[Effect of racecadotril in the management of acute diarrhea in infants and children]. / Effet du racécadotril sur le recours aux soins dans le traitement des diarrhées aiguës du nourrisson et de l'enfant.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of diarrhoea relies on the maintenance or restoration of hydration with maintenance of an adequate nutritional intake. Racecadotril has been shown to reduce the stools output during acute diarrhoea. The present work was aimed at measuring the number of emergency department visits for acute diarrhoea either the children received racecadotril or not. METHOD: Racecadotril and rehydration were compared with rehydration alone in children aged three months to three years who had acute diarrhoea and were evaluated in the emergency department (ED). The primary end point was the number of medical exams during the week after starting treatment. Secondary end points were the number of stools during the first 48 hours, the duration of the diarrhoea and the weight on day 7. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-six children were alternatively randomized to the treated and the control groups. There was no difference for age, degree of dehydration and length of illness before the first visit between the groups. Whatever type of rehydration (oral or i.v.), the treated group had a significant lower number of stools (p < 0.001) and a faster recovery (p < 10(-9)). The children receiving racecadotril needed less additional ED visits for the same episode (p < 0.05). There was no difference for the weight-gain on day 7. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the efficacy of racecadotril as adjuvant therapy to oral and i.v. rehydration in the treatment of acute diarrhoea and a fewer emergency department second visit before recovery.

[Benefits of ipratropium bromide in the management of asthmatic crises in the emergency department]. / Apport du bromure d'ipratropium dans la prise en charge des crises d'asthme aux urgences.

BACKGROUND: To determine if the addition of ipratropium bromide in the emergency department (ED) for the treatment of childhood asthma reduces rates of hospitalization and relapses for moderate and severe exacerbations. METHODS: Patients were given an oral corticosteroid treatment (2 mg/kg) and received every 20 minutes either three nebulizations with albuterol (0.15 mg/kg) and ipratropium bromide (250 micrograms) or six nebulizations with albuterol alone (control group). The primary end point was the need for hospitalization, additional nebulizations or a relapse during the following week. Secondary end point included the effect of age. RESULTS: One hundred and forty three children, two to 15 years old, were randomized to ipratropium or control groups and 121 were evaluated on day seven. As a whole, the control group was less often hospitalized or in relapse than those treated with three nebulizations of albuterol and ipratropium (17.5% vs 37.9%, p < 0.02). The ipratropium group reached the same result after three additional albuterol nebulizations. The benefit of anticholinergic therapy was observed for children less than six years of age who had a similar rate of success (73.5 vs 75.7%). CONCLUSION: The association of ipratropium bromide to the first three doses of the albuterol protocol for acute asthma did not act as well as six nebulizations of albuterol alone. The effect was age dependent and two to six years old children needed more attention. Nevertheless the hospitalization rate did not support the use of ipratropium compared with repeated albuterol nebulizations.

[Congenital hyperparathyroidism. 3 cases]. / Hyperparathyroïdie congénitale. Trois observations.

Hypotonia, neonatal respiratory distress with a chest wall deformity should arouse clinical suspicion to the diagnosis of primary hyperthyroidism. The most common signs at this age are hypercalcaemia, increased alkaline phosphatase, low TRPP and radiological changes especially in the hip. Radio-immunological assay of PTH and plasma concentrations of Vitamin D metabolites are important diagnostic aids but the interpretation of these results should take the clinical and familial context into consideration. Rapid bone structural changes, the resistance of the hypercalcaemia to usual therapeutic measures and the progression to rickets justify urgent surgical treatment. Nearly all cases are due to clear cell hyperplasia.