[Treatment of moderate or severe infections using imipenem/cilastatin. 41 cases based on a multicenter protocol]. / Traitement des infections modérées ou sévères par l'imipenem/cilastatine. Quarante et une observations, à partir d'un protocole multicentrique.

Imipenem and cilastatin in combination have a broad spectrum in vitro with a strong killing activity on most bacteria. Using a multicenter study design, we investigated 41 patients with moderate or severe infections: septicemia in 18 cases (Gram negative rods in 10, Gram positive cocci in 7 and combination of both in 1), pneumonia in 7, osteitis in 4, soft tissue infection in 7, infection of the genitourinary tract in 6 and miscellaneous infections in the remaining cases (1 abscess of the pancreas, 1 typhoid fever, 1 presumptive endocarditis). All of the bacteria were susceptible to imipenem/cilastatin: MICs ranged from 0.02 to 0.8 mg/l and MBCs from 0.015 to more than 10 mg/l. All patients except one recovered or improved under imipenem/cilastatin. The patient who failed to respond had septicemia due to a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with a MBC and MIC above 10 and 0.5 mg/l respectively. Tolerance was outstanding: only 4 patients had adverse effects requiring withdrawal of the drug.

[Erythrocyte aggregation and its repercussions on conjunctival microcirculation in man. Morphometric study and biological correlates]. / L'agrégation érythrocytaire et son retentissement sur la microcirculation conjonctivale chez l'homme. Etude morphométrique et corrélations biologiques.

This study, involving the application of morphometric techniques to the conjunctival capillary bed in man, revealed a rarefaction of functional capillary density in patients with arteriolar sludge. Overall, in the population sample studied, capillary density and the degree of erythrocyte aggregation were correlated to erythrocyte sedimentation rate, despite the existence of discordant cases. These discordances were partially reduced by taking the hematocrit into account. Furthermore, multifactorial analysis of these parameters showed that hematocrit had an inhibitory action on erythrocyte aggregation which was more marked in vitro than in the microcirculation in vivo. By contrast, in vivo aggregation was more influenced by serum albumin levels. In both cases fibrinogen appeared to be the most significant pro-aggregant factor.