Monocentric Cross-sectional Study Research Articles

Prevalence, Reasons, and Perceived Benefits of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Patients With Rheumatic Diseases in Morocco: A Monocentric Cross-Sectional Study.

Background In general, rheumatologists often have limited knowledge regarding the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients with rheumatic diseases. Understanding the prevalence, reasons for use, and perceived benefits of CAM can help improve patient care and guide clinical practices. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, reasons for use, and perceived benefits of cupping therapy, apitherapy, and traditional cautery treatments among patients with rheumatic diseases. Additionally, it aimed to explore adverse effects, location and pricing disparities in CAM practices, information sources, and the rate of reporting CAM use to treat rheumatologists and to identify factors associated with the use of these CAM approaches. Methodology This single-center, cross-sectional study was conducted in a Moroccan University Hospital and included patients receiving care for rheumatic diseases during hospitalization or outpatient visits from January 2024 to March 2024. The data were collected using a structured, validated, and pilot-tested questionnaire administered by attending rheumatologists. The questionnaire aimed to gather demographic information and to identify patients using CAM, collecting data related to their utilization. Results A total of 100 patients were enrolled (mean age: 52.3 ± 12.8 years, 75% female). Among them, 43% had chronic inflammatory rheumatism. Additionally, 46% reported using at least one of the three CAM methods studied, with 36% using cupping therapy (specifically the wet method), 9% using apitherapy, and 16% using traditional cautery. The main reason for using CAM was to alleviate their pain (55%). Perceptions of effectiveness were reported by 38% of patients using cupping therapy, 20% using apitherapy, and 5.9% using traditional cautery. The use of CAM was significantly lower in patients with a university education (odds ratio = 0.05, 95% confidence interval = 0.003-0.92). Conclusions Our study revealed a significant prevalence of CAM use among patients with rheumatic diseases in Morocco, with cupping therapy emerging as the most commonly utilized method. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing awareness and understanding of CAM practices among both patients and healthcare providers to promote more structured and informed CAM practices.

High prevalence of short telomeres in idiopathic porto-sinusoidal vascular disorder.

Telomeres prevent damage to coding DNA as end-nucleotides are lost during mitosis. Mutations in telomere maintenance genes cause excessive telomere shortening, a condition known as short telomere syndrome (STS). One hepatic manifestation documented in STS is porto-sinusoidal vascular disorder (PSVD). As the etiology of many cases of PSVD remains unknown, this study explored the extent to which short telomeres are present in patients with idiopathic PSVD. This monocentric cross-sectional study included patients with histologically defined idiopathic PSVD. Telomere length in 6 peripheral blood leukocyte subpopulations was assessed using fluorescent in situ hybridization and flow cytometry. Variants of telomere-related genes were identified using high-throughput exome sequencing. In total, 22 patients were included, of whom 16 (73%) had short (9/22) or very short (7/22) telomeres according to age-adjusted reference ranges. Fourteen patients (64%) had clinically significant portal hypertension. Shorter telomeres were more frequent in males (p = 0.005) and patients with concomitant interstitial lung disease (p < 0.001), chronic kidney disease (p < 0.001), and erythrocyte macrocytosis (p = 0.007). Portal hypertension (p = 0.021), low serum albumin level (p < 0.001), low platelet count (p = 0.007), and hyperbilirubinemia (p = 0.053) were also associated with shorter telomeres. Variants in known STS-related genes were identified in 4 patients with VSTel and 1 with STel. Short and very short telomeres were highly prevalent in patients with idiopathic PSVD, with 31% presenting with variants in telomere-related genes. Telomere biology may play an important role in vascular liver disease development. Clinicians should consider measuring telomeres in any patient presenting with PSVD.

Type 2 Myocardial Infarction in a Sub-Saharan Africa Population: Challenging the Current Concepts-Data From REACTIV.

