[Limitations of normal eosinophilia or possible influence of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents]. / Les limites de l'éosinophilie "normale" ou l'influence possible des anti-inflammatoires non stéroïdiens.

Statistical analysis of eosinophilia of 331 patients at the onset of hospitalisation define a logarithmic standard population of 327 patients whose eosinophilia rates stand between 0 and 810/mm3, among them 24 lies between 500 and 810, and 4 whose eosinophilia rise over 1,000/mm3. These 4 patients had transient hypereosinophilia whose etiology was defined only in 2 cases. The 24 patients with eosinophilia between 500 and 810/mm3 were significantly more frequently men, with rheumatoid disease (specially sciatica) and users of non steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) than the general population. It suggest that NSAID may rise eosinophilia rates inside normal limits.

[Evaluation of drug consumption by hospitalized patients. Prospective survey]. / Evaluation de la consommation médicamenteuse des sujets hospitalisés. Enquête prospective.

Drug use was assessed in a prospective 6-month study carried out in the Department of General Medicine V and Rheumatology of the Nantes Regional Hospital Center. An attempt was made to evaluate consumption as realistically as possible, and a judgment was made based on the consensus of the medical team as to whether the prescription was justified or not. The mean number of drugs consumed by each patient was 2.8; 60% being prescribed for cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric purposes. As 33% of the prescriptions were considered unnecessary, it would appear that use was excessive in these hospitalized patients.

[Iatrogenic disease. Prospective study, relation to drug consumption]. / Pathologie iatrogène. Enquête prospective, lien avec la consommation médicamenteuse.

The role of drug use in iatrogenic pathology was studied prospectively in a hospital department. It wa s found that patients received an average of 2.8 drugs and that 30% of the prescriptions were unnecessary. During this six-month study of all patients admitted to a general medicine and rheumatology department, there were 67 iatrogenic accidents affecting 12.3% of the population: 41.8% of the accidents were directly responsible for hospitalization, 35.4% were due to therapy initiated during hospitalization and 32.8% occurred during the hospital stay but were the result of earlier treatment. Moreover, 26% of the accidents were related to what was considered to be unnecessary therapeutics. This study shows that elevated iatrogenic pathology was due to excessive drug use. However, the degree of severity of the adverse effects varied considerably, and some could have been easily avoided.