Intravenous immunoglobulin vs plasma exchange in treatment of mechanically ventilated adults with Guillain-Barré syndrome

Introduction: The aim of the study is to compare efficacy of IvIg versus PE in treatment of mechanically ventilation adults with GBS in intensive care unit. Methods: It is a prospective, non randomized study, realized in a medical ICU from 2006 to 2010. We included all patients with GBS who required mechanical ventilation (MV). We defined two groups: group 1 (group treated by IvIg: 0.4 g/kg/day for 5 days) and group 2 (group treated by PE: 4 PE during 10-14 days). We collected demographic characteristics, clinical and therapeutic aspects and outcome. Statistical analysis used: The quantitative variables are expressed on mean ± standard derivation and compared by Student test. The statistic analysis has been based on SPSS for windows. P < 0.05 is considered as significant.Results: Forty-one patients (21 in group 1 and 20 in group 2) were enrolled. The mean age was 37.4 ± 9.2 years, with a masculine predominance (75.4%). Electromyogram in all patients found acute   inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy in 80.5 % of patients. The mean length of  hospitalization was 45.3 ± 9.2 days. The length of hospitalization of the IvIg group is less long than PE group (p = 0.03). The weaning of the MV was more precocious in IvIg group than PE group (p = 0.01). Also, the beginning of motility recuperation was precocious at IvIg group than PE group (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Our work reveals a meaningful difference for the MV weaning and precocious recovery in IvIg group compared to PE group.Key words: Guillain Barré syndrome, intensive care unit, intravenous immunoglobulin, plasma exchange, mechanical ventilation, recover

Aerosolized colistin in the treatment of multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa nosocomial pneumonia

Introduction. Multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA) nosocomial pneumonia is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in the ICU. We report our experience with aerosolized colistin in the treatment of MRPA nosocomial pneumonia. Patients and methods. It is a prospective, observational study performed over 2 years (2006-2007). Patients who developed MRPA nosocomial pneumonia and were treated with aerosolized colistin were included. The criteria used to assess if treatment was successful were extubation and ICU mortality rates. Results. We report 32 patients of whom 12 were women and 20 men. The mean age was 48 ± 19 years. All patients were receiving mechanical ventilation. The mean length of ventilation was 22 ± 5.5 days. The bronchial sampling technique used was broncho-alveolar lavage. The mean delay of infection (duration between intubation and pneumonia diagnosis) was 7 ± 2 days. Isolated MRPA was susceptible only to colistin. The treatment was aerosolized colistin for all patients (4 MUI/day). A positive blood culture (n=5) was a prerequisite for administering colistin intravenously (4 MUI/day). Any potential toxicity was observed. The mean delay of extubation after starting treatment was 10 days. Sterile samples were obtained on average by the eighth day. No deaths were recorded. Conclusion. It seems that aerosolized colistin is an important alternative to treat MRPA nosocomial pneumonia in ICU. Our results need further confirmation by other multicentre studies

Urinary peritonitis caused by gangrenous cystitis

We report a case of a young man who developed severe urinary sepsis, on the 21st day of hospitalization (DH), which was treated with ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. On the 30th DH, he developed bloodstream and urinary infections due to Acinetobacter baumannii which had been treated with colistin and rifampicin. On the 55th DH, he developed urinary peritonitis and necrosis of the anterior and posterior bladder wall. Bilateral ureterostomy was performed. The patient was treated with colistin and imipenem. Peritoneal fluid culture yielded Enterobacter cloacae susceptible to imipenem. An enterocystoplasty was performed. The outcome was favourable

Tracheotomy versus prolonged intubation in medical intensive care unit patients

Introduction. The contribution of tracheotomy in comparison to intubation in patients on the resuscitation ward is debated. The main purpose of our study is to assess if tracheotomy compared to prolonged intubation, reduces the whole duration of ventilation, the frequency of nosocomial pneumopathy, the mean duration of hospitalisation in the resuscitation ward and mortality. Patients and method. It is a retrospective and comparative study between two groups of patients who presented neurological or respiratory pathology and required mechanical ventilation for more than three weeks. The study lasted 7 years and involved 60 patients divided into 2 groups : the Tracheotomy Group (TG, n=30), in which a tracheotomy was performed between the eighth day and the fifteenth day, after the first period of tracheal intubation; and the Intubation Group (IG, n=30), where the patients were intubated throughout the period of hospitalization until extubation or death. We monitored the whole duration of ventilation, the frequency of nosocomial pneumopathy, the incidence of each technique as well as the mean duration of hospitalization in the resuscitation ward and the mortality rate. The two groups were similar in age, sex and gravity score : SAPS II and APACHE II. Results. The results showed a significant statistical decrease of the whole duration of mechanical ventilation for the TG: 27.03 ± 3.31 days versus 31.63 ± 6.05 days for the IG (P = 0.001). However, there is no significant difference between the two groups, whereas the frequency of nosocomial pneumopathy is about 53.3% in the group with tracheotomy versus 70% for the intubated group (P = 0.18). This shows, on the other hand, the late prevalence of nosocomial pneumopathy in the tracheotomy group patients. We noticed one case of bleeding after tracheotomy. Sinusitis was also diagnosed but without a significant difference between the two groups, 6.7% (2 cases) in the TG and 10% (3 cases) for the IG (P = 0.31). The mean duration of hospitalization didn\u27t differ between the two groups; it was 30.96 ± 9.47 days for the TG versus 34.26 ± 9.74 days for the IG (P = 0.10). The study shows that there is no statistically significant difference in mortality between the two groups, 26.7% in the TG versus 46.7% for the IG (P = 0.10). Conclusion. It seems that tracheotomy, in medical ICU patients, leads to a shorter duration of ventilation, delayed nosocomial pneumopathy without the modification of its frequency and the mean duration of hospitalization or death

