[Recurring pulmonary embolism despite the presence of a vena cava filter: a case report from the CNHU Cotonou-Benin]. / Embolie pulmonaire récidivante malgré la présence d'un filtre cave définitif: á propos d'un cas observé au CNHU de Cotonou-Bénin.

A 50-year-old man presents several clinical signs of pulmonary embolism, but this diagnosis was excluded due to the lack of venous thrombosis of the lower limbs and because the presence of a vena cava filter. The same signs reoccurred a few months later, leading to the diagnosis of venous thrombosis of the lower limbs with severe successive pulmonary embolism. This clinical case illustrates the potentially incomplete efficacy of vena cava filters for the prevention of pulmonary embolism.

[Creation of emergency care services in developing countries: luxury or necessity?]. / Creer un service d'aide medicale d'urgence dans un pays en developpement: luxe ou necessite?

Organization of emergency care services prior to hospital admission has progressed at a satisfactory pace in developed countries. A performance model in this field is the French emergency service called service d'aide médicale d'urgence (SAMU). Socioeconomic conditions prevailing in developing countries have pushed authorities to give priority to preventive medicine. However numerous patients especially young people and women during childbirth die as a result of inadequate facilities for transportation from hospitals and dwellings in outlying areas to major medical centers where the best medical equipment and staff are available. As a result, it may be asked if emergency care services is really a luxury. The authors base their conclusion on analysis of the conditions and outcome of emergency patient care in three African countries in which it is essentially a requirement.