Publications by authors named "Fredj M"

Background: In COVID-19 management, a variety of pharmaceutical interventions (PI) and non- pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) were adopted to limit the spread of the disease and its associated deaths. We aimed to evaluate the impact of PI and NPI on risks of COVID-19 transmission and deaths.

Method: We collected aggregate data from March 2nd, 2020, to December 1, 2022 from the Tunisian Ministry of Health's website and OurWorldInData.

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Purpose: The concept of interposing double dorsal preputial flaps to cover the urethroplasty was introduced in 2005 to reduce the risk of urethrocutaneous fistula (UCF). Our study aims to compare the postoperative outcomes of urethroplasty for distal hypospadias between two groups: one receiving single preputial flap coverage and another receiving double flap coverage.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis study of boys with primary distal hypospadias who underwent surgery by the same experienced surgeon, at our department between 2010 and 2021.

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Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) occurrence is rare during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Its association with thrombotic vascular events, which are common during these two entities, is extremely rare. We report an exceptional association of GBS and cerebral venous thrombosis in a 28-year-old woman with active ulcerative colitis and no previous history of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

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Background: we aim to discuss the origin and the differences of the phenotypic features and the management care of rare form of disorder of sex development due to Mosaic monosomy X and Y chromosome materiel.

Methods: We report our experience with patients harboring mosaic monosomy X and Y chromosome material diagnosed by blood cells karyotypes and cared for in our department from 2005 to 2022.

Results: We have included five infants in our study.

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Background: It has become increasingly clear that SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to persistent physical and mental health problems lasting weeks or months, requiring prolonged periods of clinical care and increasing the burden on the healthcare system. This phenomenon, known as post COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), is a relatively new condition, its incidence is still unclear and differs between studies.

Objectives: In this cohort study, we aimed to estimate the incidence of PCS and to identify its risk factors in the Tunisian population.

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Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a complex pathophysiology which depends on many endogenous and exogenous factors. Vitamin D involvement has been largely studied in MS. The large distribution of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in different immune cells is suggestive of an immunomodulatory role.

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Objective: We aimed to study the relationship between age and time to negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with asymptomatic and mild forms of COVID-19.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study including all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from the national COVID-19 containment center of Tunisia. Patients were subdivided into two cohorts: (under 60 years) and (over 60 years) and were followed up until PCR negativization.

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Introduction: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), despite its good prognosis, affects the quality of life (QOL) of patients by its physical and psychological repercussions and by the toxicity of treatment. A study of the quality of life as well as the potentially associated factors is necessary in order to carry out targeted actions.

Aim: This work was conducted to assess the quality of life of patients treated for thyroid cancer.

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Background: The rapidly emerging Coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread around the world yielding in significant changes in almost every aspect of daily life. While primary research of the epidemic COVID-19 has focused on the psychological impact on the general population and health professionals, no survey of the pandemic-resulting containment on parents and their children has been yet addressed in the Tunisian-North African population. This study aimed to assess the psychological profile of parents and youth in Tunisia during a period of COVID 19 lockdown, and to identify associated factors to parental anxiety symptoms.

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Introduction: Increasing access to healthcare for expectant mothers is a national goal. In Monastir, Tunisia, some Peripheral Maternity Units (PMUs) required assessment. Our goals were to describe the delivery activities in MUs (maternity units) and to assess whether some of PMUs need to have their activities replaced.

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Injuries are responsible for a high premature mortality and disability. They are poorly explored in low and middle income-countries. We aimed to estimate the burden of hospitalized injuries in the Monastir governorate (Tunisia) according to the nature of the injury, trends and projections of hospitalizations for injuries up until 2024, and to identify the distribution of this disease burden based on age and sex.

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Background: Metanephric adenoma is a rare benign renal tumor of the kidney, uncommonly observed in children. It is often misdiagnosed preoperatively as a malignant neoplasm, leading to an unnecessary nephrectomy. The challenge is to make the right diagnosis preoperatively and therefore manage it with conservative surgery.

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Background: Hybrid closed-loop (HCL) systems have revolutionized the treatment of diabetes, enabling doctors to cope with challenging conditions that were previously almost impossible to manage or were very risky and difficult.

