Practice of Glycemic Self-Monitoring in Diabetic Patients Followed at the Endocrinology Department of Donka University Hospital in Guinea

Diabetes is a chronic pathology whose evolution is marked by micro and macroangiopathic complications. Optimal management can prevent the onset of complications and improve patients’ quality of life. Objectives: To determine the frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose and to describe the errors found during self-monitoring in diabetic patients followed at the Endocrinology Department of Donka University Hospital in Guinea. Materials and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out between August and September 2020 involving diabetic patients followed up at the Endocrinology and Diabetology Department of the Donka National Hospital, CHU Conakry. Results: A total of 301 patients were enrolled, with an average age of 44.24 ± 21.01 years. 64.12% were female. Type 2 diabetes predominated in 64% of cases. The mean duration of diabetes was 6.14 ± 4.67 years, and 75.08% of patients lived in urban areas. Patients were on insulin in 36.21% of cases, insulin and biguanides (26.25%), hypoglycemic sulfonamide and biguanides (19.27%) and biguanides in 18.27% of cases. The frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose was 43%, and 38% of patients made errors, notably reusing lancets (60%), not checking the expiration date (55.65%) and not washing their hands (48%). Conclusion: This study shows that self-monitoring of blood glucose is not performed by the majority of patients. Numerous errors were identified during blood glucose testing. Continued therapeutic education on the use of blood glucose meters will help empower patients and improve their quality of life.

Prevalence of Diabetes and Hypertension on World Diabetes Day 2022 in Guinea

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus and hypertension are chronic diseases that are on the rise and pose a major public health problem among the priorities of healthcare systems. Objectives: Determine the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension and describe the sociodemographic characteristics of those screened. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study organized during a diabetes and hypertension screening campaign that took place in Conakry and five (05) inland regions on November 14, 2022. Results: 2050 people were screened, of whom 33.12% were housewives, the average age was 44.78 ± 16.23 years, and 55.27% were women. The screening sites were the city of Conakry 741 (36.15%), the Labé region 424 (20.68%), the N’Zérékoré region 298 (14.54%), the Faranah region 241 (11.75%), the Mamou region 210 (10.24%) and the Boké region 136 (6.63%). The prevalence of diabetes and hypertension were respectively 12.5% and 43.38% for the Boké region;6.19% and 16.19% for the Mamou region;3.02% and 21.81% for the N’Zérékoré region;31.95% and 13.69% for the Faranah region;9.67% and 20.28% for the Labé region;2.83% and 20.28% for the city of Conakry. Conclusion: Despite the limitations of the study duration, our series highlighted the high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension among people screened on World Diabetes Day 2022. Raising public awareness of a healthy lifestyle is essential for the prevention and control of diabetes and hypertension.

Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Diabetics in Conakry

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis in diabetics, to identify risk factors associated with pulmonary tuberculosis in diabetics, and to describe the clinical features of the association of pulmonary tuberculosis and diabetes. Materials and method: This was a cohort study that took place from November 18, 2015 to January 31, 2018 at the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases of the University Hospital of Donka. Results: among the 1912 diabetic patients screened for tuberculosis, 46 had bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis, i.e. a prevalence of 2.4% and 01 had clinically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis with 0.1%. A female predominance was noted with a sex ratio of 0.8. The 45 - 54 age group was the most affected with a mean age of 46 years. Body Mass Index (p = 0.001), smoking (p = 0.0101) and history of infection (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. The history of smoking (p = 0.0101), the notion of contagion (p = 0.001), the cough (p = 0.001), the fever (p = 0.001), the nocturnal sweat (p = 0.001) and the hemoptysis (p = 0.001) were the clinical characteristics significantly associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusion: The results of this study show a remarkably high prevalence of tuberculosis in diabetic patients in Guinea highlighting the need for urgent action to better understand and treat the double burden of tuberculosis and diabetes.