[Interhospital transfer of ECMO-assisted patients in Martinique]. / Transfert interhospitalier sous assistance circulatoire extracorporelle (ECMO): l'expérience martiniquaise.

OBJECTIVE: The transportation of critically ill patients in the French West Indies represents a real challenge; in order to ensure territorial continuity of health care provision, the cardiac surgical department of the Fort-de-France Hospital created a mobile ECMO/ECLS unit. The aim of our work is to describe the logistical, technical and financial aspects of the interhospital transfer of ECMO/ECLS-assisted patients in the French Caribbean. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All ECMO/ECLS-assisted patients in the French Antilles-Guyane area subsequently repatriated towards the Fort-de-France Hospital were included from December 29th, 2009 to September 30th, 2011. Indication and type of the extracorporeal assistance used, location of departure, type of transport vehicle, complications during transfer, survival after hospital discharge and direct costs were collected. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were supported by our mobile unit far away from our centre (sex-ratio 0.63, median age 34years old [16-64]). Twelve were assisted by ECMO for a refractory ARDS, and seven were assisted by ECLS for a refractory cardiogenic shock. Four patients were transferred by ambulance (7-29km), seven by helicopter (190-440km), and eight by plane (440-1430km). No patient died during transfer. No major adverse event occurred during these transfers. Fifteen patients survived. An economic assessment was conducted. CONCLUSION: Interhospital transfer of ECMO/ECLS-assisted patients by land or air is technically feasible under perfectly secure conditions in our area. Prior coordination of this activity has helped to make it affordable.

[Study of risk factors for recurrence in severe life-threatening conditions in infants]. / Etude des facteurs de risques de récidives dans les malaises graves du nourrisson.

In a prospective study, 180 infants, mean age 2-6 months, hospitalized for apparent life threatening events between October 1985 and September 1988 (for 7,261 infants admitted into the pediatric unit during the same period), were submitted to the following investigations: careful anamnesis, complete clinical examination, systematic paraclinical investigations (standard biological studies, infectious and metabolic tests, investigations for gastro esophageal reflux (GER) and vagal hyper-reflectivity (VHR), polysomnography) or adapted to the clinical situation (toxic tests, brain computed scan, laryngoscopy, etc). Pathologies were mainly functional with neuro-vegetative immaturity (67.5%): gastro esophageal reflux (49%), vagal hyper-reflectivity (8.5%) or both (10%). An incidental pathological factor (breath holding spell, convulsion, intoxication, infection) was found in 18.5% of the infants, and 14% had normal results. Diphemanil 10 mg/kg/24h corrected the VHR and Metoclopramide 1 mg/kg/24h controlled 52% of the GER. The recurrence rate of illness in the GER and VHR groups was statistically lower with efficient therapy (12% vs 48%); no recurrence occurred in other groups.

[Prevention advice for families]. / Conseils de prévention pour les families.

SIDS is in most cases unforeseeable and unavoidable. However, present progress in knowledge about this syndrome allows practitioners to give preventive advice, for two types of infant: for all neonates--simple advice of infant care and hygiene--for some at risk babies (siblings of SIDS cases, ALTE, premature), advice on tests, or treatment or more specific medical care.

[Apropos of 100 cases of malaise in infants]. / A propos de cent malaises du nourrisson.

Among 4,411 children hospitalized from May 1985 through April 1987, 100 infants (mean age three months) had exhibited an apparently life-threatening event. Management included careful history taking by interviewing parents, a thorough physical evaluation, routine laboratory tests, and cardiorespiratory monitoring. A variety of further investigations were usually performed to look for gastroesophageal reflux (GER), vagal hyperreflectivity, or sleep-related cardiorespiratory disorders. Leading causes, that often occurred in combination, included GER (66 per cent of cases), and vagal hyperreflectivity (13%). Atypical breath-holding spells, ENT causes, and neurological causes were documented in 8%, 6% and 5% of cases respectively. Medical treatment of the GER proved effective in 90% of cases. Metoclopramide (Primperan, 10 drops/kg/d) was effective in 62% of infants with GER and was well tolerated. Diphemanil methylsulfate (Prantal, 10 mg/kg/d) satisfactorily controlled vagal hyperreflectivity. Monitoring was prescribed in 43% of cases.