Outcomes of treatment of severe COVID-19 pneumonia with tocilizumab: a report of two cases from Tunisia

The SARS CoV-2 pandemic is a global health threat with high morbidity and mortality (1 to 4%) rates. COVID-19 is correlated with important immune disorders, including a “cytokine storm”. A new therapeutic approach using the immunomodulatory drug, Anti-IL6 (tocilizimub), has been proposed to regulate it. We report here the first Tunisian experience using tocilizimub in two severe cases of COVID-19 pneumonia. The diagnosis was confirmed by chest scan tomography. Biological parameters showed a high level of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) that increased significantly during hospitalization. The patients developed hypoxia, so they received intravenously 8 mg/kg body weight tocilizumab. There was a resultant decrease in the level of IL6, with clinically good evolution. Blocking the cytokine IL-6 axis is a promising therapy for patients developing COVID-19 pathology

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

XPS characterization of poly(methylhydrosiloxane)-modified cellulose diacetate membranes

International audienc

XPS characterization of poly(methylhydrosiloxane)-modified cellulose diacetate membranes

International audienc

Effects of levosimendan on cellular metabolic alterations in patients with septic shock. a randomized controlled pilot study

Introduction: Mitochondrial dysfunction and consequent cellular energetic failure play a key role in the development of sepsis-related organs failure. Evidence suggests that the pleiotropic effects of levosimendan may positively affect cellular metabolism during septic shock. Objectives: To investigate changes in the concentration of glucose, lactate, pyruvate, and glycerol in the extracellular fluid of the skeletal muscle following levosimendan administration in patients with septic shock. Methods: The study was designed as a prospective, double-blind, controlled, clinical pilot trial and performed in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit. After achieving normovolemia and a mean arterial pressure of at least 65 mm Hg, 20 septic shock patients were randomized to receive either levosimendan 0.2 mu g/kg/min (n = 10), or dobutamine 5 mu g/kg/min as active comparator (n = 10). Interstitial tissue concentrations of lactate, pyruvate, glucose, and glycerol were obtained by using muscle microdialysis. All measurements, including data from right heart catheterization, were obtained at baseline and every 6 h for the following 72 h after randomization. The trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT02963454. Results: Compared with dobutamine, levosimendan increased interstitial tissue pyruvate concentration (153.3 +/- 73 and 187.2 +/- 13.5 vs. 210.7 +/- 76.2 and 161 +/- 64.6; P< 0.05), and lactate clearance (55 vs. 10). Lactate/pyruvate ratio was lower in the levosimendan group at the end of study period (37.7 +/- 18.9 and 29.3 +/- 12.7 vs. 10.9 +/- 4.5 and 31.4 +/- 13.2; P< 0.05). Conclusion: Although we investigated a small number of patients, our preliminary results suggest that levosimendan may improve cellular metabolic alterations in patients with septic shock

Successful treatment of a Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying blaOXA-48, blaVIM-2, blaCMY-2 and blaSHV- with high dose combination of imipenem and amikacin

AbstractWe describe a case of 58-year-old man with septic shock due to Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp) bloodstream infections (BSI) who was successfully treated with a high dose association of amikacin and imipenem combined with continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF).A Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) was isolated from the catheter culture and from two blood samples, drawn from the catheter before removal and from a peripheral vein. The Kp was intermediate to Amikacin (MIC=16μg/ml) and was resistant to all other antibiotics including Imipenem (MIC=4μg/ml), Colistin (MIC=16μg/ml) and Tigecycline (MIC=4μg/ml) according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) published in 2011. PCR amplification and sequencing verified the presence of blaOXA-48, blaVIM-2, blaCMY-2 and blaSHV-1 genes.Amikacin was given at a dose of 30mg/kg (2.5g) in a 30min infusion and the dose of imipenem was increased to 1g every 6h despite patient's altered renal function (Creatinine Clearance=25ml/min). To avoid amikacin nephrotoxicity and to allow the use of high doses of imipenem, continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) (blood flow, 200ml/h; dialysate, 1000ml/h; ultrafiltrate, 2000ml/h) was initiated 1h after the start of the amikacin infusion and continued thereafter.The patient improved hemodynamically and norepinephrine was stopped five days after antibiotherapy adaptation

Effect of Ondansetron on the Occurrence of Hypotension and on Neonatal Parameters during Spinal Anesthesia for Elective Caesarean Section: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Study

To prevent hypotension during spinal anesthesia for caesarean section, we assessed IV ondansetron of invasive maternal hemodynamic and fetal gazometric parameters

Cardiac surgery in patients on hemodialysis: Eight years experience of the Tunisian military hospital

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is known to be an important risk factor for cardiac operations performed with cardiopulmonary bypass. We investigated the influence of preoperative status on perioperative mortality and morbidity. We retrospectively analyzed data from 26 patients with ESRD, who were on maintenance dialysis and underwent a cardiac surgical procedure bet-ween 2000 and 2007. Of them, 61.5&#x0025; of the patients had isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and 38.5&#x0025; had replacement or reconstruction of one or two valves. The perioperative mortality rate was 26&#x0025; with five deaths occurring in patients undergoing CABG procedure. We found CABG procedure, being female and left ventricular (LV) function &lt; 30&#x0025; to be associated with a higher relative risk for perioperative death. In conclusion, our data suggest that both indi-cations and referral for surgical intervention for coronary artery disease may be delayed in pa-tients who have ESRD, contributing to the relatively high perioperative mortality

La coagulation intravasculaire disséminée: intérêt du score de la société internationale sur la thrombose et l´hémostase

La coagulation intravasculaire disséminée (CIVD) est une cause de mortalité redoutable en milieu de réanimation. L´utilisation du système de score de la société internationale sur la thrombose et l´hémostase (ISTH) permet de faciliter le diagnostic précoce de la CIVD. Nous présentons trois observations cliniques de CIVD d´étiologies différentes: un adénocarcinome prostatique, un choc septique et un hématome rétro-placentaire. Les tests d´hémostase nécessaires au calcul du score&nbsp;de la Société Internationale sur la Thrombose et l´Hémostase (ISTH) (numération plaquettaire, taux de prothrombine, fibrinogène et D-dimères) ont été régulièrement réalisés. D´autres tests complémentaires (recherche de complexes solubles, test de lyse des euglobulines, dosage des taux d´antithrombine, de protéine C activée et du facteur V) ont été également réalisés. L´utilisation du score ISTH permet de faciliter le diagnostic précoce de la CIVD