Aims: To assess the efficacy and safety of a hybrid closed-loop (HCL) system during Ramadan fasting in a pediatric cohort with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Research Design And Methods: Glucose control outcomes in older children and adolescents aged 8-16 years with automated insulin delivery for T1D were analyzed during Ramadan and 1 month before Ramadan.

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Introduction: our study aimed to assess the quality of life (QOL) among adolescents with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) receiving nonoperative treatment, and to identify the demographic and clinical factors associated with poor QOL.

Methods: this is a cross-sectional study. We included adolescents followed in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Taher Sfar Hospital (Mahdia - Tunisia).

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Aims: Smoking cessation (SC) in Crohn's disease (CD) is widely accepted to be the most important modifiable factor to improve outcomes in these patients. We aimed in this review to provide a summary of the evidence base regarding the effectiveness of SC interventions in patients with CD.

Materials & Methods: The following databases were systematically searched from inception to February 2022: PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library.

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Article Synopsis
  • The gut microbiota significantly impacts metabolism, immune function, and the nervous system, making its study crucial for understanding health and disease.
  • This study characterizes the gut microbiota of healthy Tunisian adults using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, focusing on differences based on gender and body mass index (BMI).
  • Results show that the Tunisian gut microbiota is primarily composed of Firmicutes and Bacteroidota, with notable differences related to gender and weight, establishing a baseline for future health assessments in Tunisia.
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The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia pandemic, caused by the newly discovered coronavirus is a serious public health emergency and a highly infectious disease. Evidence to date suggests that there are groups of people who are at a higher risk of getting severe COVID-19 disease such as pregnant women and their fetuses. We reported 4 cases of pregnant women with COVID-19 admitted in the national containment center, Tunisia (3 imported cases and one local case).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined how health education could help reduce anxiety levels in COVID-19 patients during self-isolation, highlighting the impact of social isolation on mental health.
  • Conducted as a randomized controlled trial, patients were divided into an education group receiving health information, and a control group, with their anxiety levels measured on days 1 and 7 after diagnosis.
  • Results showed that anxiety decreased significantly in the education group, with a reduction from 26% to 16.3%, while anxiety levels increased in the control group, indicating that health education may effectively mitigate anxiety during isolation.
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Background: Bullying is a serious problem that significantly affect adolescent well-being and health, needing the attention of teachers, school administrators, parents and public health professionals. In this study, we aimed at estimating the prevalence of bullying, from the perspective of victims in middle school students in the region of Monastir Tunisia, as well as analyzing its association with individual and family context variables.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in December 2017 and January 2018 among a sample of students from two middle schools in the region of Monastir (Tunisia), using the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) self-answered questionnaire.

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Background: The emergence and the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) induced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has multiple consequences in all countries around the world. Male germ cells of infertile patients which are shown to be vulnerable to many environmental conditions, could be particularly vulnerable to such an exceptional pandemic situation. We aimed through the current study to investigate the potential variations in sperm quality of infertile patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia.

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Unlabelled: Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (PMEC) in children is a rare entity. The diagnosis is often unrecognized, often treated as pneumonia, a more frequent diagnosis at this age.

Case Presentation: The authors report in this article, the case of a 12-year-old child with a clinical history of chronic cough evolving for 6 months with recurrent episodes of pneumonia.

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Background: Burnout syndrome may affect the safety of frontline healthcare care workers (HCW) and patients. We aimed to measure the prevalence of burnout among HCW in care facilities in Tunisia during the Covid-19 pandemic and to identify its associated factors.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among HCW practicing during the covid-19 pandemic in health care facilities in the governorate of Monastir.

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Introduction: Medical students should act as a model for the community in terms of compliance with preventive practices toward COVID-19. The aim of this study was to assess adherence to preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 among medical students and to identify its associated factors.

Population And Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in October 2020 in the faculty of medicine of Monastir.

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Laurus nobilis is known in the field of herbal medicine and in vitro studies for its antibacterial, antifungal, anti- diabetes, and anti-inflammatory beneficial effects. Laurus nobilis tea consumption was investigated with regard to its effects on anxiety and stress in healthy individuals, measured by subjective tools and by plasmatic cortisol levels. The study included thirty healthy Tunisian volunteers aged between 20 and 57 years consuming Laurus nobilis infusion, prepared from 5g of dried Laurus nobilis leaves in 100 ml boiled water, once a day during 10 days.

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