Biomedical subjects

Ludovic de Gentile

Publications and source records attributed to Ludovic de Gentile.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

[Spectacular suicide associated with mefloquine].

INTRODUCTION: We present a case in which suicide was a severe neuropsychiatric reaction to treatment with mefloquine. Physicians must be aware of these serious psychiatric complications and bear them in mind when faced with atypical behavior or suspected suicide. CASE REPORT: The body of a 27-year-old man was discovered at his home, covered with multiple knife wounds. The autopsy report concluded that death was due to a craniocerebral wound from a violent blow. Homicide was initially suspected. Suicide during acute psychosis associated with mefloquine was suggested, and toxicologic analyses confirmed this hypothesis. DISCUSSION: Serious neurologic and psychiatric adverse events associated with mefloquine (Lariam) have been reported since its introduction in 1985. Mefloquine prophylaxis is recommended for travelers to high-risk areas of chloroquine-resistant plasmodium falciparum. The risk of malarial infection and the proven efficacy of mefloquine to prevent malaria should be weighed against the risk of drug-associated adverse events. Physicians must nonetheless be aware of these serious psychiatric complications, especially when faced with atypical behavior and atypical suicides. The patient's' family and friends should be asked about a possible trips abroad that might have entailed antimalaria treatment, even several months earlier. Testing for mefloquine during toxicological examinations is then essential. The World Health Organization recommendations and contraindications must be followed in prescribing mefloquine.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

[Malaria: what about exposure prophylaxis?].

Malaria would not exist without mosquito bites. The growing resistance to antimalarial drugs has led to an increasing role of personal protection measures. However, insect repellents are not evaluated as medicinal products, and many products available on the market contain active substances that have been poorly evaluated or present in insufficient doses. The efficacy of the most active insect repellents, DEET and icaridin/KBR 3023, like that of medicinal products, is limited by the subject's compliance, bearing in mind that the Anopheles bite is painless and that humans are primarily bothered by the nuisance factor of the mosquito.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Routine use of CHROMagar Candida medium for presumptive identification of Candida yeast species and detection of mixed fungal populations.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of the new differential culture medium CHROMagar Candida for routine investigation of clinical specimens. METHODS: During a whole year, 6150 clinical samples were plated on CHROMagar Candida medium. After incubation, the green colonies were considered to be Candida albicans. The colonies of other colors were identified using Bichrolatex-krusei, or by their assimilation pattern on ID 32C test strips and their morphology on rice cream-agar-Tween. RESULTS: Among the 6150 clinical samples, 1643 were positive for fungi. Aspergillus fumigatus and Geotrichum sp. were the predominant filamentous fungi isolated. Candida albicans was the most common species isolated (1274 of the positive samples; 77.5%), and Candida glabrata was the second most common yeast isolated (174 positive samples; 10.6%). Other yeast species were detected at lower frequencies, mainly Candida tropicalis (3.8%), Candida krusei (2.7%), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (2.7%) and Candida kefyr (2.3%), and 16 samples revealed a lipophilic species, Malassezia furfur. Mixed fungal populations accounted for 14.7% of the positive samples. Two or more yeast species were detected in 206 of the 242 specimens containing mixed fungal populations, and five yeast species were detected in one sample. Additionally, we did not observe significant differences in the isolation of yeasts or filamentous fungi from the 366 samples simultaneously plated on CHROMagar Candida and Sabouraud dextrose agar. Close agreement between the two culture media was observed for 89.9% of these samples. CONCLUSIONS: CHROMagar Candida medium was shown to be extremely helpful in a routine clinical mycology service, facilitating the detection of mixed cultures of yeasts and allowing direct identification of C. albicans, as well as rapid presumptive identification of the other yeasts: C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. krusei and S. cerevisiae. This chromogenic medium thus appears to be suitable as a primary culture medium, particularly for the mycologic surveillance of immunocompromised patients.

Journal Article↗