Clinical and Epidemiological Aspects of Severe Acute Malnourished Children from 6 to 59 Months Hospitalized in a Secondary Hospital in Mali

Introduction: Malnutrition acts on the immune system and thus increases susceptibility to infections. Infections can weaken the body and cause malnutrition, so we speak of a vicious circle between malnutrition and infection. Objective: To study the clinical and epidemiological aspects of severe acute malnutrition in children aged 6 to 59 months. Methodology: This was a prospective and descriptive study extending from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. All severely acute malnourished children aged 6 to 59 months were hospitalized at URENI whose parents or careers accepted their participation in the study. Results: Severe acute malnutrition was diagnosed in 398 of the 671 hospitalized children, i.e. 59.3%. The median age was 15.33 months (2 months - 59 months). The sex ratio was 1.03 (M = 50.8 F = 49.2). Eighty-seven percent of mothers were housewives. Parents were uneducated in 49.3% for mothers and 51.8% for fathers. Marasmus represented 93.5% of cases, children diagnosed with HIV+ represented 6.3% with exclusively HIV1 (100%). Pneumopathy was most frequently associated pathology with 33.4%. The duration of hospitalization was less than 7 days in 67.6% of cases and 93.3% of children had been successfully treated. The mortality rate was 4%. Conclusion: Malnutrition still remains a public health problem affecting mainly children aged 13 to 24 months, mainly from low-income families.

Knowledge of Health Professionals on Essential Newborn Care in Bamako, Mali

Despite existing policies on training health professionnels in essential newborn care (ENC), neonatal mortality still remains high in Mali. Our work aimed to assess the level of knowledge of health staff about ENC. Material and methods: From March 20th to April 20th, 2016, we interviewed newborn care providers at the six reference health centers and the Gabriel Touré University Hospital Center in Bamako. Results: In total, we interviewed 407 newborn care providers with a sex ratio of 0.52. Interviewees had over five years work experience in 62.1%. They considered a low Apgar score as an indication for neonatal resuscitation in 89%, regardless of profile (p = 0.1583). They knew the good aspiration technique in 54%, with nurses and midwives more knowledgeable (p ) of the reference health centers (p = 0.0000). The interviewees knew the indication and rate of ventilation in 30.2% and 16.0%, respectively. About one third (34%) thought oxygen administration should be systematic during ventilation. The knowledge level on ventilation was the lowest in the group of general practitioners (p = 0.0063 for oxygen indication and p for the technique). Knowledge level for other ENC components (temperature maintenance, eyes care, breastfeeding) were higher. The knowledge of the delay of the breasting did not correlated with either the profile (p = 0.0857) or the place of practice. The knowledge of the first bath was dependent on both the professional profile (p = 0.0002) and the reference level (p = 0.0238). Conclusion: The level of knowledge of health professionnels on ENC should be improved. This will involve the integration of ENC in initial training curricula along with an appropriate continuing training policy thereafter.

Congenital Lobar Emphysema in an Infant: A Case Report from the University Hospital of Mali

Congenital lobar emphysema is characterized by distress due to hyperinflation of the affected lung lobe(s). We report the case of a 2-month-old infant with congenital left lower lobe emphysema. A 2-month-old female infant, born at term without incident, was hospitalized for respiratory distress. On a postnatal day 15, respiratory distress occurred. On admission, he weighed 3400 g and was apyretic. He had a polypnea of 58 cycles/min and a oxygen saturation of hemoglobin of 90% on room air. A chest radiograph revealed hyperclarity of the left lung. Chest CT revealed left lower lobe emphysema. He underwent a left lower lobectomy. The postoperative course was uneventful. He was discharged from the hospital 7 days after surgery without sequelae. Physicians should be aware that congenital lobar emphysema can present with respiratory distress in infants. A chest CT scan confirms the diagnosis. Surgical treatment is effective.

Contribution to the Study of Hemorrhages in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy, Etiology and Management