From a large observational acute coronary syndrome registry in Côte d'Ivoire, we aimed to assess incidence, clinical presentation, management, and in-hospital outcomes for type 2 myocardial infarction (T2MI) compared with type 1 MI. We conducted a cross-sectional monocentric study using data from REACTIV (Registre des Infarctus de Côte d'Ivoire) at the Abidjan Heart Institute. All patients hospitalized with MI between 2018 and 2022 who underwent coronary angiography were included. For each patient, sociodemographic data, cardiovascular risk factors and history, and clinical and paraclinical presentation were collected at admission. In-hospital outcomes, including major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality, were reported. Among 541 consecutive patients hospitalized with MI, 441 met the definition of type 1 MI or T2MI. T2MI accounted for 14.1% of cases. Patients with T2MI showed a trend toward slightly younger age (54 versus 58 years, P=0.09). Patients with T2MI seemed to have less severe coronary artery disease, with less frequent multivessel disease (P<0.001). Main triggering factors for T2MI were coronary embolism (24.2%), severe hypertension with or without left ventricular hypertrophy (22.6%), and tachyarrhythmia (16.1%). In-hospital event rates were low in both MI types. Although the difference was nonsignificant, death rates for patients with type 1 MI tended to be higher than for patients with T2MI, as well as occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events. Our study revealed disparities in clinical characteristics, angiographic features, cause, and in-hospital outcomes in T2MI in our population compared with Western populations. These results suggest the heterogeneity of T2MI and the potential causative and demographic variability depending on geographical area.

Do Ultrasound Lung Abnormalities Correlate to Biomarkers and Male Gender in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients? A Monocentric Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a tool of growing interest in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) oligo- symptomatic ILD to avoid. Objective: We aimed to evaluate (i) the prevalence of pleural (PLUS) and parenchymal (PAUS) abnormalities in LUS in the RA population and their possible correlation to biomarkers; (ii) the predictivity of gender, smoking habits, previous infections (past COVID-19 tuberculosis), and treatments; (iii) the differences in LUS between sexes. Methods: We collected the data of 155 (15 early and 140 late) RA patients with mild respiratory symptoms, evaluating PLUS and PAUS, in fourteen lung areas and also summing the scores (LUS-T). Results: Only 13/155 (8.4%) were completely negative; LUS correlated to age (all parameters p 0.0001), rheumatoid factor IgM (PLUS p 0.0006, PAUS p 0.02, LUS-T p 0.001) and ACPA (p 0.001, 0.006, 0.001, respectively), and PLUS also correlated to IL6 (p 0.02). The male gender was predictive of all LUS evaluations (p 0.001, 0.05, 0.001, respectively), which were higher than in women (p 0.001, 0.01, 0.001, respectively). Other potential risk factors were independent, except biological treatments, which showed a low predictivity to PLUS (p < 0.05). Conclusions: We can conclude that LUS is a useful technique in RA low respiratory symptoms and correlates with age, the most important RA biomarkers, and male sex.

In vivo demonstration of globotriaosylceramide brain accumulation in Fabry Disease using MR Relaxometry

PurposeHow to measure brain globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) accumulation in Fabry Disease (FD) patients in-vivo is still an open challenge. The objective of this study is to provide a quantitative, non-invasive demonstration of this phenomenon using quantitative MRI (qMRI).MethodsIn this retrospective, monocentric cross-sectional study conducted from November 2015 to July 2018, FD patients and healthy controls (HC) underwent an MRI scan with a relaxometry protocol to compute longitudinal relaxation rate (R1) maps to evaluate gray (GM) and white matter (WM) lipid accumulation. In a subgroup of 22 FD patients, clinical (FAbry STabilization indEX -FASTEX- score) and biochemical (residual α-galactosidase activity) variables were correlated with MRI data. Quantitative maps were analyzed at both global (“bulk” analysis) and regional (“voxel-wise” analysis) levels.ResultsData were obtained from 42 FD patients (mean age = 42.4 ± 12.9, M/F = 16/26) and 49 HC (mean age = 42.3 ± 16.3, M/F = 28/21). Compared to HC, FD patients showed a widespread increase in R1 values encompassing both GM (pFWE = 0.02) and WM (pFWE = 0.02) structures. While no correlations were found between increased R1 values and FASTEX score, a significant negative correlation emerged between residual enzymatic activity levels and R1 values in GM (r = -0.57, p = 0.008) and WM (r = -0.49, p = 0.03).ConclusionsWe demonstrated the feasibility and clinical relevance of non-invasively assessing cerebral Gb3 accumulation in FD using MRI. R1 mapping might be used as an in-vivo quantitative neuroimaging biomarker in FD patients.

