Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Disease Outcomes in Children and Adolescents Hospitalized Due to COVID-19 Infection in Tunisia.

Due to low susceptibility of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in children, limited studies are available regarding COVID-19 in the pediatric population in Tunisia. The current study evaluated the incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among children hospitalized at Béchir Hamza Children's Hospital. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using the hospital database between March 2020 and February 2022 with children aged ≤15 years with SARS-CoV-2 infection (confirmed by RT-PCR).

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Introduction: Clinical reasoning (CR) is a core skill taught by medical schools. Clinical reasoning learning sessions (CRL) during hospital internship of externals in pediatrics was recently introduced in Faculty of Medicine of Tunis.

Aim: To compare a case based self-directed learning (CBSDL) tool with CRL sessions in two groups of the students assigned to pediatric internship.

Unusual onset of Graves' disease associated with thymic hyperplasia in a 5-year-old girl with congenital bilateral clinical anophthalmia: diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Objectives: Graves' disease (GD) is a rare auto-immune disorder in pediatric population. The association between GD and thymic hyperplasia was rarely reported in children. Diagnosis and management of GD are challenging in children.

Caustic ingestion in Tunisian children: Endoscopic findings, complications and predictors of severe injuries in a cohort of 1059 patients.

Background And Aims: The ingestion of caustic substances remains a serious medical problem in Tunisian children. This study was conducted to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and endoscopic findings of caustic ingestion in Tunisian children, and to indentify predictive factors of severe esophageal and gastric injuries.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective review of all children referred to a tertiary pediatric center for caustic ingestion who underwent esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy was conducted.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with metabolic syndrome in Tunisian children with obesity.

Background: A negative association between serum vitamin D levels and obesity has been reported by several studies. Data on vitamin D status in Tunisian obese children and its relationship with metabolic syndrome remain rare.

Aim: We aimed to study the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Tunisian obese children and to examine the correlation between vitamin D levels and metabolic syndrome.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Tunisian overweight and obese children.

Aims: To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its parameters in a cohort of overweight and obese Tunisian schoolchildren and to investigate the involvement of leptin, and insulin in MS development via obesity.

Methods: A total of 306 schoolchildren between 10- 12 years: obese (n=35), overweight (n=99) and normal weight (n=172) were included in the study. Height, weight, waist circumference were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated.

A Founder Effect of c.257 + 2T > C Mutation in NCF2 Gene Underlies Severe Chronic Granulomatous Disease in Eleven Patients.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is the prototypic functional neutrophil disorder caused by genetic defects in one of the five genes encoding the superoxide-generating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-oxidase subunits of phagocytes. Mutations causing the most prevalent form of CGD in western populations are located in the X-linked-CYBB gene. The four remaining autosomal recessive (AR) forms collectively account for one-third of CGD cases.

Predictive score for positive upper endoscopies outcomes in children with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common pediatric emergency. Esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) is the first line diagnostic procedure to identify the source of bleeding. However etiology of UGIB remains unknown in 20% of cases.

Celiac disease in the Mediterranean area.

Background: The World Gastroenterology Organization recommends developing national guidelines for the diagnosis of Celiac Disease (CD): hence a profile of the diagnosis of CD in each country is required. We aim to describe a cross-sectional picture of the clinical features and diagnostic facilities in 16 countries of the Mediterranean basin. Since a new ESPGHAN diagnostic protocol was recently published, our secondary aim is to estimate how many cases in the same area could be identified without a small intestinal biopsy.

Endoscopic diagnosis in a Tunisian pediatric population with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is currently considered the first line diagnostic procedure chosen for Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding (UGIB) since 1970. However, studies are still limited in our country.

Aim: Finding out the most common causes of UGIB in children and whether the causes differed according to age in developing and developed countries.

Postnatal leptin promotes organ maturation and development in IUGR piglets.

Babies with intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) are at increased risk for experiencing negative neonatal outcomes due to their general developmental delay. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a short postnatal leptin supply on the growth, structure, and functionality of several organs at weaning. IUGR piglets were injected from day 0 to day 5 with either 0.

Nodular gastritis: an endoscopic indicator of Helicobacter pylori infection in children.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is a common and universally distributed bacterial infection. It is predominantly acquired in childhood.