Third trimester bleeding is a common concern in obstetrics. The main objective of this work was to study the management of hemorrhages in the third trimester of pregnancy in the maternity ward of the Sominé Dolo hospital in Mopti. Our prospective descriptive cross-sectional survey type study conducted at the maternity ward of Sominé Dolo hospital in Mopti over a period from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017 included 94 cases collected. During this period we had performed 1485 deliveries including 94 cases of pregnancies complicated by 3rd trimester hemorrhage, a frequency of 6.33%. The main cause of hemorrhage in the third trimester was represented by placenta preavia 42.6% followed by retroplacental hematoma 28.7%, uterine rupture 26.6% and association Placenta preavia and retroplacental hematoma 2.1%. The type of intervention depended on the cause of the hemorrhage and the maternal and fetal condition. More than half of the cases of uterine rupture 52% had benefited from a hysterorrhaphy during a laparotomy (n = 13/25) against 48% from hysterectomy (n = 12/25). Caesarean section was performed in 87.5% (n = 35/40) against 12.5% vaginal delivery (n = 5/40) in case of placenta preavia. In the end, in 74% of cases (n = 20/27) of retroplacental hematoma, first-line cesarean section was performed. The maternal prognosis was represented by a mortality rate of 12% (n = 11/94) and morbidity dominated by hypovolemic shock 48.9% (n = 22/94), infections 28.8% (n = 13/94) and coagulopathy 11.1% (n = 5/94). The fetal prognosis was very poor. More than half (55%) of the newborns had succumbed against 45% of the newly born. In 55.3% of cases neonatal mortality occurred antenatally. Neonatal morbidity was represented by prematurity, i.e. 20.2% (n = 19/94) and low birth weight, i.e. 22.3% (n = 21/94).

Epidemiological Profile of Newborns Who Died during Their Hospitalization in the Neonatology Unit, Mali Hospital

Introduction: Neonatal mortality is a serious problem, particularly in developing countries. Objective: To study the epidemiological and clinical profiles of newborns who died during their hospitalization in the neonatology unit of the hospital in Mali. Methodology: This was a prospective study over a 12-month period (January 1 to December 31, 2020) including all newborns aged 0 - 28 days who died during their hospitalization. Results: A total of 424 neonates were hospitalized in neonatology, 54 died, or 12.73%. Newborns aged 0 - 7 days at admission were the most represented at 79.63% and 94.4% were full-term babies. The male gender was dominant with a ratio of 1.17. The following characteristics were frequently observed in the mothers: not educated (46.3%), poor 75.9%, living in urban areas (68%), housewives 75.4%, and having had less than 4 antenatal care visits (53.7%). For babies, respiratory distress and hyperthermia were the most common reasons for hospitalization (37% and 22.2%, respectively), with 40% being resuscitated at birth. Infection and perinatal anoxia were the most frequent diagnoses, respectively 96.3% and 37%. The death occurred within the first three days of hospitalization in 60% of cases. Conclusion: In order to reduce the mortality rate in our facilities, monitoring of pregnancy and delivery, and correct management of newborns both at birth and in the pediatric wards are important.

Study of Tuberculosis in Children Aged 1 Month to 15 Years in the Pediatric Ward of the Hospital of Mali 2015-2021

Introduction: In 2020, an estimated 9.9 million people are living with tuberculosis worldwide, including 1.1 million children. Tuberculosis is the 2nd leading cause of death from infectious disease after COVID-19 and the 13th leading cause of death worldwide. Objective: To collect cases of tuberculosis in children aged 1 month to 15 years in order to study the epidemio-clinical aspects in the pediatric department of the Mali Hospital during the period 2015-2021. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective study from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020, and a prospective study from January 1 to December 31, 2021, among children aged 1 month to 15 years admitted for suspected tuberculosis in the pediatric ward of the Mali Hospital. Results: From January 2015 to December 2021, we collected 69 cases of tuberculosis among 9438 hospitalized children, i.e. a frequency of 0.73%. The average age was 6.16 years with extremes of 3 months and 15 years. The sex ratio was 1.1% in favor of boys. The majority of children were vaccinated against tuberculosis (88.4%). The most frequent symptoms were fever (76.8%) and weight loss (73.9%). The pulmonary form was the most frequent (54.9%). Bacteriological confirmation was done in 43.5% of our children. It was Mycobacterium tuberculosis in all confirmed cases. More than half of our children (65.2%) were treated with first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs for 6 months. We observed a cure in 42.0% of our patients and a case fatality rate of 39.1%. Conclusion: Tuberculosis in children is frequent in Mali Hospital despite good BCG vaccination coverage. Its mortality remains high and is maintained by malnutrition, HIV, and the emergence of resistant strains of bacilli.

