Tunisie Medicale最新文献

Introduction: Although rare, Malignant otitis externa is responsible for a high morbidity and could sometimes be fatal. The management of this condition is still challenging.

Aim: To analyse the clinical, microbiological and radiological profile of malignant otitis externa, and the management of this condition.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at ENT Department of Kairouan's hospital including 38 patients hospitalised and treated for malignant otitis externa from January 2013 to August 2021.

Results: The mean age of patients was 67.7 ± 12.9 years (35-98). All patients presented with continuous otalgia that resists to usual analgesics. Otorrhea was noticed in 76.3% of cases, facial palsy in 2 cases (5.3%) and dysphonia in one case (2.6%). Pseudomonas Aeruginosa was the main responsible pathogen (42%). Concomitant bacterial and fungal infection was noticed in 6.4% of the cases. First-line intravenous antibiotherapy used was mainly based on an association of Cephalosporins and Fluoroquinolones. Complete remission was noticed in 30 patients (79%). However, 8 cases of recurrences (21%) and 2 cases of deaths (5.2%) were noticed in our series. The mean follow-up was 4.6±6.3 (1-26 months).

Conclusions: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa remains the main responsible pathogen for malignant otitis externa. Nevertheless, fungal infections are rising because of the overuse of antibiotics. Antibiotherapy should be adapted to culture results and resistance profile of pathogens in hospital. Practionners should be aware of the possibility of concomitant fungal infection, especially in the case of unfavorable evolution.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and evolutionary characteristics of of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in the internal medicine department of the Zinder National Hospital (ZNH).

Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out from 2018 to 2022 at the ZNH Department of Internal Medicine. Included were all patients admitted for PPCM who met National Heart Blood and Lung Institute criteria. The data collected was analyzed using Excel and EPI INFO v7.

Results: We had collected 100 cases of PPCM out of a total of 8706 hospitalized patients, i.e. a hospital prevalence of 1.14%. The mean age of the patients was 27.9 years ± 7.4 [17-45]. The majority of patients were from underprivileged social strata (n=64). The risk factors for PMPC found were essentially hot bath (n=66), home birth (n=40), natron porridge (n=35) and multiparity (n=57). Cardiac symptomatology appeared postpartum in 56% of patients. Dyspnea was the main symptom in 98% of cases. The physical signs were dominated by the functional systolic murmur (66%). Three quarters (75%) of the patients had congestive heart failure. Electrocardiographic signs were dominated by left ventricular hypertrophy (n=65). Cardiomegaly was present in 94% of patients. Left ventricular ejection fraction was altered in all patients. Impaired renal function was found in 31% of patients. Management was based on a low-sodium diet tripod, diuretics and converting enzyme inhibitors. Two cases of death were recorded.

Conclusion: PPCM is common in the Zinder region. It affects young women with several risk factors and is revealed by signs of congestive heart failure. For a better understanding of this still poorly elucidated condition, it is necessary to pursue research efforts.

Introduction: Transfusion is an important question of daily clinical practice. Transfusion is governed by rigorous security rules.

Aim: To assess the knowledge of healthcare personnel regarding transfusion.

Methods: This descriptive study was carried out by an anonymous survey, with anaesthetist resident, surgery resident, interns, anaesthetist, and nurses. This study was from January 1 to February 29, 2020. It was approved by the local ethics committee.

Results: We included 196 participants. 94.9% knew that red blood cells must be stored in the refrigerator. 58.2% thought that red blood cells should be transfused within 30 minutes of warming, and 31.6% said it should be transfused within 3 hours. We found that 85% knew that fresh frozen plasma should be stored in the freeze, and 59.7% said that the frozen plasma should be thawed within 30 minutes at most and 38.3% thought that the thawing should take at least one hour. Regarding the pretransfusion bedside test, 84.4% knew that it must be done by two personnel one of whom must be a doctor. 40.8% thought that the test consists of mix a drop of patient blood and a drop of bag blood.

