L'activité et le rôle d'un laboratoire de toxicologie analytique ont considérablement évolué durant ces deux dernières décennies. Cette évolution concerne tant les médicaments disponibles actuellement sur le marché, que la prise en charge du patient intoxiqué, et enfin les techniques analytiques. Elle se justifie essentiellement par la prise de conscience que pour la majorité des toxiques fréquents, appartenant principalement à la classe des psychotropes au sens large, la symptomatologie clinique observée correspond à celle qui était attendue lorsque les produits ingérés étaient connus. La prise en charge immédiate du patient n'est alors pas directement influencée par la connaissance du résultat de l'analyse toxicologique, qui garde une valeur de confirmation a posteriori du diagnostic clinique initial. Il reste évidemment des situations pour lesquelles l'analyse toxicologique doit être réalisée en urgence ; il s'agit le plus souvent de substances qui ont une toxicité lésionnelle ou qui exercent une toxicité retardée (paracétamol, monoxyde de carbone…). La conférence déexperts de la Société de réanimation de langue française (SRLF), se rapportant aux intoxications graves par médicaments et substances illicites admises en réanimation, avait conclu en 2006 que les toxiques pour lesquels un dosage sanguin devait impérativement être réalisé étaient l'acide valproïque, la carbamazépine, le fer, la digoxine, la digitoxine, le lithium, le paracétamol, le phénobarbital et la théophylline [1]. La recherche large dans le sang ou les urines de toxiques par méthode chromatographique doit être réservée aux patients avec troubles neurologiques graves ou coma inexpliqué, en l'absence d'orientation précise.
A new high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for quantification of midazolam in plasma samples from intensive care unit patients on long-term intravenous infusion of this benzodiazepine. Plasma samples (0.5 ml) were mixed with 1 µg flurazepam (internal standard), alkalinized with 2.5 N NaOH, and extracted with toluene. The organic phase was evaporated to dryness, and the residue was dissolved in the mobile phase (acetonitrile/0.05 M phosphate buffer pH 4.5) and injected into the analytical column (C18 Nova-Pak 3.9 × 150 mm, 4 µm, maintained at room temperature; mobile phase flow rate: 1.2 ml/minute). The eluate was monitored at 207 nm, which reduced the risk of interferences from concurrent medications. Retention times of flurazepam, 1′-hydroxymidazolam (an active metabolite) and midazolam were approximately 4.5, 6.1, and 13.5 minutes, respectively. The assay was linear over the range 100 to 3000 ng/ml. The coefficients of variation of the within-day and between-day assay for the 100 to 3000 ng/ml range were <5% and <7%, respectively. The developed method is fast, reproducible, and well suited to monitor steady state midazolam plasma concentrations in clinical samples.
Introduction. There is an increasing interest in recent developments in bioartificial and non-bioartificial devices, so called extracorporeal liver assist devices, which are now used widely not only to increase drug elimination, but also to enhance the removal of endogenous substances in acute liver failure. Most of the non-bioartificial techniques are based on the principle of albumin dialysis. The objective is to remove albumin-bound substances that could play a role in the pathophysiology of acute liver failure by dialysing blood against an albumin-containing solution across a high flux permeable membrane. The most widely used device is the Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System (MARS™). Methods. The relevant English and French literature was identified through Medline using the terms, 'molecular adsorbent recirculating system', 'MARS', 'acute liver failure', 'acute poisoning', 'intoxication'. This search identified 139 papers of which 48 reported on a toxic cause for the use of MARS™. Of these 48 papers, 39 specified the substance (eighteen different substances were identified); two papers reported on the same group of patients. Bioartificial and non-bioartificial systems. Bioartificial systems based on porcine hepatocytes incorporated in the extracorporeal circuit are no longer in use due to the possibility of porcine retroviral transmission to humans. Historically, experience with such devices was limited to a few cases of paracetamol poisoning. In contrast, an abundant literature exists for the non-bioartificial systems based on albumin dialysis. The MARS™ has been used more widely than other techniques, such as the one using fractionated plasma