Microplastics and nanoplastics are emerging pollutants of concern in the aquatic environment that are causing increasing global environmental and human health problems. Although there has been extensive research on microplastics and nanoplastics, little has been said about the differences in their behavior in the aquatic environment, and many studies have considered them as the same class of hazardous materials; but in fact, microplastics and nanoplastics should be considered as two different types of environmentally hazardous materials. In this review, we propose that microplastics and nanoplastics behave in the aquatic environment in a size-dependent manner and should be distinguished.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Introduction-Aim: Assessment of patient safety culture is important for enhancing hospital service quality and clinical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of patient culture among health professionals in a neurological institute, in order to identify areas of improvement. The second objective of our study was to determine the influence of the sociodemographic data of the participants on the awareness of patient safety.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The management of intracranial aneurysms has evolved in the recent years, and endovascular coiling has become the first treatment option in many countries. In Tunisia, this neuroendovascular treatment meets a progressive but slow development, slowed down, by the economic component.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the global cost of endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms and determine the factors influencing the variation of direct medical cost.
Objectives: Parenteral nutrition (PN) offers a quality therapeutic option when enteral feeding is non-tolerated or impossible. However, it can be associated with an increased risk of medical errors, especially in sensitive populations such as newborns. This study aimed at determining the impact of the implementation of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system on PN medication errors in the neonatology department in the largest teaching hospital in Tunisia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The medication iatrogenic risk is quite unevaluated in neonatology Objective: Assessment of errors that occurred during the preparation and administration of injectable medicines in a neonatal unit in order to implement corrective actions to reduce the occurrence of these errors.
Methods: A prospective, observational study was performed in a neonatal unit over a period of one month. The practice of preparing and administering injectable medications were identified through a standardized data collection form.
Laboratory and field investigations to identify and evaluate plant co-attractants of the aggregation pheromone of the date palm pest Oryctes agamemnon are reported. Volatiles emitted by freshly cut palm core and palm core with feeding males, were collected, analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and evaluated in olfactometers alone or combined with synthetic pheromone. A collection of palm odor without male effluvia was attractive alone and enhanced attraction to synthetic pheromone in an olfactometer similar to that to a collection of palm odor emitted with feeding males and containing natural pheromone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLaboratory and field investigations aimed to characterize the chemical communication system of the date palm pest Oryctes agamemnon. Live males or extracts of male effluvia attracted conspecifics in an olfactometer, whereas female effluvia attracted only males. Volatile emissions from adults feeding on sugarcane were sampled and analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: As a result of drug sequestration and increased volume of distribution, the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) procedure might lead to a decrease in drug concentrations during a patient's treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate sedative, antibiotic and immunosuppressive drug loss in ECMO circuit using ex-vivo and in-vitro experiments.
Methods: Blood concentrations of propofol, midazolam, cyclosporine and vancomycin were measured in an ex-vivo ECMO circuit primed with whole human blood, and compared to controls stored in polypropylene tubes.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life support system used in the treatment of patients of all ages with severe respiratory or cardiorespiratory failure. Despite the intensive use of drugs in the treatment of patients on ECMO, few studies have been conducted to determine the impact of this device on the pharmacokinetics of drugs. Publications in this field have shown pharmacokinetics changes resulting in an increase in volume of distribution of drugs and/or decreased clearance with consequent increase of their half-life.
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