The Onset of Intussusceptive Angiogenesis in COVID-19 Patients Might Come from the Mobilization of Stem Cell Sub-Populations Expressing the Hemangioblast Marker CD143.

COVID-19 and infectious diseases have been included in strategic development goals (SDG) of United Nations (UN). The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has unveiled complex pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning COVID-19, notably inducing a systemic acquired vascular hemopathy characterized by endothelial dysfunction and intussusceptive angiogenesis, a rapid vascular remodeling process identified as a hallmark in severe COVID-19 cases affecting pulmonary and cardiac tissues. Stem cell migration have been proposed as significant regulators of this neoangiogenic process. In a monocentric cross-sectional study, through spectral flow cytometry analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we identified a distinct stem cell subpopulation mobilized in critical COVID-19. Indeed, by an unsupervised analysis generating a UMAP representation we highlighted eleven different clusters in critical and non-critical COVID-19 patients. Only one cluster was significantly associated to critical COVID-19 compared to non-critical patients. This cluster expressed the markers: CD45dim, CD34+, CD117+, CD147+, and CD143+, and were negative for CD133. Higher level of expression of hemangioblast markers CD143 were found in critical COVID-19 patients. This population, indicative of hemangioblast-like cells, suggests a key role in COVID-19-related neoangiogenesis, potentially driving the severe vascular complications observed. Our findings underscore the need for further investigation into the contributions of adult stem cells in COVID-19 pathology, offering new insights into therapeutic targets and interventions.

Serological Evidence and Self-reported Outcomes in Patients with Adrenal Insufficiency during the first waves of COVID-19 in the North-East Italy.

COVID-19 is a potentially serious new infection firstly broken out in the North East Italy during Spring 2020. Patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) have a known increased risk of infections, that could precipitate to adrenal crisis. Even COVID-19-related psycho-social impact could affect their health, requiring a dynamic adaptation of daily glucocorticoid (GC) therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 infection and self-reported outcomes in AI patients after the first pandemic waves. Open-label, cross-sectional monocentric study on 84 (65 primary, 19 secondary) AI patients, resident in Veneto and followed-up in our out clinical of Endocrine Unit. All patients underwent serological investigation of anti-SARS-CoV2 IgG and purpose-built "ADDI-COVID" questionnaire by August 2020 and were recontacted to reevaluate COVID-19 infection occurrence in March-April 2021. All patients resulted negative to the serological test for anti-SARS-CoV2 IgG at the end of the first pandemic wave. After the third wave, COVID-19 infection occurred in 8 patients without need of hospitalization. Half patients felt an increased risk of COVID-19 infection, significantly associated with increased stress and GC stress-dose. Only one patient reported adrenal crisis stress-correlated. The majority of AI workers changed working habits, significantly reducing COVID-19-related stress. AI patients did not show an increased incidence of COVID-19, but the perception of increased COVID-19 infection risk significantly impacts their psychological well-being, working habits and GC daily doses. Therapeutic patient education is crucial especially for AI workers to prevent and treat situations that could lead to an adrenal crisis.

Relationship between interprofessional collaboration and psychological distress experienced by healthcare professionals during COVID-19: a monocentric cross-sectional study.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, global healthcare systems have faced unprecedented challenges, leading to significant psychological distress among healthcare professionals. Recognizing the importance of enhanced interprofessional collaboration in alleviating this burden, as emphasized by the World Health Organization in 2020, we investigated whether such collaboration could mitigate staff psychological distress during crises. To our knowledge, no study has yet explored the role of interprofessional collaboration as a resilience factor in crises. For this monocentric cross-sectional study at a German university hospital, we examined the relationship between the quality of interprofessional collaboration and the psychological distress of healthcare professionals during the initial pandemic wave. We employed validated mental health instruments, such as the GAD-7 and PHQ-2, to assess anxiety and depressive symptoms. Additionally, custom-designed questionnaires evaluated "Pandemic-Associated Burden and Anxiety (PAB; PAA)" and interprofessional crisis management experiences. A novel "Interprofessional collaboration and communication (IPC)" assessment tool was developed based on international competency frameworks, demonstrating strong reliability. The study involved 299 healthcare professionals (78.6% in direct contact with COVID-19 patients). Moderate levels of PAB/PAA were reported. However, a significant proportion experienced clinically relevant anxiety, as indicated by GAD-7. Negative IPC perceptions correlated with higher levels of psychological distress. Linear regression analysis showed associations between interprofessional collaboration and anxious and depressive symptoms, and pandemic-related burden. Our findings highlight the vital role of enhanced interprofessional collaboration in strengthening the psychological well-being of healthcare professionals during crises. The study underscores the need to foster a collaborative environment and integrate interprofessional education for resilience.

