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Biomedical subjects

J Gaudias

Publications and source records attributed to J Gaudias.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Comparison of microbiological results of needle puncture vs. superficial swab in infected diabetic foot ulcer with osteomyelitis.

AIM: To study prospectively two methods for the bacteriological diagnosis of osteomyelitis related to diabetic foot ulcer: needle puncture performed across normal skin surrounding the foot ulcer and superficial swabbing of the ulcer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Diabetic patients with a foot ulcer complicated by bone or joint infection, as detected by X-ray imaging, were included in the study. Ulcer swabbing and needle puncture were performed in each patient. To reach the tissue nearest the bone surface, needle puncture was guided by X-ray imaging and the drop of fluid obtained by aspiration was used for both aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture. RESULTS: Twenty-one diabetic patients were included. The mean number of microorganisms isolated by needle puncture was significantly lower compared with that obtained by superficial swabbing: 1.09 vs. 2.04 (P < 0.02). Three bacterial species were isolated by needle puncture only in one patient while three or more bacterial isolates were obtained by superficial swabbing in six patients. No bacterial isolate was detected in five patients by needle puncture and in two patients by superficial swabbing. Staphylococcus aureus accounted for 70% of cases (seven patients) when a single bacterial species was obtained by needle puncture. After needle puncture, no wound complication or infection was observed. CONCLUSION: Culture of samples obtained by needle puncture revealed one or two bacterial isolates in two-thirds of diabetic patients with osteomyelitis following foot ulcer. Given the lack of complications, this invasive diagnostic technique should be considered for deep direct sampling in diabetic patients with osteomyelitis related to foot ulcer when surgical debridement is contraindicated or delayed.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Total hip replacement prosthesis infected by Mycobacterium tuberculous].

We examined the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches used for two patients with loosened total hip prostheses who developed Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) was performed in one patient. The prosthesis was left in situ in the second patient due to lack of sufficient bone stock. Medical treatment was given. The diagnosis was established on direct examination of bacteriological samples and culture on specific media. Polymerase chain reaction identified the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Non-specific granulomas were observed on the histology sections. For us, management of overt tuberculosis involving a THA depends on the quality of the fixation. If the prosthesis remains stable, medical treatment can be sufficient. If the prosthesis loosens, definitive ablation must be considered with possible revision THA later. Exceptionally, a loosened implant may be left in situ if the remaining bone stock is insufficient. Minimal duration of anti-tuberulosis treatment is six months.

Antitubercular Agents↗
PubMed2002

[Secondary infection of joint implants: diagnostic criteria, treatment and prevention].

Peroperative contamination is the most frequent cause of infection after arthroplasty. For other cases of infection subsequent to bacteremia or a neighboring focus, it would be more appropriate to use the term "secondary" infections rather than hematogeneous infections. Arguments favoring secondary infection include long symptom-free interval between prosthesis implantation and the infectious episode, a causal germ not generally responsible for peroperative infection, presence of a distant infectious focus, positive blood culture, and a positive bacteriological sample from the prosthesis level showing the same strain as grown from the distant focus or blood samples. Both acute and chronic infections are observed, leading to prosthesis dysfunction. History taking generally identifies a neglected acute but transient episode. Search for a bacteriological diagnosis must be completed before initiating an antibiotic regimen. If detected very early, washing with open synovectomy and resection of suspicious tissue should be attempted in order to maintain the implant if possible. Local antibiotics have proven efficacy. Beyond a certain delay, treatment for chronic infection usually requires removing the prosthesis, cleaning the bone interface, and new arthroplasty delayed or not. Search for the portal must be undertaken early in order to initiate appropriate local treatment. The causal event may be any invasive procedure, with or without material implantation. The risk-benefit ratio for antibiotic prophylaxis remains to be determined.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Favorable outcome in a large left heart air embolism: lessons from an unusual complication of a noninvasive chest scan.

OBJECTIVE: To report an unusual life-threatening complication of the performance of a computed tomographic (CT) scan of the chest. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT: An intubated patient with blunt thoracic trauma. INTERVENTION: Performance of a CT scan of the chest at full inspiration. MAIN RESULT: With air insufflation, a large left ventricular air embolism occurred as a consequence of an airway breach, revealed by the simultaneous existence of a mild bilateral anterior pneumothorax. CONCLUSION: CT scan of the chest in patients at risk of airway breach (patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, trauma patients) should first be performed at full expiration, not full inspiration.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1999

[C-reactive protein and transthyretin in early diagnosis of infection after open fractures of the lower limbs (a preliminary study)].

