[Hospital infections in the maternity department at Brest Hospital over a period from 2000 to 2005].

Hospital infections are at stake in terms of public health. They are responsible for increase in morbidity and involve the community in high costs. Epidemiologic surveillance has been initiated in the departments of gynecology, obstetrics and maternity with a view to making out the rate of hospital-acquired infections and the risk factors associated to them.

[Evaluation of ambulatory anesthesia at CHU, Brest].

Outpatient anaesthesia was investigated for a two-month period by means of a questionnaire filled from the preoperative anaesthesia consultation to the surgical procedure and the discharge of the patient. 868 consultations led to schedule 260 ambulatory procedures. ENT (88 patients), paediatric surgery (73 patients) and gynaecology (63 patients) were most frequently concerned.

[Abnormalities of respiratory function in civil defence firefighter-submarine divers. Respective role of diving and occupational exposure related to occupational firefighter's functions].

Lung function was studied in 20 firemen-submarine divers (mean age 36 +/- 1.2 years) of the French civil defence undergoing the medical check-up compulsory for professional divers (lung function tests are not systematically performed in ordinary firemen). Compared with the CECA standards: (1) vital capacity (VC) was increased, residual volume (RV) was decreased and total lung capacity (TLC) was unchanged; (2) with the exception of peak respiratory flow, all expiratory flow values (FEV1, MEF50, MEF25) were decreased; (3) the permeability factor (KCO) was decreased.

[Pediatric ECG monitoring. 2,500 pediatric patients under anaesthesia (author's transl)].

The authors report 98 cases of cardiac arrhythmia observed in the course of 2,500 pediatric anesthesias performed with constant electrocardiographic monitoring. The patients, aged 0 to 18 years, were in most cases healthy. Anesthesia was performed by different techniques for both surgical and non-surgical interventions for a variety of conditions, both serious and routine.