Prevalence of the hepatitis B surface antigen in a population of workers in Cameroon

Hepatitis B surface antigen prevalence in populations of blood donors in Cameroon is estimated at 6%-16%. As such, the Objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigen in a population of bank employees, who represent a sample closer to the general population. In tests carried out both Yaounde and Douala in December 2011, we detected the hepatitis B surface antigen among 267 workers, including 151 men and 116 women of a median age of 37 years. The Results obtained revealed that the overall prevalence stood at 7.1%, with a 9.9% prevalence ratio in men, three times higher than that in women (3.4%). Subjects aged 20-29 years and senior staffs were more affected (each of them recording 8.1%). Potential nosocomial risks were detected mostly at the level of dental care (52.8%). Among the other risks of exposure, scarification (53.6%) was more frequent. A univariate analysis revealed an insignificant relationship with tattoos (OR 2.6, 95% CI 0.5-10.8, p = 0.2). These results led to the Conclusion that Hepatitis B surface antigen carrier prevalence in a population of workers in Cameroon is not different from that of blood donors. It is mainly due to early vertical and horizontal contamination.

Endoscopic Management of Foreign Bodies in the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract in Yaoundé(Cameroon)

Background/Aims: Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common clinical situation. In some cases, it could be life-threatening, requiring interventional digestive endoscopy. Knowing the main FBs observed could help to prevent their ingestion or to improve management. The aim of this study is to report the results of upper digestive endoscopies performed for ingestion of FBs in Yaoundé (Cameroon). Methods: We recorded all patients who did a gastroscopy for FB ingestion from January 2000 to April 2020 in three medical centers of Yaoundé. We collected data concerning the socio-demographic characteristics of patients, foreign body type, endoscopic management and outcome. Results: A total of 9380 upper digestive endoscopies were performed, with 51 FBs ingestion (0.54%). Male were 27 (52.9%). The mean age was 25.8 ± 22.3 years (8 months to 75 years). Coins were the most frequent FB (23.5%), only observed in children, followed by fishbones (17.6%), only observed in adults. We also observed dental wears (11.8%), metallic objects (11.8%), non-metallic objects (3.9%), batteries (3.9%), toothpick (2%), packet of tablets (2%), and bezoars (2%). The FB was unknown at 21.6%. The most frequent localization was the esophagus in 29/36 patients (80.5%). Endoscopic removal was a success in 35/36 patients (97.2%). A surgery has been performed on one patient. We didn’t register any death. Conclusion: Most common FBs ingested in Yaoundé are coins and fishbones. The upper digestive endoscopy has a high success rate.