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The authors investigated the value of C-reactive protein (CRP) and transthyretin (TTR) in the early diagnosis of infection after open fractures of the lower limb in an open, prospective study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty patients were treated with acute debridement and bone fixation. Follow-up included clinical, radiological, bacteriological and biological assessment: white cell blood count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), CRP and TTR. Diagnosis of infection was based on macroscopic presence of pus. RESULTS: Post-operative reference biological profiles were defined in 74 cases without infection. Reference profiles of WBC and ESR showed unreliable interindividual variations and could not be considered for the diagnosis of infection. Reference profiles of CRP and TTR showed a respective increase (for CRP) and decrease (for TTR) in the early post-operative course, with return to normal values after 12 days. In 6 infected patients, CRP concentrations were suddenly increased and TTR concentrations decreased at the time (3 cases) or even before (3 cases) clinical diagnosis of infection. These variations were mostly simultaneous. No unusual profile was found. The ratio of CRP/TTR concentrations experienced also a sudden increase in infected cases. DISCUSSION: Because of not specifical and unreliable variations in the post-operative outcome of non infected patients, WBC and ESR cannot be considered for the early diagnosis of infection. CRP and TTR concentrations with a respective cut-off value of 100 mg/L and 120 mg/L were found efficient for the early diagnosis of infection, and preceded clinical diagnosis in three of them. A CRP/TTR ratio over 60 p. 100, 8 days or more after initial surgery was found to be very specific (93 p. 100) and sensitive (100 p. 100) for the diagnosis of infection. CONCLUSION: Serial quantifications of CRP and TTR should be performed every four days during the follow-up of open fractures in order to early diagnose a post-operative infection. Comparison of both CRP and TTR could allow a higher accuracy, because of the possible lack of variation of one the two markers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Incomplete or absent acute phase response in some postoperative patients.

In a prospective study, 74 patients were admitted for an open fracture of the lower limb and treated by osteosynthesis. None of them presented infectious complication during the postoperative period. Among them, 67 exhibited a classical acute phase response. In 5 patients, the response was apparently incomplete since no serum C-reactive protein (CRP) rise was observed after the injury; i.e. CRP concentrations remained inferior to the detection limit of the assay used; in contrast, serum alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AAG) concentrations were temporarily increased, a variation associated with a concomitant decrease of transthyretin (TTR) concentration. In 2 other patients, CRP and AAG levels were not significantly modified. The 7 patients did not suffer hepatic insufficiency or protein malnutrition. In our series, incomplete or absent acute phase response was not rare (prevalence 9%) and was not related to an increased risk of postoperative infection. In contrast to CRP, the TTR response, i.e. a transitory decrease, was observed in all the 7 patients.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗
PubMed1996

Diagnostic value of C-reactive protein and transthyretin in bone infections of the lower limb.

In a prospective study, white and red blood cell counts, hematocrit, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), albumin, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, C-reactive protein (CRP), and transthyretin (TTR) values were determined by serial measurements during 23 days in 80 patients with an open fracture of the lower limb. Postoperative reference profiles were defined in 74 patients without septic complications. In the six remaining patients, serum CRP and TTR concentrations were found efficient for the early diagnosis of postoperative infections: a CRP/TTR mass concentration ratio higher than 0.6 from the 8th day after surgery was sensitive (100%) and specific (93%). Variations of CRP and TTR concentrations often preceded the clinical diagnosis in patients with early infection. ESR was found unreliable with regard to postoperative infection because of its high dependence with respect to red blood cell count.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Utility of measurement of gentamicin release from PMMA beads in wound drainage fluid after in-vivo implantation.

Acute or chronic osteomyelitis in 188 patients was treated by surgical debridement and filling of the cavity with gentamicin-PMMA beads. The gentamicin concentration was measured in the total drainage fluid of the first postoperative day. There was no correlation between this concentration and the amount of implanted beads. It is impossible to predict preoperatively the gentamicin concentration which will be obtained in situ. The measurement of gentamicin concentration in the total drainage fluid of the first postoperative day and its comparison to the minimal bactericidal concentration of responsible pathogens, allow very early assessment of the effectiveness of the local antibiotherapy and if necessary, adaptation, of systemic antibiotherapy.

