Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Dumortier.
BACKGROUND: Injuries by airbags are seen more frequently as more vehicles are equipped. CASE REPORTS: 7 cases of burns by airbags are reported. Most of burns are second degree lesions located on upper extremity and trunk. DISCUSSION: Lots of components are implicated in airbag deployment. So, three types of burn are described: thermal, chemical and friction. The treatment is simple. But, omission could be potentially dangerous, especially alkali chemical keratitis.
Recent evolution of breast reconstruction favorised autologous tissues, without prosthesis. 34 gluteal inferior free flaps have been performed in 30 patients aged from 33 to 72 years for immediate reconstruction (6) or secondary reconstruction (28), unilateral (26) or bilateral (8 flaps); after complete mastectomy (21 included a bilateral one), partial mastectomy (3), sub-cutaneous mastectomy with skin-sparing mastectomy (3 bilateral cases), radical mastectomy with radiolesion (2), non efficient reconstruction using prosthesis (2). The myocutaneous flap vascularized by gluteal inferior artery was anastomosed on thoracodorsal pedicle or on humeral vein. Added procedures have been symmetrizations (21), flap modifications (21), nipple reconstruction (20). Thirty three flaps presented good survey. Cosmetic results were excellent in five cases, good in 21 cases, middle in eight cases. Flap disadvantages were: possible failure of microsurgery with vessel thrombosis and flap necrosis, long operative time (average five hours), variable quality of the skin flap and hypoesthesia of the posterior area of buttock. Flap advantages were: the suffisant volume (300 to 500 g), the simple procedure to raise the flap (after specific training) and discrete scar of the donor site. This flap seems to be a excellent method for autologous mammary versus TRAM flap or latissimus dorsi added fat flap.
AIM OF THE STUDY: For fifteen years, Edouard Herriot Burn Center has been using cultured epidermis provided by an hospital Laboratory. This means of production results in great freedom for their application compared with the centers who have to buy the cultured epidermis. In order to evaluate our clinical results, a two-year study has been performed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighteen patients suffering acute burns were concerned. The average burned area was 68% of the total body surface (range 49 to 88). The average age was 31.6 years, ranging from 1 to 58, including two children. Even autologous or allogenic epidermis was used. In our series cultured epidermis was grafted according four different strategies. It was the preparation of the wound bed by skin allografts, the association of widely meshed auto-graft with cultured epidermis, the stimulation of the healing of extensive deep second degree burns with allogenic epidermis, and the coverage of skin auto-graft donor sites. RESULTS: Two patients died. For the survivors, the average hospital stay was 60 days (range 22 to 90), and on average 70 days over 70% TBSA burns. Cultured epidermis allowed the definitive coverage of 17% of the total body surface of the patients. This study supports the importance of a careful preparation of the patient for the engraftment of cultured epidermis. CONCLUSION: In our opinion, in spite of the difficulties of handling of cultured epidermis, they represent a precious means of coverage for the rapid and definitive healing of extensive burns over 70% TBSA.
The authors describe a patient with bilateral Tessier no. 9 cleft. This is the rarest of the rare craniofacial clefts. It is an upper lateral orbital cleft with a soft-tissue deformity that extends from the lateral third of the upper eyelid, through the lateral end of the eyebrow to the temporal scalp. The bony disruption extends from the superolateral orbital rim across the greater wing of the sphenoid to the upper squamous temporal area. The clinical and radiological examinations are reported. No surgical correction was necessary.
In this work, a strain of anaerobic pentachlorophenol (PCP) degrader, Desulfitobacterium frappieri PCP-1, was used to augment a mixed bacterial community of an anaerobic upflow sludge bed reactor degrading PCP. To estimate the efficiency of augmentation, the population of PCP-1 in the reactor was enumerated by a competitive PCR technique. The PCP-1 strain appeared to compete well with other microorganisms of the mixed bacterial community, with its population increasing from 10(6) to 10(10) cells/g of volatile suspended solids within a period of 70 days. Proliferation of strain PCP-1 allowed for a substantial increase of the volumetric PCP load from 5 to 80 mg/liter of reaction volume/day. A PCP removal efficiency of 99% and a dechlorination efficiency of not less than 90.5% were observed throughout the experiment, with 3-Cl-phenol and phenol being observable dechlorination intermediates.
A case of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of the hand in a 21-year-old patient is reported. In the light of this case, the authors review the literature and analyse the therapeutic implications.
A case of desmoplastic melanoma in a 72-year-old patient is reported. In the light of this case, the authors review the literature and analyse the therapeutic implications.