Clinical, Psychological and Socio-Economic Profile of Women Consulting for Couple Infertility in the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital

Introduction: Infertility is defined as the inability to achieve a pregnancy after at least 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Our main objective was to describe the clinical, psychological and socio-economic profile of women consulting for infertility in the Yaounde Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with prospective data collection at the Yaounde Gyneco Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital over a period of 7 months from 1st December 2021 to 31st June 2022. Results: We included 171 patients. The mean age was 32.3 ± 5.5 years. The mean duration of infertility was 4.0 ± 3.7 years. Primary and secondary Infertility made up 31.6% and 68.4% of cases respectively. Past medical history was significant for Abortions (50%), Chlamydia and Mycoplasma infections (43.8%), chronic pelvic pain (49.7%) and endouterine manipulations (33.3%) of cases. Majority of our patients were stressed (76.6%). The most represented stress score was severe stress (66.1%). 51% of our patients were mentally depressed and 35.6% were anxious. Majority of them (74.9%) had low socio-economic status. Conclusion: Couple infertility is most often secondary. It triggers the onset of psychological problems like stress, mental depression and anxiety. Most of our patients had a low socio-economic status.

Materno-Fetal Outcomes of COVID-19 Infected Pregnant Women Managed at the Douala Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital—Cameroon

Introduction: The first case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Cameroon was confirmed on March 6, 2020. Though widely considered that pregnant women are more susceptible to respiratory tract infections, the available body of literature on the effect of COVID-19 on pregnancy outcomes is shy from being conclusive. In Cameroon, the Douala Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital (DGOPH) was one of the main frontline tertiary health facilities for the management of severe forms of the disease. After four months of managing COVID-19 cases in the general population and especially in pregnant women at the DGOPH, we decided to take a stop, analyze our findings from the patients managed in order to drive future policies and clinical practices via informed decisions. Overall objective: To describe and understand the clinical burden of patients managed for COVID-19 in pregnancy or post-partum at the DGOPH. Methodology: Cross-sectional and descriptive study covering four months—March 24th to July 24th 2020 at DGOPH. Using a pretested questionnaire, we systematically enrolled all patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, with analysis done using proportions from an excel spreadsheet. Results: A total of 18 on the 301 pregnant women consulted at the DGOPH, tested positive for COVID-19 giving a prevalence of 6%, and representing 2.3% of all the 800 COVID-19 cases. Of the 44 pregnant women admitted at the DGOPH, 13 of them were due to COVID-19, giving a general admission proportion of 29.5% and a COVID-19 case admission rate of 72.2%. Two-thirds (66.7%) of the patients were aged 30 - 39 years and over 61.1% (n = 11) of the total cases were referred from other health facilities for better management. The most common presenting symptoms were: fever (27.4%), cough (21.5%) and dyspnea (15.7%). Over 72.2% of cases were in their third trimester, and only three had comorbidities. Nasal throat swab PCR was mainstay for confirmatory diagnosis (83.3%). Chest CT scan was realized in 50% (n = 9) of the patients and ground glass opacification (GGO) was observed in all of them. All 18 patients received the standard national recommended regimen therapy for COVID-19. While five of the cases are ongoing gestations, 8 of them were delivered by cesarean section (61.5%), mostly indicated for maternal distress. The neonatal mortality rate was 46%. Four of the 18 patients died giving a case fatality rate of 22.2%. Conclusion: The profile of COVID-19 pregnant women in Douala-Cameroon tends to be similar to what is observed around the world. However, the high ICU admission rate and high case fatality rates recorded differ from what is observed worldwide.

Covid-19 in Pregnancy: Cases of Women Managed in the City of Douala-Cameroon

Introduction: The SARS-COV-2 virus has been responsible for a health crisis in pregnancy, causing severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Materno-foetal complications can be observed. Taking into account the materno-foetal risks associated with COVID-19 infection in pregnant women and the low sample size of the first publication in Cameroon, we considered it necessary to conduct an in-depth study on the maternal and foetal prognosis of this condition in pregnant women in three hospitals in Douala. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with retrospective data collection in the three state tertiary and reference hospitals in Douala (DGOPH, DGH and DLH) from November 1, 2021 to April 30 2022 after obtaining ethical and administrative clearances. All records of COVID-19 pregnant women confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) or COVID-19 rapid diagnostic test (COVID RDT) were included. The survey form contained socio-demographic data, clinical and para-clinical characteristics, management and materno-foetal outcome. SPSS.26 and Microsoft Excel 2016 software were used to analyze the data, and a logistic regression model was used to look for associations between the variables. Results: We found in total 96 files that met our inclusion criteria. The most represented sector of activity was the unemployed (44.46%). Patients with a secondary level of education constituted the majority with 47% (45). The main comorbidity found was diabetes (27.2%). The most frequent symptom was fever, found in 87 patients (90.1%). In our series, a chest CT scan was performed in 50 patients. Caesarean section was the most common mode of delivery (58.3%). We recorded 15.6% of maternal deaths, mainly in patients admitted to intensive care. Factors associated with maternal death were: Maternal diabetes, high LDH and D-dimer levels, and 75% lung involvement on chest CT scan. Oxygen saturation > 94% on admission was a protective factor. Regarding fetal and neonatal outcomes, we registered 30.2% cases of prematurity, 32.3% cases of respiratory distress at birth and 24% neonatal deaths. Factors associated with neonatal death were temperature ≥ 38.5°C. Conclusion: At the end of the study, we can conclude that in pregnant women with COVID-19, fever is the main symptom, 1/3 are admitted to intensive care and caesarean section is the most common mode of delivery. The maternal death rate remains high, especially in diabetic patients admitted to intensive care with altered biological parameters. Fetal complications include prematurity and death.

