Background: Procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic stewardship (ABS) has been shown to reduce antibiotics (ABxs), with lower side-effects and an improvement in clinical outcomes. The aim of this experts workshop was to derive a PCT algorithm ABS for easier implementation into clinical routine across different clinical settings. Methods: Clinical evidence and practical experience with PCT-guided ABS was analyzed and discussed, with a focus on optimal PCT use in the clinical context and increased adherence to PCT protocols. Using a Delphi process, the experts group reached consensus on different PCT algorithms based on clinical severity of the patient and probability of bacterial infection. Results: The group agreed that there is strong evidence that PCT-guided ABS supports individual decisions on initiation and duration of ABx treatment in patients with acute respiratory infections and sepsis from any source, thereby reducing overall ABx exposure and associated side effects, and improving clinical outcomes. To simplify practical application, the expert group refined the established PCT algorithms by incorporating severity of illness and probability of bacterial infection and reducing the
Painful diabetic neuropathy is a frequent complication of diabetes. Its diagnosis is clinical. Our goal is to determine the prevalence of painful diabetic neuropathy in this population. We also analyzed the relationship between this neuropathy and certain parameters, concerning the patient and his diabetes. It is a cross sectional study conducted at the department of endocrinology and internal medicine of Avicenne hospital Marrakech-Morocco, among a cohort of 300 diabetic outpatients. We used the DN4 questionnaire (Douleur Neuropathique en 4 questions), for diagnosis. The results showed a prevalence of 15%. In this study: advanced age, female gender, duration of diabetes greater than 10 years, and the lack of medical follow up were found to be statistically significant risk factors for painful diabetic neuropathy, in addition to some diabetes-related comorbidities such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, sedentary life style and diabetic retinopathy. Painful diabetic neuropathy remains undertreated, in fact 74% of our patients did not receive any specific treatment, knowing that the progress in developing effective and well-tolerated therapies has been disappointing.
Le ganglioneurome est une tumeur nerveuse bénigne rare, d'origine neuroectodermique et de localisation rétropéritonéale fréquente. Nous rapportons l'observation d'un patient de 55 ans dont la tumeur est révélée fortuitement sur une échographie abdominale demandée dans le cadre d'une cytolyse hépatique secondaire à une hépatite virale C. Le patient est opéré après la réalisation d'un scanner abdominal et d'un bilan hormonal. L'examen anatomopathologique de la pièce opératoire est en faveur d'un ganglioneurome. Devant une volumineuse masse rétropéritonéale avec état général conservé, on doit envisager le diagnostic de ganglioneurome car l'exérèse chirurgicale complète permet une guérison sans récidive. Préalablement, l'ensemble des autres diagnostics différentiels doit être éliminé.
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