[Vulnerability to schizophrenia: neuropsychological performance and schizotypal personality traits]. / Vulnérabilité à la schizophrénie: performances neuropsychologiques et traits de personnalité schizotypique.

Although some neuropsychological deficits and a high rate of schizotypal personality disorders have been found in the first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia, few studies have looked for a link between those two types of potential marker of vulnerability to this disease. The aims of this study were: 1) to confirm some executive/attentional deficits in a group of first-degree relatives including not only siblings but also parents; 2) to evaluate the schizotypal traits using the French version of 4 self-reporting scales proposed by Chapman and his colleagues; 3) to look for a dependence or independence between the neuropsychological performance and the scores on the scales of schizotypy. Twenty four patients with schizophrenia, 48 of their first-degree relatives and 31 controls were included in the study. Both attentional tests (a Digit Symbol Substitution Test and a Degraded Stimulus-Continuous Performance Test) confirmed a worse performance in the patient and in the first-degree relative groups than in the control group. On the opposite side, the executive performance assessed by the Wisconsin Sorting Card Test, was poorer in the patient group only. Scores of the first-degree relative group on the social anhedonia, physical anhedonia and perceptual aberrations scales were at an intermediate level between those of the patient and control groups; moreover, only scores on the social anhedonia scale tended to be significantly higher in the first-degree relative group than in the control group. Among the first-degree relative group, the only significant correlation found was between the number of perseverative errors on the WCST and the scores on the physical anhedonia scale.

[Vulnerability to schizophrenia. III: Importance and limits of the Identical Pairs Continuous Performance Test]. / Vulnérabilité à la schizophrénie. III: Intérêts et limites du test de performances continues à paires identiques (CPT-IP).

Since several investigations have shown attentional deficits both in patients with schizophrenia and in subjects at high risk for schizophrenia, these deficits could be valuable vulnerability markers for schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate wether non psychotic relatives of schizophrenic probands have deficits in sustained attention as measured by the Continuous Performance Test, Identical Pairs (CPT-IP) version. The study subjects were 25 schizophrenic probands, 50 of their first-degree relatives and 46 normal controls. For each subject, attention was assessed during 6 experimental conditions (2 standard, 2 slow, 2 easy conditions) of visual stimuli (digit-numbers and shapes). In each of the six conditions, the value of the sensitive index d' in the first-degree relative group was at an intermediate level between the patient and control groups. Moreover, in the standard shape condition, the d' value was significantly lower in the schizophrenic and in the relative groups than in the control group. This deficit was all the more interesting since it was not explained by a deficit in general intellectual abilities or by psychopathology such as anxiety or depression. Furthermore, the schizophrenic patients made more random errors in the standard and in the slow number conditions than both other groups. All groups improved their performance when the stimulus duration increased and when the processing load decreased. As a conclusion, this investigation seems: 1) to confirm the existence of an attentional deficit in the first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia; 2) to demonstrate the interest of the CPT-IP to detect this deficit. It must be emphasized that in order to detect the deficit, one only needs to explore the standard shape condition and that under such circumstances, the CPT-IP test has the advantage of being less time consuming than tests used in previous studies.

Changing heat and moisture exchangers every 48 hours does not increase the incidence of nosocomial pneumonia.

This prospective study was conducted to evaluate the risk of nosocomial pneumonia when changing heat and moisture exchangers every 48 hours in 1996 instead of every 24 hours in 1995 for patients needing continuous mechanical ventilation. Medical and surgical patients in the two periods did not differ in terms of demographic characteristics and markers of acute or underlying illnesses. The incidence density of nosocomial pneumonia was not different in the two groups. Extended heat and moisture exchanger use reduces circuit manipulation and cost.

[Torulopsis glabrata septicemia: apropos of a case]. / Septicémie à Torulopsis glabrata: à propos d'un cas.

A 74 year's old patient with cancer of oesophagus has been operated. An atelectasis occurred just after surgery, then a septic shock with a septicaemia. Blood cultures were positive with Torulopsis glabrata. Amphotericin B and flucytosine, followed by flucytosine and miconazole cured septicaemia. These septicaemia happen often to diabetics patients, to patients with malignant tumours, or after wide spectrum antibiotics or during prolonged parenteral nutrition or after surgery.

[Laboratory contributions in systemic Candida albicans infections]. / Apport du laboratoire dans les infections systémiques à Candida albicans.

The authors have studied Candida albicans' serologies for seven patients in an intensive care unit. The comparison with the clinical evolution and results' laboratory displays an discordance for two cases. For these patients with many risk's factors, the observation of serology seems interesting on a prolonged period.

[Heart conduction disorders in acute maprotiline poisoning]. / Troubles de la conduction cardiaque lors d'une intoxication aiguë à la maprotiline.

A case is reported of self-poisoning with maprotiline followed by prolonged disorders of intraventricular conduction. The cardiotoxicity of tetracyclic antidepressants was well established, but few cases were reported. Maprotiline pharmacokinetics explained the duration of the cardiovascular side-effects. The severity of maprotiline overdoses should not be underestimated.

[Severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumopathy in an adult]. / Pneumopathie grave à Chlamydia psittaci chez l'adulte.

A previously well 56 year-old woman presented with an adult respiratory distress syndrome which worsened under penicillin treatment, responding only to erythromycin and rifampicin, as well as CPAP ventilation. Diagnostic serology was positive to Chlamydia psittaci. Psittacosis is not a frequent cause of primary extensive pneumonia in intensive care units; other diseases should be looked for in the presence of these non-specific clinical and biological pictures (Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae). Pneumocystis should also be looked for in a typical pneumonia; erythromycin is the antibiotic of first choice in the treatment of primary extensive pneumonia.

[penetration of fosfomycin into bronchial secretions]. / Etude de la pénétration de la fosfomycine dans les sécrétions bronchiques.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the penetration of fosfomycin in bronchial secretions in 11 tracheostomized patients which allowed sampling at successive times, following intravenous injection of 4 gr of the drug during 4 hours. In simultaneous samples of serum and bronchial secretions, the measurement of fosfomycin was performed according to the agar diffusion microbiological method. The results of the study showed a worthwhile penetration of fosfomycin, with a mean bronchial concentration reaching 13,1 micrograms/ml, half an hour after the end of the injection, decreasing slowly with 7,04 micrograms/ml remaining two hours after the injection. The ratio between bronchial levels and corresponding serum levels reached 13% two hours after the injection. Fosfomycin diffusion from serum to bronchial secretions realizes significant amounts that are superior to the MICs of fosfomycin for most bacteria responsible for serious broncho-pulmonary infections in intensive care units.