Exudates and Transudates↗
PubMed1995

[Risk of infection in centro-medullary locking nailing of open fractures of the femur and tibia].

Intramedullary reamed locking nail of open fractures remains controversial because of the risk of infection. 1,474 closed reamed locked nailings were performed between 1974 and 1989 for femoral (744 cases) or tibial (730 cases) fractures. 349 fractures were open: 100 femoral fractures (51 Gustilo and Anderson Grade I and 49 Grade II) and 249 tibial fractures (140 Grade I, 99 Grade II et 10 Grade III). 24 femoral (3.2%) and 46 tibial (6.3%) nails were followed by infection. This difference is significant (p < 0.01). Reoperations for infection occur more frequently for femoral than tibial fractures (p < 0.05). There is no difference between the results of infection treatment between femoral or tibial fractures. Traumatic opening of the femoral fracture site does not affect the occurrence of an infection, its severity or the results of its treatment. Traumatic opening of the tibial fracture site significantly increases the infection rate (p < 0.001), and the incidence of infection increases with the severity of the soft tissue lesions; but the severity of the infection and the results of its treatment are not modified. Acute closed reamed intramedullary locking nail is the best treatment for open femoral or tibial fractures with respect to the bone healing and infection rate for Grade I and II fractures. For Grade III fractures, nailing must be followed by a coverage flap.

Femoral Fractures↗
PubMed1986

[Cardiac arrest caused by pericardial heart dislocation].

A case is reported of a 33-year-old multiple injured patient with closed chest trauma and an unknown rupture of left pericardium and hemidiaphragm. A peroperative cardiac arrest, one year later, was related to dislocation of the heart. Thoracotomy for internal cardiac massage was responsible for a successful outcome.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Venous lesions in relation to injections and the use of catheters].

The point of this study is to draw attention to the many complications which are likely to arise when the venous network is injected or cathetered. The main complications affecting the peripheral veins are lesions at the puncture point, cutaneous necroses in the case of paravenous injections, accidental intra-arterial injection, and chemical and bacterial thrombophlebites. The catheterism of intrathoracic veins can cause lesions at the puncture point (pneumothorax, lesion of the carotid), wrong positioning of the catheter and of the vascular or cardiac perforations, and central venous thromboses responsible for septicemic conditions and/or pulmonary embolism.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Blunt injuries of the spleen. What is the role of splenectomy?].

In an exhaustive retrospective study of splenic trauma diagnosed over a 7-year period (1986-1992) in our orthopaedic trauma centre we collected 63 cases. Splenectomy was performed in 25 patients, conservative surgery was performed in 6 and non-surgical conservative therapy was possible in 32. The large percentage of non-surgical cases was possible due to the simple clinical course in cases diagnosed late and because of careful surveillance and the precision of scanographic diagnosis. The concept of conservative non-surgical treatment appears to be validated by the lack of mortality and the high success rate (only 3 failures out of 32) in our unselected population which included polytrauma cases and patients of all ages and all types of splenic lesions. Nevertheless, shock resulting from splenic injury. In cases where bleeding is the sign of non-surgical treatment failure and in cases with acquired or induced coagulopathy and a pathological spleen, splenectomy is also indicated. Our results indicate that, when scanographic diagnosis is permanently available and when clinical surveillance is adequate, conservative non-surgical treatment can be proposed in patients with a stable haemodynamic status.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Post-traumatic intracranial epidural Aspergillus fumigatus abscess.

We report an intracranial epidural abscess caused by Aspergillus fumigatus in an immunocompetent patient. Infection occurred in a 20-year-old man 2 months after a frontal craniotomy following trauma. The abscess was encapsulated by a thickened dura and although the fungus did not invade the brain, frontal bone was infected and the patient presented with a subcutaneous frontal cellulitis. Initial management combined surgical drainage, resection of necrotic bone and liposomal amphotericin B (1 mg kg-1 per day). After 3 weeks of antifungal treatment a second evaluation surgery was performed. A clinically and radiologically unsuspected new abscess was found and evacuated. Treatment was completed with instillation into the cavity of amphotericin B at a concentration of 5 mg ml-1 and prolonged oral itraconazole (400-600 mg day-1). Treatment was successful and the patient is free of infection after 3 years.

Abscess↗