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Biomedical subjects

M Gaultier

Publications and source records attributed to M Gaultier.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Periarteritis nodosa in an addict with a hepatitis B injection (author's transl)].

The authors describe a case of a drug addict with a hepatitis B who was found to have periarteritis nodosa and a nephrotic syndrome. The course was rapidly fatal and autopsy confirmed the diagnosis. This new case questions the hypothesis suggested of possible toxicity of hard drugs (especially the amphetamines) as being an etiological factor for periarteritis nodosa observed in addicts. Hepatitis B virus, which is involved in the etiology of periarteritis nodosa and some nephrotic syndromes (also reported in addicts) is, in fact, very prevalent in users of hard drugs by the parenteral route.

Adult

Blood cadmium level and hypertension in humans.

Blood cadmium level was determined in 29 nontreated hypertensive male subjects and 29 controls. All were individually matched for sex, age, and smoking habits. No differences were found between hypertensives (3.3 +/- 0.4 ng/ml) and normotensives (2.6 +/- 0.4 ng/ml).

Adult

[Acute poisoning by Gyromitra esculenta (author's transl)].

This kind of poisoning is scarce in France, on the contrary it is most frequent in Eastern Europe. Clinical picture associating cytolytic hepatitis, seizures, and hemolysis reminds us intoxication by hydrazine. In fact there is some evidence that the toxin of this mushroom--called gyromitrin--is transformed in the stomach in methylhydrazine. The mechanism of hepatotoxicity of the later can be compared with that of the metabolites of isoniazid.

Chemical Phenomena

[Multi-focal tuberculosis].

The authors present 16 cases of multifocal tuberculosis observed over a period of five years on a general medical unit. These cases almost all occurred in immigrants. (14 out of 16) with at least 2 localisations in 9 of them and sometimes 3 or more. The viscera usually affected were, in order, the liver, the lymph nodes, the lungs and pleura, the joints. They emphasise the mildness of the clinical symptoms, the rareness of lung involvement and, on the contrary, the constancy of hepatic involvement so that needle biopsy of the liver is essential in diagnosis.

Adult

[Medullary aplasia after acute colchicine poisoning. 20 cases].

Out of 84 patients with colchicine poisoning hospitalised between 1966 and 1976, 11 died during the first 72 hours. Amongst the 73 survivors, 20 showed signs of marrow aplasia between the 3rd and 6th days, lasting on average 4 days. The average amount of colchicine ingested by these patients was 0.5 to 0.8mg/5g. Marrow aplasia was associated with: -- infectious episodes in all cases, -- haemorrhage in 50%, -- dilution hyponatraemia in 25% (but in 50 % of patients if those in renal failure are excluded), -- regressive polyneuropathy in 10 % of cases, -- secondary alopoecia in all cases, -- weight loss of more than 10 % of initial weight in 60 %. Two patients died as a result of septicaemia. This mortality rate of 10 per cent despite the brief duration of the aplasia and the absence of underlying haematological disease would appear to be related to the susceptibility of these poisoned patients to endogenous secondary infections, essentially intestinal in origin.

Adolescent

[Hypoglycemia in 2 patients treated with perhexiline maleate].

Hypoglycaemia occurred in two patients treated with perhexiline maleate. The responsibility of the medication is discussed in each case. Blood insulin levels were increased. Blood perhexiline levels decreased very rapidly in the first patient, though much more slowly in the second.

Aged

Acute digitoxin intoxication treated by intracardiac pacemaker: experience in sixty-eight patients.

Out of 124 patients who had taken massive doses of digitoxin in attempted suicide, emergency endocardial pacing was performed in the 68 with the worst prognosis. The mortality (13%) in the 124 patients compared favorably with the mortality (20%) in a previous series of 70 similar patients none of whom were paced. Sixteen (23%) of the 68 paced patients died. The causes of death were: asystole (two); cardiogenic shock (two); septicemia (one); and ventricular fibrillation (eleven). Ventricular fibrillation occurred during introduction of the pacing catheter in two patients, as a result of electrode displacement in these patients, because of premature withdrawal of the catheter in one patient, and for no detectable reason, during normally proceeding pacing, in five patients. Endocardial pacing has a place in the emergency treatment of massive digitoxin poisoning. Its chief hazards are mechanical, and one of the commonest is electrode displacement.

Adolescent