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Blood and body fluid Exposure is a major occupational safety problems for health care workers. Therefor We conducted a descriptive and retrospective study to identify the characteristics of blood exposure accidents in health care settings which lasted five years (2005-2009) at the two university hospitals of Sfax. We have 593 blood exposure accidents in health care settings 152 (25.6%) health personnel and 441 (74.4%) trainees' doctors, nurses and health technicians. The mechanism of blood and body fluid exposure was accidental needle-stick injury in 78.9% of health staff, and 81% of trainees, accidental cut in 14.7% of health workers and 10.2% of trainees. The increasing severity of blood exposure accidents is linked to the lack of safe behavior against this risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection had newly emerged with predominant respiratory complications. Other extrapulmonary features had been recently described. Here, we describe a COVID-19 patient presenting with multiorgan involvement mimicking systemic lupus erythematosus. He was successfully treated with glucocorticoids and tocilizumab.

Blood angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) assay is now realized by the determination of enzyme activity on synthetic substrate, mostly furylacryloyl-phenylalanyl-L-glycyl-L-glycine (FAPGG). The matrix can be serum or heparin-plasma, with or without a separator; the assay developed on serum or plasma is not adapted to other matrix such as cerebrospinal fluid where the ACE activity is much lower. This assay has been adapted on a number of automated biochemistry analyzers with the specifications of the supplier of reagents, sometimes with modification of volumes or times for analysis. Samples can be stored at +4̊C for at least for one week, freezing at -20̊C is possible but refreezing is not advised. The assay is linear from 10 to 200 UI/L. Fidelity is excellent after calibration of the assay. Accuracy can be calculated from IQA and EQA results, and the analytical uncertainty is between 2% and 5% in function of the serum ACE value. Usual values will be soon available from studies on age brackets and sex, because ACE activity seems to be more elevated in boys during adolescence. At signature, it is interesting to have medical information on the diagnosis of sarcoidosis or its treatment including ACE inhibitors as a proof of intake; we can give a commentary on elevation of serum ACE activity from other causes than sarcoidosis and the causes for low activities.

Aim of the Study: We evaluated if the StatStrip Xpress Meter, a Lactate point of care testing (POCT) handled device, could be a valuable tool in the mobile intensive care units (MICU) to assess the severity of septic patients., Methods: We first investigated POCT analytical performance, then, using samples collected from 50 identified septic patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), we compared lactate values obtained with the device to those obtained with four central laboratory analysers: one whole blood and three plasma-based methods., Results: Results were compared by least squares regression, Bland-Altman plot and by comparing concordance within clinically relevant lactate ranges. We observed a reliable analytical performance of the POCT (CVs < 3.8% for repeatability and <5.0% for reproducibility) an excellent correlation between POCT and central laboratory analysers (R 2 : 0.96-0.98, slopes:0.83-0.90, intercepts: 0.02-0.03) and an excellent concordance of the POCT results to the central laboratory analyser results (98-100%)., Conclusion: Whatever the methodology used, lactate values obtained are comparable and transferable between POCT and central laboratory analysers meaning that POCT could be a valuable tool in the MICU to evaluate the severity of septic patients and to better manage their hospital triage., (Copyright © 2018 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic diseases that result from an inflammation of the intestinal wall. They are suspected in any patient presenting with intestinal symptoms. Until recently, diagnosis was mainly based both on clinical and endoscopic arguments. The use of an easy, fast, reliable, non-invasive and inexpensive test must not only assist in the diagnosis but also contribute to their evolutionary and therapeutic monitoring. To date, fecal calprotectin is the most documented in this perspective. This marker allows to discriminate between functional and organic bowel processes with good sensitivity and good specificity. The determination of the fecal calprotectin level in stools contributes to the evaluation of the degree of disease activity and monitoring of therapeutic response.

Blood and body fluid Exposure is a major occupational safety problems for health care workers. Therefor We conducted a descriptive and retrospective study to identify the characteristics of blood exposure accidents in health care settings which lasted five years (2005-2009) at the two university hospitals of Sfax. We have 593 blood exposure accidents in health care settings 152 (25.6%) health personnel and 441 (74.4%) trainees' doctors, nurses and health technicians. The mechanism of blood and body fluid exposure was accidental needle-stick injury in 78.9% of health staff, and 81% of trainees, accidental cut in 14.7% of health workers and 10.2% of trainees. The increasing severity of blood exposure accidents is linked to the lack of safe behavior against this risk.