Evaluation of diagnostic and therapeutic delay in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis

Objective. A monocentric cross-sectional study recruiting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients residing in the Lazio region, Italy, to assess factors related to diagnostic delay and treatment accessibility. Methods. Clinical/serological data, including the time between symptom onset, diagnosis, and the beginning of treatment, were collected. Residence, referral to a rheumatologic center, physician who made the diagnosis, and previous misdiagnosis were also evaluated. Results. A higher diagnostic delay (p=0.003), and time between symptom onset and the start of I-line therapy (p=0.006) were observed in PsA compared to RA. A delayed start of II-line therapy was observed in RA compared to PsA (p=0.0007). Higher diagnostic delay (p=0.02), and time between symptom onset and the start of conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) (p=0.02) were observed among residents of small-medium cities for both groups. Patients who have been diagnosed by another physician rather than a rheumatologist had a longer diagnostic delay (p=0.034) and a delayed start of I-line therapy (p=0.019). Patients who received a different previous diagnosis experienced greater diagnostic delay (p=0.03 and p=0.003) and time of start of csDMARDs (p=0.05 and p=0.01) compared with those receiving RA or PsA as the first diagnosis. PsA had a delay in starting targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (p=0.0004) compared to RA. Seronegative RA had delayed diagnosis (p=0.02) and beginning of therapies (p=0.03; p=0.04) compared to seropositive ones. Conclusions. According to our results, greater diagnostic delay was found in PsA compared to RA, in patients living in small-medium cities, in those who did not receive the diagnosis from a rheumatologist, in those who were previously misdiagnosed, and in seronegative RA.

Ectasia Detection by Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography in Scheimpflug Tomographically Normal Keratoconus Fellow Eyes.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Scheimpflug tomographically normal fellow eyes of keratoconus patients are also classified as normal using an ectasia screening algorithm based on anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). This monocentric cross-sectional study included 22 very asymmetric ectasia patients with tomographically significant keratoconus in 1 eye and normal Scheimpflug tomography in the fellow eye. Twenty-two eyes of 22 healthy subjects served as a control group. We performed corneal tomography using Pentacam AXL (Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany) and used Belin/Ambrósio Enhanced Ectasia total deviation index as well as Belin ABCD keratoconus classification to identify Scheimpflug tomographically normal eyes. We also performed AS-OCT using Anterion (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) and analyzed for the presence of ectasia using the Screening Corneal Objective Risk of Ectasia (SCORE) algorithm, with positive values indicating ectasia suspect tomography. The SCORE value was positive in 9.1% (n = 2) of the healthy eyes, in 45.5% (n = 10) of the Scheimpflug tomographically normal eyes of keratoconus patients and in all eyes (n = 22) with tomographically significant keratoconus. The Scheimpflug tomographically normal eyes of keratoconus patients had higher SCORE values compared with healthy controls (P < 0.001). The median (interquartile range) SCORE value was -1.7 (1.3) in healthy controls, -0.5 (2.2) in Scheimpflug tomographically normal eyes of keratoconus patients, and 11.1 (11.0) in tomographically significant keratoconus eyes. The Scheimpflug tomographically normal fellow eyes of keratoconus patients had higher AS-OCT-based SCORE values than healthy controls, with positive SCORE values found in 46% of the eyes, indicating early tomographic ectatic changes.

