Annales françaises d'anesthèsie et de rèanimation
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Ann Fr Anesth Reanim · Mar 2002
Comparative Study Clinical Trial[Diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a prospective comparison of the telescoping plugged catheter with the endotracheal aspirate].
Quantitative culture of endotracheal aspirates (EA) is widely accepted for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the EA with the blinded plugged telescoping catheter (PTC) in patients suspected of VAP. ⋯ EA is a good diagnostic test when a non-invasive test has been chosen. The diagnosis of VAP could be excluded in 90% of cases when the EA cultures yielding were < 10(5) cfu.mL-1. His low specificity could drive in an over treatment of bronchopulmonar bacterial colonization. The accuracy of the EA compares well with that of the TPC for the diagnostic of VAP.
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Review of the physiological and clinical consequences of hyperchloraemic acidosis observed during plasma volume replacement using crystalloids and colloids. ⋯ The use of balanced solution like lactated-Ringer solution instead of isotonic saline solution for fluid resuscitation, except for specific contra-indication as intracranial hypertension, may avoid hyperchloraemic acidosis. Potential risk of this acidosis led to the conception of a new colloid using balanced crystalloids solution as the solvent (Hextend).
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We report the case of a 76-year-old man who received a spinal anaesthesia for inguinal hernia repair surgery. A cranial CT scan which was performed because the patient complained of postoperative headache and hemiparesis showed an important pneumocephalus. Because postoperative questioning revealed that the patient had a chronic and neglected rhinorrhea, we hypothesise that this pneumocephalus was secondary to an old unknown osteodural leak with intracranial air entry secondary to the spinal anaesthesia-releated decrease in CSF pressure.
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We report the case of a 33 year-old woman at the second quarter of pregnancy, with known brain aneurysm admitted in intensive care unit for sudden coma. The coma was not related to a rupture of the brain aneurysm but to a serious haemorrhagic shock caused by a spontaneous splenic rupture. This case report illustrates the difficulty of this unrecognized diagnosis and reminds us to suspect a spontaneous splenic rupture in front of any pregnant woman with atypic abdominal pain and haemorrhagic shock.