramine poisoning associated with formation of radiopaque masses, believed to be clomipramine, in the area of the stomach. CASE REPORTS: Four patients were admitted to the Toxicological Intensive Care Unit after ingestions of, respectively, 8.5 g (180 tablets of mixed strength), 7.5 g (100 tablets), 10.5 g (140 tablets), and 4.5 g (60 tablets) of clomipramine, along with other sedatives and antipsychotics. In each case, a rounded density was observed in the gastric area on plain chest radiograph. The hospital courses of each patient were marked by tachycardia, hypotension, QRS and QT prolongation, seizures, and decreased mental status. Three of 4 patients underwent unsuccessful endoscopy to remove tablet fragments and subsequently suffered gastrointestinal hemorrhage requiring transfusion. All patients were discharged recovered from the hospital. DISCUSSION: Clomipramine, a potent tricyclic antidepressant, has been previously reported to be nonradiopaque, and has not been reported to induce formation of concretions. These cases suggest that massive ingestions of clomipramine may form bezoars which are radiopaque and may be associated with serious toxicity. Careful consideration should be given prior to the use of gastric endoscopy for the retrieval of tablet fragments since significant hemorrhage, attributed to the procedure itself rather than to clomipramine toxicity, may ensue.

Acepromazine↗

A comparison of standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation and active compression-decompression resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. French Active Compression-Decompression Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Study Group.

BACKGROUND: We previously observed that short-term survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was greater with active compression-decompression cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) than with standard CPR. In the current study, we assessed the effects of the active compression-decompression method on one-year survival. METHODS: Patients who had cardiac arrest in the Paris metropolitan area or in Thionville, France, more than 80 percent of whom had asystole, were assigned to receive either standard CPR (377 patients) or active compression-decompression CPR (373 patients) according to whether their arrest occurred on an even or odd day of the month, respectively. The primary end point was survival at one year. The rate of survival to hospital discharge without neurologic impairment and the neurologic outcome were secondary end points. RESULTS: Both the rate of hospital discharge without neurologic impairment (6 percent vs. 2 percent, P=0.01) and the one-year survival rate (5 percent vs. 2 percent, P=0.03) were significantly higher among patients who received active compression-decompression CPR than among those who received standard CPR. All patients who survived to one year had cardiac arrests that were witnessed. Nine of 17 one-year survivors in the active compression-decompression group and 2 of 7 in the standard group, respectively, initially had asystole or pulseless electrical activity. In 12 of the 17 survivors who had received active compression-decompression CPR, neurologic status returned to base line, as compared with 3 of 7 survivors who had received standard CPR (P=0.34). CONCLUSIONS: Active compression-decompression CPR performed during advanced life support significantly improved long-term survival rates among patients who had cardiac arrest outside the hospital.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation↗