[Formulation and stability of hospital preparation of 3,4-diaminopyridine capsules]. / Formulation et stabilité d'une préparation hospitalière de gélules de 3,4-diaminopyridine.

Administration of 3,4-diamynopyridine (3,4-DAP) has been found to be effective in the symptomatic treatment of patients with Eaton-Lambert Myasthenic syndrome. A recent case of this syndrome in Val de Grâce Military hospital led us to manufacture 3,4-DAP capsules. In agreement with good manufactoring processes, we have performed mass uniformity and content tests. Six different formulations were tested, starch maize and magnesium stearate have been validated as excipients. The stability study showed that the conservation was good even under extreme conditions. Clinical and electromyographic improvement seen in this patient suggests this preparation may be of benefit.

[Infrared spectrophotometry: a versatile analytical tool in hospital pharmacy]. / La spectrométrie d'absorption moléculaire dans l'infrarouge: un équipement analytique polyvalent pour la pharmacie hospitalière.

Pharmacy services in healthcare facilities have increasing analytical needs, as frequently recalled by good practices guidelines (hospital pharmacy good practices, hospital pharmaceutical preparations good practices). Various analytical methods can be employed, from spot tests to the most recent chromatographic methods. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate, with two concrete examples, the versatility and pertinence of one of these analytical methods: infrared spectrophotometry. We describe two current applications, used in a hospital pharmacy service: identification of pharmaceutical raw material and dose control of cytotoxic injectable preparations.

[Methemalbuminnemia after massive hemolysis during blackwater fever]. / Methémmalbuminémie après hémolyse massive au cours d'une fièvre bilieuse hémoglobinurique.

We report a case of blackwater fever with brown plasma due to the presence of methemalbumin. The discovery of plasma with this color is a rare event at the laboratory. This compound appears during intravascular hemolysis or hemorrhagic pancreatitis when the ability of haptoglobin and hemopexin to bind free hemoglobin has been exceeded. In these cases some of heme is oxidized to hematin and taken up by serum albumin to form an albumin-hematin complex called methemalbumin. The major clinical problem is to evoke the diagnosis of methemalbuminemia and not confuse with methemoglobinemia. In our case, methemalbumin was detected and quantified using a scanning spectrophotometer. Its diagnostic and clinicals consequences are discussed.