Severe heart failure secondary to 5-fluorouracil and low-doses of folinic acid: usefulness of an intra-aortic balloon pump.

OBJECTIVES: To report 5-fluorouracil in combination with folinic acid as a cause of severe nonischemic heart failure and to demonstrate the potential usefulness of an intra-aortic balloon pump. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: An adult, 19-bed medical/surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS: A patient, who developed severe heart failure secondary to 5-fluorouracil infusion with low-dose folinic acid, which was introduced to treat a rectal cancer, was transferred from a cancer institute to our intensive care unit 4 days after the treatment was initiated. INTERVENTIONS: Electrocardiography, determination of level of cardiac enzymes, echocardiography, radial arterial catheterization, mechanical ventilatory support, continuous venovenous hemodialysis, vasopressors, and secondary intra-aortic balloon pump. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: During shock, the patient's systolic blood pressure progressively decreased to 70 mm Hg, despite inotropic agents and vasopressors. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a calculated left ventricular ejection fraction within 20% with global hypokinesia. Electrocardiography showed sinus tachycardia with only nonspecific ST-T changes. Results of serial determination of levels of cardiac enzymes were not significant for myocardial infarction. Treatment with an intraaortic balloon pump was initiated and resulted in a dramatical improvement within 48 hrs. The patient was gradually weaned from vasopressors and the intra-aortic balloon pump. By the tenth day, echocardiography showed a septoapical hypokinesia with a 50% left ventricular ejection fraction. On the 30th day, the echocardiography was considered normal. CONCLUSION: Intravenous 5-fluorouracil in combination with low doses of folinic acid can induce severe nonischemic heart failure. In such a case, an intra-aortic balloon pump could be useful by providing left ventricular function support when inotropic agents and vasopressors fail to restore normal hemodynamics.

Prone position in mechanically ventilated patients with severe acute respiratory failure.

The purpose of this study was to characterize changes in oxygenation, expressed as PaO2/F(I)O2, when patients with severe acute respiratory failure (PaO2/F(I)O2 < 150), unrelated to left ventricular failure to atelectasis, were turned to and from a supine to prone position at 1- and 4-h intervals. Ventilator settings were unchanged. Thirty-two consecutive patients were studied 1 h before, 1 and 4 h during and 1 h after placing in a prone position with PaO2/F(I)O2 of 103 +/- 28, 158 +/- 62, 159 +/- 59, and 128 +/- 52, respectively (ANOVA, p < 0.001). After 1 h in a prone position, improvement of PaO2/F(I)O2 by 20 mm Hg or more was considered a positive response. Seven patients studied had no response (22%), hereafter referred to as nonresponders, and 25 had a positive response (78%), hereafter referred to as responders. Among the seven nonresponders, two did not tolerate the prone position and were returned supine before the end of the 4-h trial. With the remaining five, PaO2/F(I)O2 evolution was 83 +/- 29, 77 +/- 19, 83 +/- 33, and 81 +/- 47, respectively. For two of the 25 responders, measurements are missing after returning to the supine position. In 10 of the 23 responders (43%) who completed the 4 h prone trial, the PaO2/F(I)O2 returned to its starting value when patients were repositioned supine: 117 +/- 24, 164 +/- 44, 156 +/- 55, and 110 +/- 34, respectively (ANOVA, p < 0.01). In 13 of the 23 (57%) improvement persisted: 105 +/- 27, 187 +/- 58, 189 +/- 49, and 157 +/- 49, respectively (ANOVA, p < 0.001). Repeated improvements after turning to a prone position were frequently observed. Side effects in the 32 patients after a total of 294 periods in a prone position included minor skin injury and edema, two instances of apical atelectasis, one catheter removal, one catheter compression, one extubation, and one transient supraventricular tachycardia.

-Emergency surgical treatment of acute carotid occlusion-. / Traitement chirurgical d'urgence des occlusions carotidiennes aiguës.

Conservative medical treatment of acute occlusion of the extracranial internal carotid artery usually gives mediocre results. When a major neurological deficit is involved, mortality can reach 16 to 55%, morbidity due to definitive deficit 40 to 69% and cure only 2 to 12%. It is thus logical to attempt revascularization as an emergency procedure. In situ intraarterial fibrinolysis is appropriate for acute occlusion in the intracranial territory of the internal carotid involving severe neurological deficits but surgery is more adapted and safer for acute occlusion of the extra-cranial internal carotid. In a personal series of 8 patients, we had 1 death, 1 aggravation, 1 improvement and 5 "cures" (62.5%). Based on data in the literature and our experience, we assessed the advantages of emergency surgery (immediate and definitive re-establishment of the carotid flow and vascularization of the hemisphere before installation of irreversible brain damage) and conditions suggesting chances of success: 1) diagnosis by noninvasive echo-Doppler of the cervical vessels and transcranial Dopler, without preoperative arteriography or CT-scan. 2) operation before 6 hours, 3) quality of the desobstruction, 4) no post-operative anti-coagulant treatment, 5) control of post-operative episodes of hypertension.

