[Sciatic nerve block in prehospital care].

Objectives: Evaluate the analgesic efficiency of the sciatic nerve block in prehospital care at the time of some severe legs or feet traumas.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective, monocentric study upon a period of time 1998-2008.

Results: Twenty-three sciatic nerve blocks have been colligated, five by upper way and heighten by lateral popliteal lower way among which fourteen without neurostimulator.

[Paraumbilical block for strangulated umbilical hernia in emergency].

The authors describe a strangulated umbilical hernia surgery performed in emergency with a paraumbilical block associated with a local infiltration. For this patient, 3-4 ASA status, in occlusion, with iterative vomiting and coagulation disorders, general or spinal anaesthesia were high-risk technics. Paraumbilical block, sometimes used for anaesthesia or/and analgesia for programmed umbilical hernia surgery, allowed surgery with good conditions and procured prolonged postoperative analgesia.

[Postoperative pneumonia: nosocomial, predictable, iatrogenic, preventable or not?].

We report the case of a 52-year-old man, ASA 3-4, malnourished, heavy smoker and drinker at the stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cirrhosis. The postoperative course of a cervical cancer surgery was complicated by a pneumonia with fatal outcome in the intensive care unit. Taking into account the patient's history and surgical requirements, this nosocomial infection did not appear easily preventable.