Illustration of self-perceived knowledge, skills, and interests in undergraduate dental students using a visual metaphor– results of a monocentric cross-sectional study

BackgroundSelf-assessment and self-reflection of competencies are crucial skills for undergraduate students. This monocentric cross-sectional study aims to assess the self-perceived knowledge, skills and interests in conservative dentistry and periodontology of third-, fourth-, and fifth-year dental students by the Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self-measure (PRISM).MethodsSeventy-five undergraduate dental students (n = 25 of each year) who studied between 2021 and 2022 at the Department of Cariology, Endodontology and Periodontology at the University of Leipzig, Germany, were included. All of them underwent a PRISM-based interview regarding their perceived knowledge, practical skills, and interests in conservative dentistry as well as its sub-disciplines. The distances in the PRISM task (in millimeters) were measured and compared between the groups. Spearman’s Rho was used to reveal correlations between knowledge, skills, and interests in the cohort.ResultsPerceived theoretical knowledge and practical skills differed significantly between groups for the sub-disciplines periodontology, cariology, restorative dentistry and preventive dentistry (p < 0.05). However, students’ interests did not significantly vary between groups (p > 0.05). In the field of conservative dentistry and its sub-disciplines, significant moderate to high positive correlations were found between knowledge and skills (p < 0.01), and weak to moderate positive correlations were found between interests and knowledge (p < 0.05). Regarding the relationship between perceived interests and skills, only restorative dentistry, endodontology and periodontology were significant and only moderate to weak correlations were found (p < 0.05).ConclusionPRISM revealed differences in perceived knowledge and skills between third-, fourth-, and fifth-year dental students. Correlations were found between perceived knowledge and skills, as well as between interests and knowledge. PRISM may be a promising tool to support students and teachers in dental education.

(263) Sexuality and Fertility among Young Women Treated for Cervical Cancer

Abstract Introduction Cervical cancer is the fourth cancer in women. Its incidence is particularly high in developing countries. The increase in cases among young women in low- and middle-income countries may be due to changes in sexual behaviors and an increased risk of HPV infection and the absence of vaccination programs. The mortality and morbidity rates of cervical cancer are very high if diagnosed at an advanced stage. It is a preventable Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) related cancer. Cervical cancer patients are often stigmatized because of the idea that this cancer is associated with early-onset sexuality. Furthermore, the treatments for such cancer are mutilating for women often causing definitive infertility and sexual and/or couple dysfunctions. Objective This study aims to describe the changes in sexuality and fertility among young women diagnosed and treated for cervical cancer Methods It is a monocentric cross-sectional study based on a phone survey. We included and contacted all young women (under 40) when they were diagnosed with and/or treated for cervical cancer in our institution for 11 years from January 2010 to December 2020. We excluded all patients with a history of chronic disease other than cervical cancer. The study took place from January To May 2022. We developed an 8-item questionnaire in the local dialect and used the validated translation of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) to evaluate the participants' sexual function. Results We included 23 cases of cervical cancer in young women, i.e. a response rate of 4.6%. The average age of our sample was 34.7 years (±4.7). The median age of first sexual intercourse was 21.5 years [20–25.25]. The abortion rate was 2 [0.25–2.75] per participant. The median age of the first pregnancy was 21 years [21–27]. The most common symptom leading to the cancer diagnosis was post-coital metrorrhagia in 12 (52.2%) of cases. The first Pap smear led to a cervical cancer diagnosis in 13 cases (56.5%). Five patients had a tumor size ≤ 40 mm and 4 patients were metastatic at the time of the diagnosis. Eighteen patients underwent surgical treatment of whom 5 had a fertility-sparing technique. All patients got radiation. The average duration of follow-up was 5.72 years ±0.3.247. The average survival is 9.7 years (±0.9 years; 95% CI 7.9 – 11.5 years). The 3-year survival rate is 82.6%, and the 5-year survival rate is 82.6%. Five patients expressed a desire for pregnancy after the treatment, one got pregnant after 5 years. Five patients expressed that there was an impact on their sexuality after the treatment with sexual disorders with pain, in particular dyspareunia and vulvodynia, and a decrease in female desire associated with a guilty feeling. All patients had pathological FSFI scores regarding all the domains of female sexual function Conclusions Sexuality and fertility are taboo among young cervical cancer survivors. The sexual stigma of cervical cancer as a sexually transmitted disease is present in our population. Fertility-sparing surgical techniques and less sexually harmful radiation techniques are still to be perfected. Disclosure No.