Contribution of Colposcopy in the Diagnosis of Precancerous Lesions of the Uterine Cervix at the Douala Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital, Cameroon

Introduction: Cervical cancer is a public health problem in Cameroon, due to low screening and late diagnosis. We sought to assess practice of colposcopy at the Douala Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital (DGOPH) in Cameroon and its contribution to the fight against cervical cancer in our context. Method: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of 99 colposcopies after which 71 exploitable biopsies were retained at the Douala for a period of 1year (December 1, 2019-December 1, 2020). The nomenclature of the French Society of Colposcopy and Cervico-Vaginal Pathology (SFCPCV) was used. Results: Mean age of the participants was 44 years, mostly multiparous (80%). Cytological abnormalities were the main reference pattern. During the examination 22% of colposcopies were found to be normal, 37% of TAG 1-2A, 31% of TAG 2B-C, and 5% suspected of cancer. After histological analysis of biopsies guided by colposcopy, we found 42% (30/71) of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) 1, 15.5% (11/71) of CIN 2 - 3, and 24% (17/71) cancer. Upon analysis of the diagnosed CIN1/CIN2-3/Cancers, we noted a concordance with colposcopy in 62% (23/37), 37% (10/27) and 85% (6/7) respectively. Colposcopic performance in the detection of high-grade lesions and above was 36% (26/71), with a sensitivity of 92.86%, specificity 83.33%, PPV 78.79% and NPV 94.59%. Conclusion: Despite the difficult socioeconomic context, colposcopy retains all its importance in the diagnosis of precancerous lesions of the uterine cervix. With the imminent putting in place of a national health policy, the goals 90-70-90 by 2030 of the World Health Organization for the fight against cervical cancer can be achieved in our sub-Saharan African countries.

Improving Post Abortion Care (PAC) Delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Literature Review

Saharan Africa (SSA) contributes 29% of the global unsafe abortions with 62% of abortion-related deaths. This is due to restrictive abortion laws, low quality post abortion care (PAC) and inadequate access to effective modern contraception. The overall objective was to review current literature on PAC in SSA and make recommendations for improvement especially in Cameroon. A literature review was conducted on PAC in SSA published during 2000-2018. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, POPLINE, COCHRANE Library, African Index Medicus and GOOGLE Scholar. Thirty articles were reviewed from 16 countries ranging from observational studies to systematic reviews with meta-analysis. Major outcomes: 1) Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and misoprostol are equally safe and effective. 2) There is comparable effectiveness between physicians and trained mid-level cadres in PAC management. 3) PAC contraception uptake was increased when offered immediately before patient leaves the facility. 4) Gaps to PAC service use include inadequate access, low quality care and less adolescent-friendly environment. Task shifting of PAC to trained mid-level staff, decentralization of medical PAC using misoprostol, offering post abortion counselling and contraception to clients before leaving the health facility, encouraging linkage and provider-community partnership in PAC and reinforcement of advocacy for less restrictive abortion laws in Cameroon are recommended.

Comparison of Chest Computed Tomography Findings between Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women with COVID-19 Infection in Douala Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital, Cameroon

Introduction: Pregnancy is a physiologic state associated with decreased immunity, and the use of medical imaging modalities with ionizing radiation must be justified as potential benefits must outweigh the risk of any harm. However, in the wake of SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic, chest computed tomography (CT) is necessary to assess the severity of the disease. The objective of this study was to compare the chest CT findings of pregnant and non-pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 viral pneumonia at a tertiary hospital setting. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive study of admission records of pregnant and non-pregnant patients aged 15 - 49 years during a three (3) months period (April-July 2020) in DGOPH. Logistic regression was used to search for predictors of lung involvement during COVID-19. Results: A total of 31 patient files were studied of which 9 (29%) were those of pregnant women. The pregnant women mostly had a combination of lung ground-glass opacities and consolidation on CT compared to the non-pregnant women (7 out of 9 cases, 77.8%, vs. 6 out of 22 cases, 22.7%;p = 0.01). The group of pregnant women had more than 3 affected lobes (50.0% vs. 22.7%, p = 0.04) with a middle lobe predilection (77.8% vs. 31.8%, p = 0.02). CT predictors of COVID-19 pneumonia in the group of pregnant women after the multivariable logistic regression analysis were the presence of nodules (aOR = 13.9;95% CI: 1.25 - 134.2;p = 0.032) and linear bands of interlobular septal thickening (aOR = 17.8;95% CI: 1.46 - 217.6;p = 0.024). Conclusion: In this study, the chest CT of pregnant women with COVID-19 pneumonia revealed mostly a combination of findings compared to non-pregnant women, with more affected lobes. These findings suggest the likelihood of a greater CT severity of COVID-19 pneumonia among pregnant women and therefore the need for timely and appropriate management.