separation and adsorption (Prometheus™). All the extracorporeal liver assist devices are able to some extent to remove biological substances (ammonia, urea, creatinine, bilirubin, bile acids, amino acids, cytokines, vasoactive agents) but the real impact on the patient's clinical course has still to be determined. Improvement in cardiovascular or neurological dysfunction has been shown both in acute liver failure and acute-on-chronic liver failure but no impact on mortality has been reported. Acute poisoning with liver failure. Randomized controlled trials are very limited in number and patients poisoned by paracetamol or Amanita phalloides are usually included for outcome analysis in larger groups of acute liver failure patients. Initial results look promising but should be confirmed. Beyond its effect in liver failure, MARS™ could also enhance the elimination of the drug or toxin responsible for the failure, as is described with paracetamol. Acute poisoning without liver failure. Extracorporeal liver assist devices have also been used to promote elimination of drugs that are highly protein bound. Data in various case reports confirm a high elimination of phenytoin, theophylline and diltiazem. However, definite conclusions on the toxicokinetic or clinical efficacy cannot be drawn. Conclusions. Despite the lack of large multicentre randomized trials on the use of MARS™ in patients with acute liver failure, the literature shows clinical and biological benefit from this technique. In drug or toxin-induced acute liver failure, such as paracetamol or mushroom poisoning, MARS™ has been used extensively, confirming in a non-randomized fashion, the positive effect observed in the larger population of acute liver failure patients. Furthermore, as MARS™ has been shown in experimental studies to remove protein-bound substances, it is potentially a promising treatment for patients with acute poisoning from drugs that have high protein-binding capacity and are metabolized by the liver, especially, if they develop liver failure concomitantly.
The authors of the above article agree that the assumption of a possible correlation between blood cocaine concentration and clinical effects should be better referenced by the following paper: “Javaid JI, Fischman MW, Schuster CR et al.: Cocaine plasma concentration: Relation to physiological and subjective effects in humans. Science 1978; 202:227–228” and not the article “Karch SB, Stephens B, Ho CH. Relating cocaine blood concentrations to toxicity: an autopsy study of 99 cases. [J Forensic Sci 1998; 43(1)41–45]” as quoted in the authors article. The confusion came from the paper by de Prost et al. (reference 4 in the authors article) that cited the paper by Karch et al. among the papers supporting the hypothesis of a positive correlation (see document). The authors apologise for citing the paper by Karch et al. in the same way.
Objective: Few outcome data are available about posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES).We studied 90-day functional outcomes and their determinants in patients with severe PRES.Design: 70 patients with severe PRES admitted to 24 ICUs in 2001-2010 were included in a retrospective cohort study.The main outcome measure was a Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) of 5 (good recovery) on day 90.Main Results: Consciousness impairment was the most common clinical sign, occurring in 66 (94%) patients.Clinical seizures occurred in 57 (81%) patients.Median mean arterial pressure was 122 (105-143) mmHg on scene.Cerebral imaging abnormalities were bilateral (93%) and predominated in the parietal (93%) and occipital (86%) white matter.Median number of brain areas involved was 4 (3-5).Imaging abnormalities resolved in 43 (88%) patients.Ischaemic and/or haemorrhagic complications occurred in 7 (14%) patients.The most common causes were drug toxicity (44%) and hypertensive encephalopathy (41%).On day 90, 11 (16%) patients had died, 26 (37%) had marked functional impairments (GOS, 2 to 4), and 33 (56%) had a good recovery (GOS, 5).Factors independently associated with GOS,5 were highest glycaemia on day 1 (OR, 1.22; 95%CI, 1.02-1.45,p = 0.03) and time to causative-factor control (OR, 3.3; 95%CI,, p = 0.04), whereas GOS = 5 was associated with toxaemia of pregnancy (preeclampsia/eclampsia) (OR, 0.06; 95%CI, 0.01-0.38,p = 0.003).Conclusions: By day 90 after admission for severe PRES, 44% of survivors had severe functional impairments.Highest glycaemia on day 1 and time to causative-factor control were strong early predictors of outcomes, suggesting areas for improvement.