A standardized protocol to achieve normoglycaemia during labour and delivery in women with type 1 diabetes.

AIM: To evaluate a standardized protocol for maintaining near-normoglycaemia during labour and delivery in women with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: Over a nine-year period (1997-2005), 229 pregnancies in 174 women with type 1 diabetes were delivered at one centre. The same regimen was used for the induction of labour (group 1) and in women admitted in spontaneous labour (group 2): 10% dextrose (80ml/h) intravenous was given along with short-acting insulin, starting at 1IU/h intravenous via an infusion pump. Capillary blood glucose (CBG) was determined hourly, and the insulin infusion rate was modified accordingly. RESULTS: Labour was induced in 85 cases (37%) and spontaneous in 23 cases (10%), and an elective C-section was performed in 121 cases (53%). Maternal glycaemia during labour was 6.1+/-1.6 (range: 3.9-9.2)mmol/l in group 1, and 6.9+/-2.0 (range: 4.7-12.0)mmol/l in group 2. Maternal glycaemia at delivery was 5.8+/-1.5 (range: 3.4-9.4) and 6.3+/-1.9 (range: 4.1-11.4)mmol/l in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Women who underwent an elective C-section were not included in the standardized protocol and had higher glycaemia at delivery 7.1+/-2.0 (range: 2.7-13.5)mmol/l. Neonatal hypoglycaemia occurred in 30 infants (13%), and was only associated with preterm delivery. CONCLUSION: Using a standardized simple protocol during labour, maternal glycaemia was maintained within a near-normal range in 80-85% of cases.

In utero allotransplantation of retrovirally transduced fetal hepatocytes in primates: feasibility and short-term follow-up.

In utero allotransplantation of fetal hepatocytes into a preimmune fetus could be used in early treatment of many inherited hepatic metabolic diseases. This study was designed to assess the tolerance to hepatocyte transplantation and to test the feasability and toxicity of such an injection in a primate model. Fetal hepatocytes were obtained from two 120-day-old Macaca mulatta fetuses and cryopreserved. They were thawed, cultured in vitro, and transduced with a recombinant retrovirus expressing beta-galactosidase. Transduction efficiency was 75-85%. Three unrelated fetuses (90, 100, and 104 days old) were each given 1-2 x 10(7) transduced cells via the umbilical vein. This caused vasospasm and severe bradycardia. Two fetuses died in the 48 hours after transplantation; the third survived and was killed at the end of gestation. No evidence of the infused cells was found. Three fetuses (90 days old) were, therefore, given 3-4 10(7) hepatocytes by direct intrahepatic injection. All the fetuses survived without side effect. Donor cells were not apparent from histochemical staining and PCR reactions. There was no evidence of inflammatory reaction. These findings indicate that the protocole could be improved by increasing the number of transplanted cells and using specific hepatic promoters in the retroviral vectors to achieve an effective postnatal chimerism.

[Emergency cesarean section: role of locoregional anesthesia]. / Césarienne en urgence: place de l'anesthésie locorégionale.

Emergency cesarean section is sometimes required for acute fetal distress but also for some maternal vital emergencies. In spite of its maternal (Mendelson's syndrome, difficult intubation) and fetal (neonatal depression) risks, general anaesthesia was classically used. The arguments in favor of regional anaesthesia techniques for emergency cesarean section and the respective advantages of spinal and epidural anaesthesia are developed in this text. The already functioning epidural catheter can be used to rapidly convert analgesia for labor to anaesthesia for cesarean section: this situation is probably the simplest to manage but requires that parturients at risk for cesarean section were recognized in early labor, especially all the parturients with a suspected difficult airway. In case of patchy or unilateral analgesia, it is particularly important to resite the catheter to avoid the need for emergency general anaesthesia to solve an inadequate epidural anaesthesia for cesarean section. Spinal anaesthesia is the technique of choice for its rapidity of action but its hemodynamic risks need a prior careful evaluation of maternal hemodynamics. General anaesthesia will be always indispensable in some cases; therefore, every anaesthetist should maintain sufficient experience and skills in the management of some of its complications, especially intubation difficulties.

[Evaluation of 5 years of experimental in utero surgery for the repair of diaphragmatic hernia]. / Bilan de cinq années de chirurgie expérimentale in utero pour la réparation des hernies diaphragmatiques.

The incidence of diaphragmatic hernia in he newborn is 1:2,500 to 5,000 births. An extensive American programme of foetal surgery for in utero repair of this defect has shown that the pulmonary hypoplasia was due to compression of lung tissue by the herniated organs. This process could be interrupted be repairing the diaphragmatic defect early enough in utero (before the 28th week). The results of five years of experimental surgery for in utero correction of diaphragmatic hernia are presented here. The experimental model used was the Macaca fascicularis monkey, the pregnant female of which having several gestational and endocrine characteristics similar to those of the pregnant woman. Three different experimental programmes were carried out successively. A first series including five animals was used to experiment both surgical and anaesthetic techniques; three foetuses died in utero. The second series (10 animals) was designed to find a suitable protocol for tocolysis. One female died after surgery, and seven other foetuses also died. The third group (13 animals) was the main study group. The diaphragmatic hernia was first created surgically, and then repaired. No foetus died from the surgery. One female died before giving birth, and one offspring died shortly after birth as its mother had no milk. After the encouraging results obtained with this last series of animals, the procedure was applied to human cases, with the Hospital Ethical Committee's approval. In the first case, the foetus died postoperatively as a result of the rupture of the diaphragmatic prosthesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[In utero surgery of diaphragmatic hernia in Macaca fascicularis]. / Chirurgie in utero de la hernie diaphragmatique chez le singe macaque (Macaca fascicularis).

The aim of this study is to be able to perform on the animal (Macacus cynomolgus) a specific in utero surgical procedure for correcting congenital diaphragmatic hernia, in order to do the same on human fetuses. The surgical technique consist in operating in utero, and to put a silastic patch on the diaphragm. A good tocolysis is very necessary to prevent early abortion. Finally the fetuses' surviving is the main problem.