Conclusion: Several insufficiencies were found. There is a necessity of launching periodic training courses focusing on the management of blood products and the transfusion procedure.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 5 is a common pathology, the increase in its incidence and prevalence has been noted worldwide. In Algeria, few studies have been done on the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease, the real extent of its incidence in southern Algeria remains unknown.

Aim: To determine the incidence in 2017 of chronic kidney disease stage 5 treated by renal replacement in southeastern Algeria.

Method: During our multicenter, prospective longitudinal regional study, from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017, all resident incident cases of CKD stage 5 treated in the region by renal replacement were recruited.

Results: The crude incidence of stage 5 CKD treated in 2017 in southeastern Algeria was 75 pmh. The age-standardized incidence rate was 100 pmh, with a male predominance, a M/F sex ratio of 1.59. The average age of incident cases was 48.50 ± 19.12 years. The incidence varies by age group and by wilaya. Diabetes (26.7%) and hypertensive nephropathy (22.6%) represent almost half of the cases and primary glomerulonephritis represents 5.9%.

Conclusion: CKD stage 5 treated, due to its high incidence in Algeria, with large geographical variations, represents a major public health challenge. It mainly affects young people. Diabetes and high blood pressure represent the two main causes, encouraging prevention efforts to be focused on hypertensives and diabetics in high-risk wilayas.

Introduction: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have a high incidence of Left ventricle diastolic dysfunction (DD). Latest algorithms for the assessment of DD lay on 2D parameters and describe a grading to quantify its severity. However, there persists a "gray zone" of values in which DD remains indeterminate.

Aim: to analyze the diagnostic value of Left atrium strain (LAS) for categorization of LV DD and assessment of LV filling pressures in ACS patients.

Methods: Cross-sectional study that prospectively evaluated 105 patients presenting ACS with preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF). Patients were divided in 4 groups according to the DD grade. Mean values of LAS, corresponding to three phases of atrial function: reservoir (LASr), conduit (LAScd) and contraction (LASct), were obtained by speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Results: Mean age was 60±10 years, with a gender ratio of 6.14. LASr and LASct were significantly lower according to DD severity (p combined=0.021, p combined=0.034; respectively). E/e' ratio was negatively correlated to LASr (r= - 0.251; p= 0.022) and LASct (r= -0.197; p=0.077). Left atrial volume index (LAVI) was also negatively correlated to LASr (r= -0.294, p= 0.006) and LASct (r= -0.3049, p=0.005). Peak tricuspid regurgitation was negatively correlated to LASr (r=-0.323, p=0.017) and LASct (r=-0.319, p=0.020). Patients presenting elevated LV filling pressures had lower LASr and LASct (p=0.049, p=0.022, respectively) compared to patients witn normal LV filling pressures. ROC curve analysis showed that a LASr < 22% (Se= 75%, Sp= 73%) and a LASct < 13% (Se= 71%, Sp=58%) can increase the likelihood of DD grade II or III by 4.6 (OR= 4.6; 95% CI: 1.31-16.2; p=0.016) and 3.7 (OR= 3.7; 95% CI: 1.06-13.1; p= 0.047), respectively.

Conclusion: LAS is a valuable tool, which can be used to categorize DD in ACS patients.

Introduction: Morocco has made remarkable progress in the fight against tuberculosis, but the Covid-19 pandemic has affected tuberculosis control worldwide, with notable fluctuations in tuberculosis epidemiology during and after the pandemic.

Aim: To describe the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the rate of hospitalization for tuberculosis and its different localizations in children.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study based on the analysis of medical records of TB patients hospitalized within the Children's Hospital in Casablanca, during the periods before (2018-2019), during (2020) and after (2021-2022) Covid-19 quarantine.

