[Severe hypercalcemia after rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure].

Two cases of rhabdomyolysis with renal failure followed by hypercalcaemia are reported. Both had major hyperphosphataemia and hypocalcaemia, requiring haemodialysis. Hypercalcaemia developed during the diuretic phase, when renal function was still abnormal, and before phosphate blood levels had returned to normal.

[Treatment of colectasia occurring in intensive care].

Acute false colonic obstruction occurred in one female and nine male patients aged between 51 and 82 years. They had been admitted to an intensive care unit for respiratory failure (thoracic trauma, pneumonia, chronic or postoperative respiratory failure, or neurological disease). Three patients were in terminal multiple organ failure.

[Intravenous digital subtraction angiography in intensive care].

Intravenous digital subtraction angiography (IVDSA) was performed in 11 patients aged from 23 to 62 yr to visualize vascular disease that required to be treated without delay: 7 were in shock preceded by a cardiac arrest in 5 of them; 4 suffered from acute renal failure, 8 from acute respiratory failure and one from brain death. 5 pulmonary, 2 thoracic aortic, 3 abdominal aortic, 1 right subclavian and 1 renal arterial angiographies were carried out by this method. In all the cases described, we either confirmed the diagnosis (rupture of thoracic aorta, type I aortic dissection, aneurysm of abdominal aorta, complete occlusion of the distal abdominal aorta, pulmonary embolism) or set aside diagnosis (lesion of the subclavian vessels, pulmonary embolism) or visualized the renal vasculature before removing the organ.

[Legionnaires' disease with digestive tract lesions. One case].

In the case reported pulmonary Legionella infection was diagnosed by sputum cultures even though immunofluorescence tests were negative. The patient had positive Coomb's test due to circulating auto-antibodies which disappeared after he recovered. The course of the disease was prolonged by perforation of the coecum requiring excision of the colon and terminal ileostomy.

[Method for prolonged hemodynamic and respiratory monitoring. I. Technical study involving 45 patients].

The authors describe a method for haemodynamic and respiratory surveillance which they applied to 45 severely ill patients in circulatory and/or respiratory distress. Only an arterial and central venous catheter are necessary. They are used to measure arterial and venous blood gas levels as well as cardiac output by dye dilution.

[A story about water].

On the basis of one case, the authors review the symptoms and signs of alcoholic ketoacidosis. This occurs in general in a middle aged woman during the abundant ingestion of alcohol. It presents as drowsiness, headache and vomiting.

[Reintervention on heart valve prostheses. Apropos of 78 cases].

78 patients with one or more prosthetic heart valves were reoperated on between 1972 and 1978, and comprised 12% of the work load of valvular surgery. There were two postoperative periods in which the incidence of reoperation was high: the first year, 38%, and the period between the 5th and the 8th year, 41%. The main causes of reoperation could be divided into two groups: those common to all valves with paravalvular leaks (25%), endocarditis (12%) being the principal causes, and those associated with particular valves: deterioration of Beall prosthesis 33%, and thrombosis mainly affecting the Bjork and Beall prostheses (25%).

[Diagnostic, etiologic and therapeutic problems confronting the anesthesiologist in cases of bronchial spasm. Apropos of 4 cases].

The authors recall the symptoms of peroperative and early postoperative bronchospasm. They emphasise the etiology and the treatment. In fact, bronchospasm may be induced by several causes:--mechanical or chemical vagal stimulation;--direct or allergic-induced histamine liberation, induced by certain drugs (mainly curare);--taking beta-blockaders before operation, favoured by the use of morphine during operation;--finally, any irritation of the bronchi (inhalation of gastric juice, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary oedemal).

[Early complications after pleuro-pulmonary surgery. Study based on 217 operated patients].

In a study involving 217 patients who had undergone thoracotomy, the authors noted 85 complications in 77 patients with a mortality of 2.5 per cent. Respiratory complications were the most common but never ended in death.

[Preoperative assessment: value and limitations in the preparation for surgery of esophageal or cardia carcinoma].

Pre-operative assessment of a patient suffering from a carcinoma of the oesophagus demonstrates numerous pathological features and marked malnutrition. The authors give details of their method of nutritional preparation: operation is scheduled only when the patients are restored to a state of anabolism, i.e.