Hepatic cytolytic and cholestatic changes related to a change of lipid emulsions in four long-term parenteral nutrition patients with short bowel.

Long-term parenteral nutrition hepatic-related impairment is commonly reported and diversely explained. However, with a low cyclic caloric intake (100% to 130% of basal metabolism calculated with the Harris-Benedict formula) consisting of two-thirds glucose, one-third lipid, and 0.20 to 0.25 g of nitrogen per kilogram per day, these complications were infrequent in a clinical practice of home long-term parenteral nutrition. Retrospectively, it was noticed that the switch from Intralipid 20% to Ivelip 20% at the same amount was followed within 2 months by four cases of jaundice in a population of four home long-term parenteral nutrition patients with short bowel disease. Hepatic disturbances were characterized by cytolysis and cholestasis and were reversible after switching from Ivelip 20% back to Intralipid 20%. Neither viral, nor biliary, nor septic etiologies were detected. The exact pathological mechanism remains unknown. The basal composition of both lipid emulsions seems to be identical: soy oil emulsion emulsified by egg phospholipids. However, some differences exist such as the size of particles, the presence of sodium oleate in Ivelip 20%, and the purification process of lecithin. These may explain the difference in hepatic tolerance during long-term parenteral nutrition.

Short- and long-term prognosis, functional outcome following ICU for elderly.

Among 1532 ICU patients we analysed 295 elderly patients (19%) aged more than 70-years-old. We determined prospectively the immediate and subsequent one-year outcome with a study of the predictive value of their ICU admission parameters. Then we followed the ICU survivors over the year after discharge (1, 6, 12 months) by quality of life questionnaires. ICU mortality was 26.7%; SAPS was the only predictor of short term mortality. On ICU discharge, 216 elderly were followed at 1, 6, 12 months; the one-year cumulative mortality was 49% from ICU discharge, majority of deaths occurring over the first month. Age, previous health status and SAPS had a predictor value of one-year mortality for ICU survivors. 103 patients were alive at one year: 88% returned to home, 72% had a relatively good functional status allowing an independent life, and 82% had the same or improved functional status.

[Massive small bowel resection. Apropos of 27 cases]. / Entérectomies massives. A propos de 27 observations.

27 patients were admitted in the Digestive intensive care unit of Croix-Rousse Hospital after a massive bowel resection (residual bowel 120 cm). The etiology was of vascular origin in 15 cases. The length of intestine was nil in 4 cases, between 20 and 50 cm in 12 cases, and between 50 and 120 cm in 11 cases. A colon resection was performed in 20 cases. For 5 patients, a "double temporary intestinal stoma" for ischemic bowel was made. A "second look laparotomy" was performed in 11 cases. The definitive intestinal continuity restauration was made in 23 cases (7 immediately, 16 later) with 3 duodenocolic anastomoses. 8 patients were able to find back a oral alimentation. 19 patients (with 4 total bowel resections) received a home parenteral nutrition. Actually, 11 are alive.

Prognostic significance of early intracranial and cerebral perfusion pressures in post-cardiac arrest anoxic coma.

The prognosis of prolonged cardiac arrests is generally related to brain damage due to the cerebral anoxia. A neurological worsening leading to irreversibility is sometimes associated with an increase in intracranial pressure. We studied for 5 years the early intracranial and cerebral perfusion pressures in 84 patients with deep anoxic coma after cardiac arrest. Intracranial pressure monitoring was set up as soon as possible with an extradural screw over a period of 6 days. No complications occurred using this technique. We recorded the percentage of patients suffering from intracranial pressure peaks over 15 mmHg (a), over 25 mmHg (b) or cerebral perfusion pressures drops under 50 mmHg (c). We obtained during the 1st day of monitoring: (a) 46.4%, (b) 21.4%, (c) 39%; during the 2nd day: (a) 73.6%, (b) 26.3%, (c) 55.9%. Eight patients (9.5%) were still alive after a couple of months, 4 of whom had no neurological sequelae; among the 76 non-survivors 63 (82.9%) had died because of cerebral anoxic damage. A daily comparison between survivors and non-survivors points out that the survivors' intracranial pressures were always lower than in the non-survivors and the survivors' cerebral perfusion pressures higher than in the non-survivors. Moreover, none of the patients showing intracranial peak pressures over 25 mmHg survived without after-effects. It is clear that many patients suffer early periods of high intracranial pressures and low cerebral perfusion pressures leading to a bad neurological prognosis. Intracranial pressure monitoring may allow assessment of patients' neurological status and prognosis after cardiac resuscitation.

Severe falciparum malaria (21 cases).