Results: Throughout the study period (2018-2022), the total number of patients hospitalized in our department was 7390, including 283 children were hospitalized for tuberculosis, with a mean age of 6 years. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the average number of tuberculosis cases was 49 per year, of which the percentage of pulmonary tuberculosis was 32% and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis 68%. The number of cases was 23 per year during the quarantine period, with a percentage of pulmonary tuberculosis of 26% and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis of 74%. After the quarantine period, this number rose to 81 cases per year, of which 21% were pulmonary tuberculosis and 79% extrapulmonary tuberculosis (pleural tuberculosis was predominant in 44.1% of cases).

Conclusion: These results are consistent with data published by the World Health Organization, and with the findings of another study we carried out on the impact of COVID-19 on hospital admissions for acute lower respiratory tract infections. It is very likely that the reduction in the number of tuberculosis cases during the quarantine period is due to social distancing, which leads to a reduction in the transmission of tuberculosis between people as well as to the disruption of the national tuberculosis control program in Morocco, when positive cases are identified.

Introduction: Echocardiography is a pivotal exam in critically ill patients, a specific training is crucial. Medical residents often lack echocardiography practice.

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the impact of simulation-based training on medical residents' echocardiography mastery.

Methods: This interventional study was conducted among medical residents at the Simulation Center of the Faculty of Medicine in Monastir (CeSim) in January 2022. The intervention consisted of a theoretical training and a simulator-based practical training concerning echocardiography. Residents underwent evaluation before and after training through a "Pre-Test" and a "Post-Test," respectively, using a French-language questionnaire. Participation was entirely voluntary.

Results: A total of 28 medical residents participated in our study, with the majority being female (57.1%). The median age was 29 years (interquartile range: 28-31.75). Following training, the proportion of participants who reported having the necessary skills for echocardiography interpretation significantly increased (p<0.05). Respondents demonstrated significant improvements in their scores on theoretical tests and practical skills assessments. Concerning echocardiographic views, the percentage of participants who correctly identified the title of the parasternal small axis section increased from 53.6% before training to 100% after training (p <10-3). Significant enhancements were observed in all parameters evaluating the practice of echocardiographic sections by respondents on a mannequin after training, encompassing time to obtain the view, view quality, image quality, visualization of structures, interpretability, and image stability (p<10-3). There was a significant improvement in average response rates for echocardiographic clinical syndroms among medical residents before and after training. All participants emphasized the indispensability of ultrasound education in the training of physicians specializing in managing cardiopulmonary emergencies.

Conclusions: This study reports the beneficial role of simulation-based training in enhancing the mastery of medical residents in echocardiography. Incorporating such training methods into their learning curricula is advisable.

Introduction: With the advent of reperfusion therapies, management of patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has witnessed significant changes during the last decades.

Aim: We sought to analyze temporal trends in reperfusion modalities and their prognostic impact over a 20-year period in patients presenting with STEMI the Monastir region (Tunisia).

Methods: Patients from Monastir region presenting for STEMI were included in a 20-year (1998-2017) single center registry. Reperfusion modalities, early and long-term outcomes were studied according to five four-year periods.

Results: Out of 1734 patients with STEMI, 1370 (79%) were male and mean age was 60.3 ± 12.7 years. From 1998 to 2017, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) use significantly increased from 12.5% to 48.3% while fibrinolysis use significantly decreased from 47.6% to 31.7% (p<0.001 for both). Reperfusion delays for either fibrinolysis or primary PCI significantly decreased during the study period. In-hospital mortality significantly decreased from 13.7% during Period 1 (1998-2001) to 5.4% during Period 5 (2014-2017), (p=0.03). Long-term mortality rate (mean follow-up 49.4 ± 30.7 months) significantly decreased from 25.3% to 13% (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, age, female gender, anemia on-presentation, akinesia/dyskinesia of the infarcted area and use of plain old balloon angioplasty were independent predictors of death at long-term follow-up whereas primary PCI use and preinfaction angina were predictors of long-term survival.

Conclusions: In this long-term follow-up study of Tunisian patients presenting for STEMI, reperfusion delays decreased concomitantly to an increase in primary PCI use. In-hospital and long-term mortality rates significantly decreased from 1998 to 2017.