Revue médicale suisse
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A lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a condition frequently encountered in primary care medicine. It may give rise to a compression of one or more nerve roots, which can lead to a nerve root irritation, a so-called radiculopathy, with or without a sensorimotor deficit. The majority of LDHs can be supported by means of a conservative treatment consisting of physical therapy, ergotherapy, analgetics, anti-inflammatory therapy or corticosteroids, which may be eventually administered by infiltrations. If a clinico-radiological correlation is present and moderate neurological deficit appears suddenly, if it is progressive under conservative treatment or if pain is poorly controlled by well-conducted conservative treatment performed during four to six months, surgery is then recommended.
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Revue médicale suisse · Dec 2014
Review[Continuous EEG monitoring for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage].
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) still carries a high morbidity and mortality, despite improvement in surgical and medical management. Seizures and delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) secondary to vasospasm or cortical spreading depression are frequent after SAH. ⋯ However, its use in clinical practice is still limited because many resources are required for recording and analyzing continuous EEG. Moreover, we require more data to confirm the relationship between aggressive treatment of non-convulsive seizure or delayed cerebral ischemia triggered by continuous EEG and outcome.
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Revue médicale suisse · Dec 2014
Review[Prone position mechanical ventilation in the Acute Respiratory Distress syndrome: theoretical and practical considerations].
Mortality of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains extremely high and only few evidence-based specific treatments are currently available. Protective mechanical ventilation has emerged as the comer stone of the management of ARDS to avoid the occurrence of ventilation-induced lung injuries (VILI). ⋯ Since the publication of the PROSEVA study in 2013, early prone positioning for mechanical ventilation should be recommended to improve survival of patients with severe ARDS. In this article, both the theoretical and practical aspects of mechanical ventilation in prone position are reviewed.
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ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) is a cardiac or respiratory support which uses the principle of extracorporeal circulation (ECC). It consists of a pump generating an output as well as a membrane oxygenating blood and removing CO2. ⋯ After a brief summary of the two different anatomical approaches (veno-arterial and veno-venous) as well as their indications, the authors will share their experience of two transferred patients under ECMO to Geneva. Referral center and ECMO mobile team concepts will then be detailed focusing on the present situation in Switzerland.