Rapidly progressive diaphragmatic weakness and injury during mechanical ventilation in humans.

Rationale: Diaphragmatic function is a major determinant of the ability to successfully wean patients from mechanical ventilation (MV). Paradoxically, MV itself results in a rapid loss of diaphragmatic strength in animals. However, very little is known about the time course or mechanistic basis for such a phenomenon in humans.

Fatal systemic nocardia infection revealed by cardiac tamponade.

We report the case of a 50-year-old man admitted for cardiac tamponade. He was diagnosed with acute pneumonia. He had no previous medical history, but exhibited a body mass index of 41.

Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and acute myopericarditis in an immunocompetent patient: first demonstrated case and discussion.

Acute viral infections can lead to heart inflammation, including acute myocarditis. We report the first case of myopericarditis in a young immunocompetent adult, in the context of recent Epstein-Barr virus infection. Clinical presentation was common acute pericarditis, but with risk biomarkers: high troponin I levels and multiple inflammation-compatible images on MRI.

Recent malignant dyspnea.

A 61-year-old man, consulted the clinic for dyspnea and cough worsening for 15 days. His past medical history was limited to a cutaneous melanoma 15 years previously, treated by surgery. He was thought to be cured, and was relapse free for the subsequent five years.

Torsade de pointes during sevoflurane anesthesia in a child with congenital long QT syndrome.

We present a case of congenital long QT syndrome which developed torsade de pointes during sevoflurane anesthesia for implantation of an internal cardioverter-defibrillator. The diagnosis, implications and treatment are discussed.

PCR-based detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in urine of HIV-infected and uninfected pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients in Burkina Faso.

To evaluate a one-tube nested PCR-based analysis of urine for diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, a prospective analysis of urine samples from HIV- and non-HIV-infected adults with PTB and EPTB (case patients) and with pathology other than tuberculosis (TB) (control patients) was performed. Three groups of patients were classified as microbiological-positive and -negative PTB and EPTB on the basis of clinical signs and microbiological results. Urine from patients was analysed using the DNA extraction and Sechi's methods, both modified, for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

A new technique for the treatment of delayed sternotomy healing: the vacuum therapy.

Background: The treatment of nonhealing and infected sternotomies after cardiac surgery is a challenging task, with its increased rates of mortality, morbidity, and costs. Local vacuum therapy (V.A.

Piezoelectric extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy of distal ureteric calculi: assessment of shockwave focusing with unenhanced spiral computed tomography.

Objective: To assess the effects of the interposition of pelvic bones and abdominal gas in the shockwave pathway during piezoelectric extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) of distal ureteric stones.

Patients And Methods: The study included 35 patients who were evaluated with unenhanced spiral computed tomography (CT), used according to their positioning during ESWL. The shockwave pathway was simulated on the sagittal and coronal views crossing the ureteric calculi, allowing a theoretical evaluation of the effective shockwave focusing (with no bone or gas interference).

Malignant ventricular arrhythmias revealing anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery in two adults.

We report two cases of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA), revealed by malignant ventricular arrhythmias in adult patients. A two coronary system was re-established in both patients, and cryotherapy was performed on one of the patients who, in addition, presented ventricular aneurysm triggering ventricular tachycardia.

A comparative prospective study of a chronic low dose versus a conventional ovulation stimulation regimen using recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone in anovulatory infertile women.

The efficacy and safety of a chronic low dose (group A) and a conventional (group B) stimulation regimen of recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (r-HFSH) were compared in 103 WHO Group II infertile women with clomiphene citrate-resistant anovulation. Mono- or bifollicular development was induced in 88.1% of patients in group A compared with 76.