Bronchiectasis in renal transplant patients: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundBronchiectasis is a chronic airway disease characterized by permanent and irreversible abnormal dilatation of bronchi. Several studies have reported the development of bronchiectasis after renal transplantation (RT), but no prospective study specifically assessed bronchiectasis in this population. This study aimed to compare features of patients with bronchiectasis associated with RT to those with idiopathic bronchiectasis.MethodsNineteen patients with bronchiectasis associated with RT (RT-B group) and 23 patients with idiopathic bronchiectasis (IB group) were prospectively included in this monocentric cross-sectional study. All patients underwent clinical, functional, laboratory, and CT scan assessments. Sputum was collected from 25 patients (n = 11 with RT-B and n = 14 with IB) and airway microbiota was analyzed using an extended microbiological culture.ResultsDyspnea (≥ 2 on mMRC scale), number of exacerbations, pulmonary function tests, total bronchiectasis score, severity and prognosis scores (FACED and E-FACED), and quality of life scores (SGRQ and MOS SF-36) were similar in the RT-B and IB groups. By contrast, chronic cough was less frequent in the RT-B group than in the IB group (68% vs. 96%, p = 0.03). The prevalence and diversity of the airway microbiota in sputum were similar in the two groups.ConclusionClinical, functional, thoracic CT scan, and microbiological characteristics of bronchiectasis are overall similar in patients with IB and RT-B. These results highlight that in RT patients, chronic respiratory symptoms and/or airway infections should lead to consider the diagnosis of bronchiectasis. Further studies are required to better characterize the pathophysiology of RT-B including airway microbiota, its incidence, and impact on therapeutic management.

How to better improve the treatment and outcomes of HCV in psychiatric patients: review of a Belgian monocentric psychiatric center.

Hepatitis C (HCV) is one of the major worldwide infections with 58 million infected persons in the world. HCV can lead to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and cancer. These past few years, clinical progress allowed a curative rate of 95% of the patients. There are still populations in which, treating the disease is more difficult, especially psychiatric patients, when substance abuse, psychiatric disorders are important risks factors for getting HCV. With the WHO organization establishing goals for clinical management and treatment of HCV, it is important to target where the difficulties lie in getting a better treatment program for those populations. Try to highlight the challenges of treating a certain group of patients compare to the general population. This is a cross sectional monocentric study. 79 patients from a mental facility were included between 2012 and 2022. Inclusion criteria were: >18 years old, an active viral HCV infection. 34.7% of patients with a positive PCR were treated with a significant difference between the closed psychiatric unit and the open one (66.5 vs 22.6%, p<.05). There was an 82.4% eradication rate (Sustained Viral Response at 3 months). There were significantly more schizophrenic disorders in the closed unit and significantly more alcohol abuse in the open one. Treatment of HCV in a psychiatric population is feasible with eradication rate equivalent at those in the general population. Patients with more severe mental illness are better treated in the configuration of a closed psychiatric unit.

P474 IBD-Disk : Towards validating the classical Arabic version of the questionnaire ?