Aim: To assess the relationship between endoscopic nodular gastritis and Hp infection.

[Web site of La Tunisie Medicale was created two years ago ...].

Background: La Tunisie Médicale, official journal of Tunisian Society for Medical Sciences and Tunisian Medical Organization, born in 1903 with ISSN number 0041-4131and INIST code 4691 of French Pascal database, had since September 2009 its website : www.latunisiemedicale.com

Aim: To assess the editorial policy of «La Tunisie Médicale»

Methods: A descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate different categories of articles and number of papers written with English language.

C677t polymorphism of MTHFR and G80A polymorphism of RFC genes and their relation with homocysteine levels in obese Tunisian children.

Aims: To investigate the frequencies of C677T polymorphism in MTHFR gene and G80A polymorphism in RFC gene in obese and no obese Tunisian children and to assess their relation with homocysteine (tHcy), folate and vitamin B12 levels.

Methods: We have studied 31 obese compared to 22 no obese children. tHcy was assessed by fluorescence-immunoassay ; folate and vitamin B12 by radioimmunoassay.

Prevalence and risk factors of overweight and obesity in elementary schoolchildren in the metropolitan region of Tunis, Tunisia.

Background: Local data about prevalence of obesity in emerging countries are rather scarce. Risk factors for obesity, well known in most industrialized countries, are poorly understood in Tunisia.

Aims: To assess prevalence of overweight and obesity and to investigate associations with possible risk factors in a group of 6-12 year- old schoolchildren in Tunis, Tunisia.

[Interventional endoscopy in the gastrointestinal tract in children].

Background: Interventional endoscopic procedures involving the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in children are very common. Over the last several years the number of procedures in this area has steadily increased.

Aim: To study indications and results of GI interventional endoscopies performed in a Pediatric GI unit.

Serum leptin concentration in Tunisian non obese children.

Leptin, an adipocyte-derived peptide hormone, is thought to play a key role in the regulation of body fat mass. Beyond this function, it appears to be an integral component of various hypothalamo-pituitary-endocrine feedback loops. Because childhood and puberty are periods of major metabolic and endocrine changes, we investigated leptin levels in 348 non overweight, non obese children (147 boys, 201 girls, age: 6-12 years) and then correlated these levels with age, anthropometric data, pubertal stage and insulin.

Nephrotic syndrome and Guillan-Barré Syndrome: a rare association in child.

Only few cases of nephrotic syndrome associated with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) have been reported in the adult and pediatric literature. A 3-year-old boy was initially admitted to our hospital following five days of progressive weakness of his extremities, fatigue, right leg pain and numbness. There was no past history of renal or neurological disease.

[Study of 116 mothers of the knowledge, behavior, and practices of vitamin D supplementation].

Background: In our country, the prevention of rickets is based on daily vitamin D intake from birth to eighteen months. This vitamin D intake has decreased according to our hospital practice.

Aim: To assess vitamin D supplementation prevalence and to study mother knowledge, attitude and practices about vitamin D and factors that influenced them and to define target population who needs further education.

The effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and Helicobacter pylori infection on the gastric mucosa in children with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Objective: To study the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and of Helicobacter pylori infection on the gastric mucosa in children with upper GI bleeding (UGIB).

Methods: Eighty-four children, 41 males (mean age 92.6 months, 4-168 months) underwent an upper GI endoscopy with gastric biopsies for UGIB.

[Value of procalcitonin measurement in maternal fetal infection].

Background: Materno foetal infection (MFI) remains one of the major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Early detection of neonatal sepsis can be difficult, because the first signs of the disease may be unspecific and similar to symptoms of other non-infectious processes.

Aim: We aimed to investigate the role of procalcitonin (PCT) in the diagnosis of fetal infection (MFI), and to compare it with those of the C-reactive protein (CRP).

[Thrombocytopenic idiopathic purpura: predictive factors for chronic disease].

Unlabelled: THE AIM of this study is to determine factors predicting development of chronic thrombocytopenic idiopathic purpura.

Methods: It was a retrospective study, regarding the cases of PTI diagnosed in "service de medicine infantile C Hôpital d'Enfants de Tunis" during 11 years. A comparison was done between two groups: the first including acute PTI and the second including chronic and recurrent PTI.