[Infectious complications after surgery of esophageal pathology. Apropos of 60 cases]. / Complications infectieuses après chirurgie pour pathologie oesophagienne. A propos de soixante cas.

Infections after oesophageal surgery are studied on sixty patients who received perioperatively two antibiotics (cefoxitin and amikacin). Postoperative infection rate is 62% (pneumopathies: 27%, leakage of cervical anastomoses: 17%). Different parameters which can induce postoperative infection are analyzed. The only significative data are the duration of total parenteral nutrition and of intensive care stay. The commonest isolated organisms are gram negative bacilli (61%) and streptococci (30%). Yeasts infections are frequent, and significantly correlated with antibiotic treatment duration.

[The value of monitoring arterial oxygenation saturation by pulse oximetry in neuroleptanalgesia]. / Intérêt de la surveillance de la saturation artérielle en oxygène par oxymétrie de pouls au cours de la neuroleptanalgésie.

Anaesthesia can induce hypoxaemia. Pulse oximetry gives continuous non invasive monitoring of arterial oxygen saturation. No arterial puncture is needed. Ninety-four patients were monitored by pulse oximetry during neuroleptanalgesia for colonoscopy. Eighteen patients showed desaturation episodes of less than 90%, eight linked to opioid-induced respiratory depression. In all patients, pulse oximetry gave clinicians an immediate awareness of the incident. Treatment was facilitated. Pulse oximetry made anaesthesia safer.