Abstract Background The IBD-Disk is a validated 10-question, self-administered visual questionnaire used to assess the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) related disability. It has been translated into several languages and validated in different populations since its emergence. The aim of our study is to explore the internal consistency and item reliability of the IBD-Disk in its classical Arabic version, and to analyze the strength of correlation between each item and the sum of the scale. Methods We conducted a monocentric cross-sectional study including IBD patients. All individuals completed the IBD-Disk questionnaire in classical Arabic. The internal consistency of the IBD-Disk was assessed using Cronbach's alpha between item combinations. A value &amp;gt; 0.70 was considered acceptable, &amp;gt; 0.80 good, and &amp;gt; 0.90 excellent. Cronbach's corrected correlation was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results We included 166 patients, 53.6% were men and 69.3% had Crohn's disease. Median age was 38 years [30 - 48]. The mean total score was 36.4 ± 21.0. The "Energy", "Emotions" and "Education &amp; work" items had the highest scores (4.9 ± 2.9, 4.7 ± 3.1, and 4.4 ± 3.2 respectively). Including the 10 items of the IBD-Disk scale, a value of 0.913 95% CI [0.893-0.932] was observed for Cronbach's alpha, demonstrating good reliability between the different sub-scores. By performing the removal procedure one by one, Cronbach's alpha varied between 0.902 and 0.915, confirming that all items contribute to the construct. In addition, all items showed a Cronbach corrected correlation between each item and the rest of the scale r &amp;gt; 0.4, p&amp;lt;0.001. Energy showed the highest correlation (r=0.751), and joint pain the lowest (r=0.506) (Table 1). Also, Cronbach's alpha was positive for every pair of IBD-Disk items at the start of the study. The item pairs that showed the best correlation were [Abdominal pain - Regulating defecation], [Energy - Regulating defecation] and [Energy - Sleep]. In contrast, the item pairs that were least interconnected were [Abdominal pain - Joint pain], [Interpersonal interaction - Joint pain] and [Body image - Joint pain] (Table 2). Conclusion Our work has demonstrated excellent item homogeneity in the classical Arabic version of the IBD-Disk, and a good correlation between each item and the remaining total score. However, a prospective measurement of the intra-class correlation coefficient of the classical Arabic version will be necessary to assess its reproducibility over time.

Prevalence of Critical Errors and Insufficient Peak Inspiratory Flow in Patients Hospitalized with COPD in a Department of General Internal Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The suboptimal use of inhalers in the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is probably a major but poorly documented problem in hospitalized patients. We aimed to describe the prevalence of misused inhalers among patients hospitalized with COPD in a department of general internal medicine. We conducted a monocentric cross-sectional study in consecutive patients with a diagnosis of COPD and hospitalized between August 2022 and April 2023 in the internal medicine division of Fribourg Hospital, Switzerland. Patients underwent an assessment of their inhaler technique and peak inspiratory flow (PIF) using the In-Check Dial G16®. The primary outcome was the prevalence of misused inhalers, defined as an inhaler used with a critical error and/or insufficient PIF. Secondary outcomes included the prevalence of inhalers unsuitable to patients' characteristics and of patients using at least one misused inhaler. The study included 96 patients and 160 inhalers were assessed at admission. Among these inhalers, 111 (69.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 61.6-76.4) were misused; 105 (65.6%; 95% CI 57.7-72.9) due to the presence of a critical error in the inhalation technique and 22 (13.8%; 95% CI 8.8-20.1) due to insufficient PIF. Concerning the secondary outcome, 27 inhalers (16.9%) were unsuitable, and 79 patients (82.3%) used at least one misused inhaler. Among patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of COPD, two-thirds of inhalers were misused. Suboptimal use was mainly due to the presence of critical errors, but also to the presence of an insufficient PIF and unsuitable inhalers.

Access to dental care is still complex in 2022 for patients living with HIV despite the need for careful monitoring of pathologies of the oral mucosa. Results of a monocentric cross-sectional study in the Infectious Diseases Department of Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital.

Describe the dental care pathway of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and their oral pathologies. A monocentric cross-sectional study involving adult PLHIVs followed (October 2021/April 2022) in our department. Socio-demographic and medical data, course of dental care, and presence of pathologies of the oral mucosa were recorded. 112 PLHIV (71% men, 54 ± 14years) were included. Of the 112, 96% had already consulted a dentist, and 78% had a referring dentist; 73% had disclosed their seropositivity; for 84%, the visit proceeded normally, 7% refused treatment; for 8%, the dentist was not comfortable, and for 4% the dentist's attitude became negative; 21% of the PLHIV had already encountered difficulties in finding a dentist including 37% because of their viral status. Among the oral pathologies listed, 23 lesions were identified: 15 (65%) were unrelated to HIV, 4 (17%) were classified stages B/C (1 Kaposi's sarcoma, 1 oral villous leukoplakia, 2 chronic candidiasis), and 4 (17%) were lesions with evolution specifically due to HIV (2 inhomogeneous leukoplakias, 1 cancer, 1 verrucous papilloma). Although 78% of the PLHIV included had a referring dentist, discrimination by dentists toward PLHIV still persists (16% of the PLHIV concerned). 27% of participants did not feel ready to disclose their infection. The resulting lack of follow-up is also a loss of opportunity because while most of the small number of oral lesions diagnosed in this population are related to age or comorbidities, some are serious and need to be identified.

