Impacts of zinc enriched spirulina as an adjunct to conventional treatment of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Study protocol for a North African randomized controlled trial (SPIRICOPD).

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a respiratory condition strongly related to oxidative stress. Recent studies have explored the potential benefits of nutritional supplementation in managing several conditions.

Aim: To investigate the effects of zinc-enriched Spirulina Supplementation (ZSS) on patients with COPD.

What constitutes an obstructive ventilatory impairment in a pediatric population? A study design.

Introduction: There is no clear consensus as to what constitutes an obstructive ventilatory impairment (OVI) in pediatric populations.

Aim: To determine the percentage of children/adolescents having an OVI among those addressed for spirometry after taking into account the definitions advanced by some international scholarly societies [British Columbia (BC), British thoracic-society (BTS), Canadian thoracic society (CTS), European respiratory society and American thoracic society (ERS-ATS), global initiative for asthma (GINA), Irish college of general practitioners (ICGP), national asthma council (NAC), national institute of clinical excellence (NICE), Société de pneumologie de langue française, Société pédiatrique de pneumologie et allergologie (SPLF-SP2A), and South African thoracic society (SATS)].

Methods: This bi-centric cross-sectional study involves two medical structures in Sousse/Tunisia, and will encompass children/adolescents aged 6-18 years.