The incidence of severe falciparum malaria is increasing in the developed countries and mortality remains high despite progress in intensive care management and schizonticide treatment. Many authors emphasize the importance of exchange transfusion (EXT) in the most severe cases. We studied 21 cases (34 +/- 12 years, 6 females; SAPS: 8.4 +/- 3.7) of severe malaria (according to WHO criteria) consecutively admitted to ICU between 1985 and 1990: 3 patients underwent EXT. Twenty were febrile above 39 degrees C, 10 had cerebral malaria, 14 hepatic impairment, 8 acute renal failure, 5 pulmonary oedema. Nine patients required mechanical ventilation, 1 haemodialysis, 1 intracranial pressure monitoring. Mean parasitemia was 13%, 16 patients had thrombocytopenia less than 50 x 10(9)/l, 3 anemia less than 7 g/dl and 3 leucopenia less than 2.8 x 10(9)/l. Nineteen received quinine i.v., 1 mefloquine, 1 chloroquine. Sixteen patients received blood products transfusion, 3 were treated by EXT in addition. Twenty were cured and discharged from hospital without sequelae (mean stay: 14 days); 4 had nosocomial infection, 1 a splenic infarction. One patient (17-years-old; SAPS: 17; parasitemia: 7.8%) died 12 h after admission from non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema with multi-organ failure. The literature and this study lead us to propose EXT in patients with unfavourable evolution after conventional treatment rather than in all the patients with a parasitemia above 10% at admission. A randomized study to compare conventional treatment in ICU with or without EXT is necessary.

Early effects of nimodipine on intracranial and cerebral perfusion pressures in cerebral anoxia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Some calcium entry blockers seem to improve the neurological survival of anoxic comas. The early monitoring of intracranial pressure shows the frequency of intracranial hypertension. A calcium channel blocker has been shown to increase the cerebral blood flow which can potentially lead to deleterious increases of the intracranial pressure. This study presents 39 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests resuscitated with success. The intracranial pressures were registered by means of an extra dural screw set up as soon as possible. Nineteen patients received an early continuous 5 days nimodipine treatment (0.58 gamma/kg weight/min. after a 12.3 gamma/kg weight bolus). The other 20 patients did not receive any calcium entry blocker. The two groups were similar in terms of age, origin and electrical type of cardiac arrest, duration of cardiac arrest before BLS and before ACLS, principles of the treatment, initial neurological status and biological values. The maximum and mean intracranial pressures of the nimodipine group were always lower than the intracranial pressure of the control group. The cerebral perfusion pressure was never significantly different in both groups. If the nimodipine treatment proves to be efficient on neurological survival, it would be all the more interesting because it seems to limit the intracranial hypertension phenomenon which aggravates the neurological prognosis.

[Current modalities of mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure in chronic respiratory insufficiency]. / Modalités actuelles de la ventilation mécanique des décompensations aiguës des insuffisants respiratoires chroniques.

Acute respiratory failure in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease is a frequent and serious complication, with a mortality rate of 20 p. 100 and 57 p. 100 of the patients kept under mechanical ventilation for more than two weeks. The main problem with mechanical ventilation is an unavoidable intrinsic positive expiratory pressure and a hyperinflation that can be increased by the different modes of ventilation. All the classical modes of mechanical ventilation may be used, including control-mode ventilation, assist/control-mode ventilation, intermittent mandatory ventilation and ventilation with inspiratory assistance. Another major problem is weaning from mechanical ventilation as it may take a long time or even be impossible, so that the patients stay in intensive care units for ages or require long-term home ventilation. At the moment, there is no way of predicting the outcome of weaning in each individual subjects, and none of the various ventilation procedures has proved superior to the others. Nasal ventilation has recently been introduced in intensive care where it constitutes a major step forward being less invasive; it avoids intubation in 60 p. 100 of the patients but is more exacting for the physicians and nursing staff; finally, it makes it possible to treat acute respiratory failure at an earlier stage than previously.

[Prognosis of acute pneumococcal respiratory insufficiency requiring mechanical ventilation]. / Pronostic des insuffisances respiratoires aiguës d'origine pneumococcique nécessitant la ventilation mécanique.

A retrospective study was carried out between 1980 and 1988 in an attempt to determine the prognostic factors in pneumococcal pneumonia requiring mechanical ventilation. Thirty-six of the 57 patients studied died (63 per cent). The initial severity of the lung disease, was the same in the patients who died and in those who survived. The risk of death was associated with the severity of the septic syndrome, as evaluated by the presence of septic shock, acute renal failure and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Continuous arteriovenous haemodialysis during emergency hepatic retransplantation: two case reports.

Two patients with severe hepatic and renal failure underwent emergency hepatic retransplantation (2nd and 6th day after transplantation). Continuous arteriovenous haemodialysis was begun before surgery and successfully performed, without any incident, during the retransplantation with a biospal (SCU/CAVH AN 69 S) device, without pump. Vascular access was obtained with femoral catheters. Such a continuous dialysis and ultrafiltration allowed us to infuse massive amounts of blood products before and during surgery and to maintain pH, potassium and lactate at levels compatible with survival in anuric patients. Standard haemodialysis replaced CAVHD when haemodynamic stability was restored.