Motives for desiring children among individuals of different sexual-romantic orientations: a cross-sectional study.

Little is known about the reasoning behind the desire to have children in non-heterosexual individuals. This study compares the motives of different sexual-romantic orientations and their preferred ways of fulfilling this desire. This was a monocentric cross-sectional study. Subjects were recruited via social media, personal contacts and queer organisations in Switzerland. An anonymous questionnaire comprised general questions about the participant's background, a validated survey about the desire to have children and additional non-validated questions addressing the impact of sexual-romantic orientation on the desire to have children. The inclusion criteria were adults without children and a completed questionnaire. Of 837 participants, 642 were included in the study. Four groups of sexual-romantic orientations consisted of more than 35 participants: bisexual-biromantic (n = 38), heterosexual-heteroromantic (n = 230), homosexual-homoromantic (n = 159) and pansexual-panromantic (n = 55). Subgroups with a positive wish for a child rated all motives in the same order and with minimal numeric difference. The most important aspect seemed to be emotional involvement. Non-heterosexual-heteroromantic showed concerns about adverse reactions regarding their wish for a child. All orientations hoped for a biological child. Our findings about bi-, hetero-, homo- and pansexual people and their motives for a desire to have children agree with the existing literature about hetero, homo and bisexual. The impact of the fear of adverse reaction and discrimination has been discussed before and is supported by our data. We suggest better support before and during the realization of the wish for a child as well as support for non-traditional aspiring parents.

Microbiological characterization of a population affected by periodontitis with different levels of bone health

ntroduction: Both osteoporosis and periodontitis are diseases characterized by deficits at the level of bone tissue, where bone resorption exceeds neo-formation, resulting in bone loss. Materials and methods: In the context of a monocentric cross-sectional observational study carried out through the collaboration between the University of Florence and the private dentistry institute Excellence Dental Network, 110 subjects affected by periodontitis were recruited. Of these, 71 were also affected by osteoporosis or osteopenia and 39 were not osteoporotic or osteopenic. Data were collected on oral microbiota, oral health and bone health. Results: The collected data reveal a population of frail subjects in terms of fracture risk. The most common forms of periodontitis were essentially chronic in nature, and mainly of a moderate or even severe type, with high gingival recession and periodontal pocket depth values. The microbial species associated with Socransky's red and orange complexes showed concentration values nearly always above 10³ copies/mL. Conclusions: The relationship between osteoporosis and periodontitis still needs to be explored in depth. Data from our analyses are certainly interesting and provide a basis for designing further studies in larger populations. KEY WORDS: Periodontal disease, bone disease, oral microbiota.

Describing the readiness for interprofessional education among university students attending healthcare programs: insights from a monocentric cross-sectional study.

Readiness for interprofessional education (IPE) was recognized by international authorities as a key approach for educating students attending healthcare programs. Thus far, there are no descriptions of readiness for IPE in the Albanian context. For this reason, this study aimed to describe readiness for IPE, assessed by measuring "teamwork and collaboration" and "positive professional identity, roles, and responsibilities" among students attending healthcare programs in an Italian-speaking university based in Albania, and describe the correlations between readiness for IPE and the characteristics of the respondents. This study had a descriptive observational design, a cross-sectional data collection, and a convenience sampling procedure performed in a single centre. The study was accomplished between April 2020 and June 2021, involving 688 students, 38.2% of the entire population of students attending healthcare programs in the context of the investigation. The teamwork and collaboration mean score was 4.40 (standard deviation = 0.56), and no differences were found between programs (p-value=0.159). The positive professional identity, roles, and responsibilities mean score was 4.33 (standard deviation = 0.64) with no differences between programs (p-value=0.340). Females attending nursing or midwifery reported higher positive professional identity, roles, and responsibilities scores (p-value=0.020), and females in dentistry reported higher teamwork and collaboration scores than males (p-value=0.045). Future research should evaluate readiness for IPE longitudinally to ascertain its trajectories over time and analyze any potential individual- or organizational-level variables that may impact IPE and sex-related differences regarding factors influencing IPE.