BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF DRILLING WATER INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION IN FOUR PREFECTURES IN THE SAVANNAH REGION OF TOGO

According to the latest SDG recommendations, guidelines on access to safe drinking water have enabled the construction of boreholes in remote areas of developing countries. In Togo, particularly in the savannah region where access to drinking water remains a major problem for the population, many boreholes have been built for this purpose. The objective of this study is to evaluate the bacteriological quality of the waters of some boreholes built in four (04) prefectures of the savannah region in Togo. A total of 68 samples of drilling water intended for human consumption were collected between January and February 2019 for bacteriological analysis. These analyses were carried out according to the standardized routine methods of the French Association for Standardization (AFNOR). The parameters sought or counted in these samples are those retained by the 2007 European Union criteria for water intended for human consumption. The analysis reveal that the samples of borehole water are at 50% and 90% of unsatisfactory hygienic quality respectively compared to the Total Coliforms (CT) and the Total Aerobic Mesophilic Flora (FAMT) which are indicative germs of hygiene failure. The correlation of the germs sought made it possible to distinguish two groups of indicators of contamination: those responsible for hygiene failures and old fecal contamination (ASR) Conclusion: Since the majority of the borehole water analyzed is contaminated by germs indicating hygiene deficiencies, adequate treatment of these waters and monitoring of their quality are necessary in order to protect the population of the savannah region against probable diseases linked to faecal contamination germs.

Guidelines on Standard and Therapeutic Diets for Adults in Hospitals by the French Association of Nutritionist Dieticians (AFDN) and the French Speaking Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (SFNCM)

Aim: Hospital food provision is subject to multiple constraints (meal production, organization, health safety, environmental respect) which influence the meal tray offered to the patient. Multiple diets can add complexity and contribute to non-consumption of the meal. To avoid undernutrition, it appeared necessary to propose guidelines for foods and diets in hospitals. Methods: These guidelines were developed using the Delphi method, as recommended by the HAS (French Health Authority), based on a formal consensus of experts and led by a group of practitioners and dieticians from the AFDN (French Association of Nutritionist Dieticians) and SFNCM (French Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism). Results: Twenty-three recommendations were deemed appropriate and validated by a panel of 50 national experts, following three rounds of consultations, modifications and final strong agreement. These recommendations aim to define in adults: 1—harmonized vocabulary related to food and diets in hospitals; 2—quantitative and qualitative food propositions; 3—nutritional prescriptions; 4—diet patterns and patient adaptations; 5—streamlining of restrictions to reduce unnecessary diets and without scientific evidence; 6—emphasizing the place of an enriched and adapted diet for at-risk and malnourished patients. Conclusion: These guidelines will enable catering services and health-care teams to rationalize hospital food and therapeutic food prescriptions in order to focus on individual needs and tasty foods. All efforts should be made to create meals that follow these recommendations while promoting the taste quality of the dishes and their presentation such that the patient rediscovers the pleasure of eating in the hospital.

Face Masks in Young Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Parents' and Pediatricians' Point of View

Background: In countries with high SARS-CoV-2 circulation, the pandemic has presented many challenges on different fronts, affecting lives and livelihoods; efforts to keep schools open are among the most important. In France, to keep schools open, wearing a face mask has been mandatory for children from age 6 years since November 2020.Objective: To evaluate the acceptability and tolerance of this measure by children as well as both parents and pediatricians.Setting: Parents registered on the website of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics and pediatricians members of this association.Participants: All parents and pediatricians who agreed to take part in the survey.Results: Among the 2,954 questionnaires for the parents' survey, the reasons for wearing a mask were understood by 54.6% of parents, most of whom (84.6%) explained the reasons to their children. The parents applied this measure because it was mandatory (93.4%) even if they disagreed (63.3%). When interviewed by parents, children said they were usually embarrassed (80.9%) by the mask. The main symptoms or changes of behavior attributed to the mask according to parents were headache (49.0%), speaking difficulties (45%), change in mood (45.2%) and breathing discomfort (28.1%). Among the 663 pediatricians who responded, many agreed with mandatory mask-wearing at age 6 years (67.7%). Overall, 15% of pediatricians systematically asked about the mask tolerance during the consultation. During the medical consultation, when the parents complained about the mask (64.3%), the main drawbacks were related to fog on glasses (reported by 68.2% of pediatricians), breathing discomfort (53.1% of pediatricians), cutaneous disorders (42.4% of pediatricians) and headaches (38.2% of pediatricians).Conclusion: Despite the many inconveniences reported, children agree to wear the mask better than their parents think. Pediatricians should sufficiently take the opportunity during the consultation to further explain the reasons for wearing the mask because their pedagogical role is crucial.

In memoriam to Professor Jean Nicod (1923-2021)

With pain and sadness, we have received news about the death of Prof. Jean Nicod. Prof. Jean Nicod was Dr. Litt., retired Professor Emeritus of Physical Geography at the University Aix-Marseille, Institute of Geography, Aix-en-Provence, honorary doctor of the University of Silesia (1994), and Corresponding member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (2003). Prof. Nicod was an outstanding geographer, geomorphologist, researcher of karst phenomena and Mediterranean geomorphology, the founder of the French school of karst geomorphology, and of Association Française de Karstologie (French Association of Karstology), its first president (1977-1986), later its honorary president. Additionally, he was president of Commision de Phenomène Karstique du Comité National de Géographie (Commission of karst phenomena at the National Geographic Committee), and the founder and editor of the journals Karstologia and Méditerranée.

ACR management guidelines for the treatment of gout: What’s new and what’s controversial

The community of many national and international recommendations dedicated to the treatment of a specific disease, including gout, is fully justified, since it allows taking into account, for example, regional, ethnic characteristics of the manifestations of the disease, which can be important when choosing a therapy. However, this is often associated with dissonance regarding the solution of key issues facing the practitioner. The publication in 2020 of the updated American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines for the management of gout revealed controversy with some of the previous version’s postulates, as well as with other similar work, for example, with the guidelines published in the same year and the French Association of Rheumatology. Among the controversial provisions of the new version of the ACR recommendations are the unified target level of uric acid for all patients, indications for drug therapy, the choice of a drug in patients with reduced renal function, prevention of arthritis attacks when starting uratelowering therapy. This article discusses these and other controversial issues in gout therapy based on an analysis of the latest ACR guidelines.