Comparative study of six SARS-CoV-2 serology assays: Diagnostic performance and antibody dynamics in a cohort of hospitalized patients for moderate to critical COVID-19.

Background: To overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, serology assays are needed to identify past and ongoing infections. In this context, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of 6 immunoassays on samples from hospitalized patients for moderate to critical COVID-19.

Methods: 701 serum samples obtained from 443 COVID-19 patients (G1: 356 positive RT-PCR patients and G2: 87 negative RT-PCR cases) and 108 pre-pandemic sera from blood donors were tested with 6 commercial immunoassays: (1) Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2, Roche (Nucleocapsid, N), (2) Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S, Roche (Spike, S), (3) Vidas SARS-COV-2 IgM/IgG, BioMérieux (S), (4) SARS-CoV-2 IgG, Abbott (N), (5) Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG, Beckman Coulter (Receptor Binding Domain), and (6) Standard F COVID-19 IgM/IgG Combo FIA, SD Biosensor (N).

Analgesia nociception index as a tool to predict hypotension after spinal anaesthesia for elective caesarean section.

Arterial hypotension is the main disadvantage of spinal anaesthesia (SA) for caesarean delivery with deleterious effects on maternal-foetal outcomes. Recently, a non-invasive device 'analgesia nociception index' (ANI) has been developed to evaluate the parasympathetic component of the nervous autonomous system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of ANI to predict the risk of hypotension after SA for elective caesarean section.

Acute fatal group A Streptococcal primary peritonitis following vaginal delivery.

Acute primary peritonitis due to group A streptococci (GAS) is a rare but life-threatening disease most often seen in case of liver cirrhosis or nephrotic syndrome. The specific mechanism of this infection remains unknown and according to the literature hematogenous, lymphatic, retrograde inoculation from the genitourinary tract and translocation of intestinal tract flora have all been proposed. We report a case of a 37-year-old previously healthy patient who presented to the emergency, four days after vaginal delivery, with abdominal pain and septic shock.

Muscular hypotonia as an onset manifestation of Tuberculosis meningitis in an HIV-negative patient.

Muscular hypotonia is considered as one of the rarest forms of initial onset signs of TBM, in addition to aphasia and hyponatremia, the awareness of those rare onset signs, a well-conducted diagnostic approach and early treatment can improve the outcome.

Prognostic Value of High-sensitivity Troponin I in Patients with Septic Shock: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Myocardial dysfunction is one of the mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of septic shock. The role of troponin as a surrogate of myocardial injury in septic shock is still debated. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay in predicting 28-day mortality in patients with septic shock.

Efficacy and safety of Parecoxib for prevention of catheter-related bladder discomfort in patients undergoing transurethral resection of bladder tumor: Prospective randomised trial.

Background And Aims: Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) is the urge to void or discomfort in the suprapubic region secondary to an indwelling urinary catheter. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of single-dose of intravenous parecoxib in reducing the incidence and severity of CRBD in patients undergoing transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT).

Methods: Sixty-one adult patients, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II, undergoing elective TURBT under spinal anaesthesia, were randomly allocated to receive 40 mg of IV parecoxib (group P; = 29) or an equal volume of normal saline (control group C; = 32).

[Safety and efficacy of intravenous tranexamic acid in endoscopic transurethral resections in urology: Prospective randomized trial].

Background: Endoscopic urological procedures (transurethral resection of the prostate TURP/transurethral resection of bladder tumor TURBT) are not without risk of significant bleeding. This risk is due to the vascular nature of the tissues and their high levels of fibrinolytic enzymes in the tissues and urine. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid (TXA) in reducing blood loss in patients undergoing TURP/TURBT and transfusion requirement.

Pain Measurement in Mechanically Ventilated Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury: Behavioral Pain Tools Versus Analgesia Nociception Index.