Intoxications aiguës graves chez l’adulte en réanimation médicale

Objectif : Analyser l’épidémiologie des intoxications aiguës graves et les facteurs pronostiques en réanimation médicale. Patients et méthodes : C’est une étude rétrospective analytique des intoxications aiguës graves en réanimation médicale. Ont été inclus tous les patients d’âge  > 14 ans, admis au service de réanimation médicale pour intoxication aiguë, qu’elle soit confirmée par le patient ou son entourage, ou devant une symptomatologie évocatrice. Nous avons recueilli les paramètres démographiques, épidémiologiques, scores de gravité (indice de gravité simplifié (IGS II), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II), poisoning severity score (PSS)), et évolutives. Résultats : Durant les 5 années d’étude, 214 patients ont été admis pour intoxication aiguë. L’âge moyen était de 28,55 ± 14,42 ans avec une prédominance (36 %) de la tranche d’âge de 21 à 30 ans et dans 60,3 % du sexe féminin. Les organophosphorés représentaient la principale cause (41,6 %). L’intoxication était suicidaire dans 86,4 % des cas. La médiane du délai de prise en charge était de 4 h [IQ : 1-10]. La durée moyenne de séjour était de 7 ± 3 jours. Le taux de mortalité était de 22 % dont la cause principale était le choc cardiogénique (53,2 %). Les facteurs pronostiques indépendants sont : le PSS ≤ 2 (OR : 0.11; IC95 % : 0,049–0,237; p < 0,001), l’intoxication à la PPD (OR : 13,95; IC95 % : 5,22–37,31; p < 0,001) et l’infection nosocomiale (OR : 7,20; IC95 % : 1,94–6,7; p = 0,003). Conclusion : Le PSS ≤ 2, l’intoxication à la PPD et l’infection nosocomiale sont des facteurs pronostiques indépendants

Induction d’apoptose par la p-Phénylènediamine dans un myélome murin

Objectif : Les mécanismes de toxicité et de génotoxicité induits par la Para-phénylèneDiamine (p-PD), un composant de la teinture pour cheveux suspecté d’être carcinogène, sur des cellules tumorales murines, type P3X63Ag8.653 ont été étudiés. Méthodes : L’effet de la p-PD sur la viabilité et celui sur la prolifération cellulaire ont été évalués par la méthode d’exclusion du bleu de trypan. Son effet sur l’ADN des cellules P3X63Ag8.653 a été analysé après une extraction d’ADN et une électrophorèse sur gel d’agarose puis confirmé par la technique TUNEL en cytométrie en flux. Résultats : Un blocage de la prolifération avec diminution de la viabilité cellulaire ont été observés. La fragmentation de l’ADN dose-dépendante témoignant de l’effet apoptotique a été détectée sur gel d’agarose et confirmée par cytométrie en flux (technique TUNEL). Conclusion : Les résultats obtenus montrent que la p-PD induit in vitro un blocage de la prolifération cellulaire et une apoptose dose-dépendante des cellules tumorales murines

Induction d’apoptose par la p-Phénylènediamine dans un myélome murin

Objectif : Les mécanismes de toxicité et de génotoxicité induits par la Para-phénylèneDiamine (p-PD), un composant de la teinture pour cheveux suspecté d’être carcinogène, sur des cellules tumorales murines, type P3X63Ag8.653 ont été étudiés. Méthodes : L’effet de la p-PD sur la viabilité et celui sur la prolifération cellulaire ont été évalués par la méthode d’exclusion du bleu de trypan. Son effet sur l’ADN des cellules P3X63Ag8.653 a été analysé après une extraction d’ADN et une électrophorèse sur gel d’agarose puis confirmé par la technique TUNEL en cytométrie en flux. Résultats : Un blocage de la prolifération avec diminution de la viabilité cellulaire ont été observés. La fragmentation de l’ADN dose-dépendante témoignant de l’effet apoptotique a été détectée sur gel d’agarose et confirmée par cytométrie en flux (technique TUNEL). Conclusion : Les résultats obtenus montrent que la p-PD induit in vitro un blocage de la prolifération cellulaire et une apoptose dose-dépendante des cellules tumorales murines