Multidisciplinary exams in medical studies : Interest of docimologic analysis.

Docimology has allowed the development of evaluative processes assuring valid, reliable and objective assessments. It was adopted within the faculty of Medicine of Tunis since  2007. The aim of this study was to analyze the docimological survey results of hematology-oncology exams, to evaluate the interest of this analysis in the elaboration of exams and the construction of an item bank, and propose some corrections  in order to improve assessment.     Methods :We have analyzed the hematology-oncology exams of SCMS1 (Second cycle of Medical Studies 1) from educational year 2008-2009 to 2013-2014. The data input was already done with Excel. The test includes 4 disciplines (Hematology, Oncology, Genetics and the Anatomic Pathology). We have calculated docimological parameters allowing global analysis, by discipline and by item. Results : A total of 3281 papers and 1004 questions were analyzed. The average success rate per year was 91,54% ± 7,12. The highest average success rate was found in hematology (80,51% ± 10,18). The lowest rate was found in the anatomic pathology (51,61% ± 23,76). The average rate of students succeeding the test without having average note in hematology was 5,36%. It was 42,29% in the anatomic pathology. Average difficulty index was 0,57 ± 0,05. Items analysis showed that 38,04% were easy and 19,02% were difficult. Average discrimination index was 0,25 ± 0,02. Discrimination was very good in 20,51% of items and good in 17,13%. Useless and bad discrimination items were about 40,53%. The average of Cronbach Alpha coefficient was 0,84 ± 0,03, showing a good internal-consistency. Conclusion :This study allowed an objective evaluation of "contributive disciplines" in multidisciplinary evaluation and showed the interest of integrating questions. Question analysis with teachers would be important to reevaluate and improve these items.

Report of the Tunisian Registry of Primary Immunodeficiencies: 25-Years of Experience (1988-2012).

PURPOSE: Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are a large group of diseases characterized by susceptibility to not only recurrent infections but also autoimmune diseases and malignancies. The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the distribution, clinical features and eventual outcome of PID among Tunisian patients. METHODS: We reviewed the record of 710 patients diagnosed with Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (PIDs) from the registry of the Tunisian Referral Centre for PIDs over a 25-year period. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 1.4. The median age at the onset of symptoms was 6 months and at the time of diagnosis 2 years. The estimated prevalence was 4.3 per 100,000 populations. The consanguinity rate was found in 58.2 % of families. According to the International Union of Immunological Societies classification, spectrums of PIDs were as follows: combined T-cell and B-cell immunodeficiency disorders account for the most common category (28.6 %), followed by congenital defects of phagocyte (25.4 %), other well-defined immunodeficiency syndromes (22.7 %), predominant antibody deficiency diseases (17.7 %), diseases of immune dysregulation (4.8 %), defect of innate immunity (0.4 %) and complement deficiencies (0.4 %). Recurrent infections, particularly lower airway infections (62.3 %), presented the most common manifestation of PID patients. The overall mortality rate was 34.5 %, mainly observed with combined immunodeficiencies. CONCLUSION: The distribution of PIDs was different from that reported in Western countries, with a particularly high proportion of Combined Immunodeficiencies and phagocyte defects in number and/or function. More is needed to improve PID diagnosis and treatment in our country.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori vacA, cagA, iceA and oipA genotypes in Tunisian patients.

BACKGROUND: Distinct virulence factors of H. pylori have been described: the vaculating cytotoxin (vacA), the cytotoxin associated gene (cagA), the induced by contact with epithelium factor Antigen (iceA gene) and the outer membrane protein oipA. In Tunisia, there are no data regarding the pattern of H. pylori genotypes; therefore, this prospective and multicentre study was the first to be done in Tunisia and aimed to investigate the prevalence of the vacA, cagA, iceA and oipA genotypes of H. pylori isolates from Tunisian patients with peptic ulceration, gastric cancer, MALT lymphoma and gastritis. METHODS: H. pylori was cultured from endoscopic biopsies obtained from 281 Tunisian patients. The vacA alleles, cagA, iceA and oipA genotypes were determined by PCR. RESULTS: The vacA s1m1, s1m2 and s2m2 were respectively found in 10.7%, 12.5% and 45.6% of strains. The s2m1 genotype was not detected in our study. The cagA was found in 61.6% of isolates. The iceA1 and the iceA2 genotypes were respectively isolated in 60.2% and in 16% of strains. The oipA genotype was detected in 90.8% of strains. Considering the vacA and iceA genotypes, the presence of multiple H. pylori strains in a single biopsy specimen was found respectively in 31.4% and 23.8%. The comparison between strains isolated from antrum and fundus showed that Tunisian patients were infected with two or more strains of different cagA, vacA, iceA and oipA genotypes and the discordance was respectively in 9.6%, 4.6%, 8.9% and 8.5% of strains. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that in 46% (131 strains among 281), the H. pylori strains were highly virulent in relation of the three or four virulent factors they could carry. These finding were described before in the literature. Tunisian patients were colonized by one or multiple strains of H. pylori in the same time in relation of presence of vacA m1/m2 and iceA1/iceA2 in the same biopsy. The discordance between strains isolated from antrum and fundus was high, and it is in favour of multicolonization.