Introduction: Pain is highly prevalent in critically ill trauma patients, especially those with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Behavioral pain tools such as the behavioral pain scale (BPS) and critical-care pain observation tool are recommended for sedated noncommunicative patients. Analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a noninvasive method to evaluate autonomic nervous system activity.

A comparison between intravenous lidocaine and ketamine on acute and chronic pain after open nephrectomy: A prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Recently, there has been increasing interest in the use of analgesic adjuncts such as intravenous (IV) ketamine and lidocaine.

Objectives: To compare the effects of perioperative IV lidocaine and ketamine on morphine requirements, pain scores, quality of recovery, and chronic pain after open nephrectomy.

Study Design: A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.

Rectal Carriage of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase and Carbapenemase Producing Gram-Negative Bacilli in Intensive Care Units in Tunisia.

This study was conducted to evaluate the rate of fecal carriage of Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) resistant to third-generation cephalosporins (third GC) in patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Charles Nicolle Hospital of Tunis and to identify the enzymatic mechanisms involved. From February to April 2014, rectal swabs were collected from all patients (n = 38) at admission and once weekly thereafter to identify acquisition. They were cultured on desoxycholate-lactose-agar plates supplemented with cefotaxime (2 mg/L).

High Prevalence of Gut Microbiota Colonization with Broad-Spectrum Cephalosporin Resistant in a Tunisian Intensive Care Unit.

Healthcare-associated infections due to cefotaxime-resistant (CTX-R) have become a major public health threat, especially in intensive care units (ICUs). Often acquired nosocomially, CTX-R can be introduced initially by patients at admission. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and genetic characteristics of CTX-R -intestinal carriage in ICU patients, to evaluate the rate of acquisition of these organisms during hospitalization, and to explore some of the associated risk factors for both carriage and acquisition.

[Postoperative peritonitis: pronostic factors of mortality].

The postoperative peritonitis (POP) remains formidable conditions due to a high mortality rate of between 20 and 80%. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for mortality. This study is a retrospective, descriptive analysis carried out over a period of 09 years (1/1/2003 - 30/11/2011) and interesting 102 patients supported for POP following general surgery.

[Bacteriological profile and antibiotic treatment of postoperative peritonitis].

During the postoperative peritonitis (PPO) the main stay of treatment is the choice of probabilistic antibiotictherapy, it is also the main prognostic factor The aim of our study was to identify anappropriate antibiotic protocol to the current ecology of our unit. It was a retrospective study including 102 patients over a period of 09 years from 1 January 2003 to 3O November 2011. All of them are supported for the treatments off postoperative peritonitis in surgical intensive care unit of a service of general surgery a university hospital Charles Nicolle of Tunis.

[Spinal anesthesia versus general anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair: propensity score analysis].

Background: Administrative database, used previously for control of cost, patient flow and invoicing, offer to researchers a large sample of patients representative of population providing interesting information's in the field of descriptive and analytic epidemiology with less cost.

Aim: To compare spinal to general anesthesia for inguinal hernia repair concerning a population extracted from administrative database after propensity matched analysis.

Methods: Prospective study concerning 4690 hospitalizations in Department B of General Surgery of Charles Nicolle hospital during a period of 18 months, between June 1st, 2008 and December 31st, 2009.

[Experience of ambulatory anesthesia in Charles Nicolle hospital].

The authors report the experience of ambulatory surgery at Charles Nicoll's hospital on ophthalmology and ORL surgery in which 90% and 60% of acts can be realized on ambulatory. The organisation by means of structures and hospital workers makes an important gain. The anesthetic consultation, very important in this organisation, enable to avoid to rescue a patient at the last time.

Epidemiological analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from a surgical intensive care unit.

A serious epidemic of Acinetobacter baumannii resistant to imipenem occurred in the surgical intensive care unit of the hospital Charles-Nicolle in Tunis during February 1994, causing two deaths among three patients. The Acinetobacter strains were isolated from various samples of the intensive care unit. The techniques used for typing were biotyping, antibiogram, plasmid profiles and chromosomal DNA by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD).