Insect floral visitors of thermo-Mediterranean shrubland maquis (Ajaccio, Corsica, France).

Background: The Mediterranean Region represents a biodiversity hotspot with a high rate of endemism. In its western part, Corsica Island is notable in terms of biodiversity due to its large surface and its large range of habitats from seaside to alpine biotopes. Amongst diverse groups, insects, notably the main orders of pollinators composed of Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera and Lepidoptera, represent a good part of the insular richness.

[Comparison of propanidid with propofol for dental surgery of short or medium duration].

The properties of propofol in emulsion given by continuous intravenous infusion to spontaneously breathing patients have been well studied. Thirty randomized voluntary premedicated patients undergoing dental extraction were anaesthetized with propofol (2.5 mg X kg-1 IVD, and 9 mg X kg-1 X h-1) or with propanidid (9 mg X kg-1 IVD, and 60 mg X kg-1 X h-1), supplemented with nitrous oxide in oxygen and fentanyl.

[Retrospective diagnosis of a coma in an infant].

A four month old baby presented one morning a quiet, hypotonic, areflexive coma without any signs of localization, which vanished without any sequelae. Hepatic cytolysis and an isolated proteinuria with a maximum at about three days after the initial neurological problems completed the picture. A new interview with the parents looking for a toxic cause revealed without any doubt poisoning by tetrachloro-ethylene.

[Effects of injectable flunitrazepam on hepatic and cardiac output in man].

The effects of intravenous flunitrazepam (0.03 mg X kg-1) on the estimated hepatic plasma output (DPHE), compared with the cardiac output (Q), were studied before its injection and 1 min afterwards. The question asked was whether the decrease in venous return led to a fall in hepatic perfusion.

[2 cases of anaphylaxis from droperidol].

Following two cases of anaphylactoid reactions during anaesthesia, immunoallergological investigations showed up the responsibility of droperidol, which probably acted by way of an anaphylactic mechanism. In both cases, there were no cardiovascular signs, the main clinical symptom being bronchospasm. The exceptional nature of allergic accidents due to neuroleptic drugs, as opposed to extrapyramidal phenomena, must be underlined.

[Adsorption of insulin directly added to infusion bottles].

A study of insulin adsorption to infusion system was undertaken in the situation of direct addition of insulin alone in the infusion bottles, with use of 125I-labelled insulin and non labelled insulin. The infusion solutions tested were glucose solutions (5, 10, 15 and 30%). There is an important adsorption of insulin (75%) to the infusion system when the insulin concentration in the solution is low.

[Fulminant infectious syndrome after post-traumatic splenectomy].

A 49 year old woman presented a very serious infectious state with respiratory failure, on the third postoperative day following splenectomy for a traumatic ruptured spleen. Despite massive antibiotic treatment and treatment of the respiratory failure, the patient died. The responsibility of the splenectomy in this infection with many different organisms and the failure of antibiotics is discussed.

[Adsorption of insulin introduced directly into perfusion bottles].

A study of insulin adsorption to infusion system was undertaken in the situation of direct addition of insulin alone in the infusion bottles, with use of 125I-labelled insulin and non labelled insulin. The infusion solutions tested were glucose solutions (5, 10, 15 and 30%). There is an important adsorption of insulin (75%) to the infusion system when the insulin concentration in the solution is low.

[Severe anaphylactoid accidents occurring during general anesthesia].

Four patients were studied following an anaphylactoid accident occurring during general anaesthesia. Histamine release was assessed on clinical signs, basophil degranulation and, in one case, an early serum histamine peak. Past medical history revealed previous allergies in all cases.

[Technic of continuous axillary plexus block].

A technique of continuous axillary brachial plexus block, using an epidural Tuohy needle and an epidural catheter, is described. Studies were carried out in ten patients using this technique with bupivacaine as a local anesthetic drug. The catheter remained indwelling during a mean period of five days.

[Doppler velocimetric evaluation of the reliability of Allen's test for radial artery catheterization].

The result of Allen's test was compared with the variations in the Doppler flow recording of the thumb artery after compression of the radial artery in 76 volunteers. In five cases, manual compression let to a disappearance systolic flow, showing an absence of collateral ulnar circulation. In fifteen cases, the systolic flow was greatly reduced in the thumb.

[Effects of dopamine on cardiac and hepatic index in man (author's transl)].

Dopamine is known to increase cardiac output and, to a greater extent, renal blood flow. The purpose of this study was to find out whether renal blood flow is increased partly at the expense of splanchnic blood flow. The splanchnic blood flow was evaluated by measuring, according to Fick's principle, the estimated liver blood flow during a continuous infusion of indocyanine green.

[Hypovolaemic shock due to increased capillary permeability (author's transl)].

In a 69-year-old man admitted to hospital for shock with symptoms suggesting acute cor pulmonale, laboratory tests showed low proteinaemia associated with haemoconcentration. Vascular filling led to recovery, but the condition relapsed 6 months later, heralded by weight increase, swelling of the face and profuse swelling; the patient again recovered. On this last occasion, a monoclonal peak of IgG kappa thought to have antibody activity was discovered.

Increase in hepatic blood flow and cardiac output during dopamine infusion in man.

The object of this paper was to evaluate the effect of a continuous dopamine infusion (10--12 micrograms/kg . min) on the estimated hepatic blood flow (EHBF) and cardiac output (CO) in man. Measurements were made in 3 periods: the initial control state, during dopamine infusion, and after the infusion.

[Discriminant factors of risk of infection in routine digestive surgery. Trial apropos of 308 cases].

Postoperative infection in routine digestive surgery is a common complication, its prevalence being variously assessed between 10 and 30%. Study of criteria of infectious risk, whether inherent to the subject or his environment, has not been the subject of overall evaluation. The present study involved 308 subjects in two departments of surgery with different geographical and architectural features.

[Five cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation after peritoneojugular shunt by Le Veen valve].

The authors report the cases of five cirrhotic patients who underwent peritoneo-venous bypass via a Le Veen valve. Coagulation studies revealed on the one hand a worsening in certain pre-existent abnormalities (thrombocytopaenia, decrease in plasma coagulation factor levels), and secondly a frank increase in F.B.

[Physiopathology of continuous enteral feeding. Application to several major digestive system disease syndromes].

The first chapter looks at the advantages of continuous oral feeding (COF) over conventional oral feeding, from a physiological and physiopathological point of view. From this discussion the indications and contraindications for this type of feeding are drawn. Then a few major diseases of the digestive tract are examined: diseases of the bile salts, intra-luminal bacterial proliferation, acute bacterial diarrhoea, isufficiency of exocrine pancreatic secretion.

[Pulmonary oedema after late revascularisation of the lower limbs (author's transl)].

In the two cases reported, pulmonary oedema developed immediately following revascularisation of the lower limbs after prolonged ischaemia. Without it being possible to formally exclude the possible role of a haemodynamic factor, the authors suggest the hypothesis of a predominantly lesional mechanism. The "reconnection to the circuit" is the provoking factor in this oedema, the alveolo-capillary membrane being previously altered by the prolonged ischaemia, infection and massive transfusion.