Pneumothorax in Children: A Study of 47 Pediatric Cases at Mali Hospital 2017-2020

Objectives: Pediatric pneumothorax, whether primary or secondary (infection, trauma, or iatrogenic), is sometimes life-threatening. We tried to determine the clinical characteristics of pediatric pneumothorax in Mali. Materials and Methods: We collected all pediatric patients (0 - 15 years) admitted for pneumothorax in the pediatric department of the Mali Hospital from January 2017 to December 2020. Results: During this period, a total of 5569 children aged 0 - 15 years were hospitalized, of whom 47 had pneumothorax or 0.84%. Children under 5 years of age were the most affected (80%). Dyspnea was the most common reason for hospitalization (95.7%). The causes of pneumothorax were (in order): infectious causes dominated by bullous dystrophies (70.2%), traumatic (25.5%), and iatrogenic (4.2%). Pneumothorax was compressive in 42.6%. The frequency of anemia was 79.3%. Surgical drainage was performed in 87.2% and almost all (97.6%) were treated with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. The mean duration of hospitalization was 10.06 days (range: 0 - 35 days): 74.5% were cured while 25.5% died. Conclusions: We reconfirmed that pneumothorax is a pediatric emergency. Children under 5 years of age are the most affected. The main etiologies are infectious bronchopneumonia. The prevention and treatment of respiratory infections, the implementation of good bacteriological diagnostic tools, and the use of surgical video-thoracoscopy will reduce its mortality rate.

Otological Injuries Observed in Head and Neck Trauma in a Second-Line Hospital

Otological injuries are common during cervicofacial trauma. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiological characteristics and to map otological injuries during head and neck trauma. This was an observational, descriptive, prospective study conducted at the ENT unit of the Referral Health Center Hospital in Mali from January 2017 to September 2018. Patients with middle and/or inner ear injuries due to trauma were included. The prevalence of otologic injuries was 34.54% of cases. The mean age was 25 years and the sex ratio was 1.11. Students accounted for 42.10%. The mechanism of occurrence was an intentional assault in 68.42% of the cases followed by road traffic accidents (15.79%). The most common functional signs were hearing loss (68.42%), tinnitus (57.89%), and facial paralysis in 5.26%. Otoscopy showed tympanic perforation (47.83%), otorrhagia (21.05%) and otoliquorrhea (5.26%). Rock fractures with osteodural breach (10.53%) and pneumencephaly were found on a CT scan of the rock. The evolution was marked by the regression of the facial paralysis and the healing of the tympanum in 45.45% of the cases. Sequelae persisted in the form of sensorineural deafness (17%). The otological lesions observed during cervicofacial trauma are varied. The challenges in our context are felt at three levels: the improvement of the technical platform, the long-term follow-up of patients, and the cost of care in terms of equipment. These lesions are responsible for disabling deafness, a source of difficulty in social and school integration.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Complicated by Pericarditis: A Case Report from the Guindo Clinic in Bamako, Mali

Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus is a rare entity, affecting children under 16 years of age. Girls are more often affected than boys and the female predominance increases significantly with age. The initial manifestations are highly variable with an insidious and progressive onset. Non-specific symptoms include fever, anorexia, weight loss and asthenia. Pericarditis is the most common cardiac manifestation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), occurring in 10% to 40% of cases. The biological elements of the diagnosis and follow-up of pediatric SLE are identical to those of adults and are based on regular measurement of complement, native anti-DNA antibodies, and inflammatory findings. Treatment is essentially based on corticosteroid therapy.

Emergency C-Section on Multi-Scar Uterus: Maternal and Fetal Prognosis at the Nianankoro Fomba Hospital in Segou, Mali

Background: Multi-scar uterus is a uterus with two or more scars due to surgery or trauma. Objective: The aim was to compare the maternal and fetal prognosis of emergency C-sections of bi-scar uteruses to those of uteruses with at least 3 scars at the Nianankoro Fomba Hospital in Segou. Materials and Methods: It was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study with prospective data collection over a 24-month period from March 20, 2018, to March 20, 2020. Results: In 2 years, we collected 103 emergency C-sections for multi-scar uterus out of 1198 C-sections with a frequency of 8.6%. The age group of 20 to 35 years was the most represented with 86.4%. The bi-scar uteruses were the most frequent with 77.7%. In 71.8% of cases, the C-section was performed during the latent phase of labor. The C-section was performed under loco-regional anesthesia in 89.3% of cases. Difficulties in hemostasis and bladder injury were the most frequent intraoperative accidents. Surgical site infection was the main postoperative complication. No maternal deaths were recorded. The perinatal prognosis was marked by 4.3% fresh stillbirths in bi-scar uterus against 3.7% in three or more scar uteruses and including 2 fresh stillbirths and 1 macerated. We did not record any early neonatal deaths after C-section. Conclusion: The frequency of emergency C-sections in patients with a multi-scar uterus remains very high in our hospital. A better awareness of the patients, their spouses and all the actors involved in the management of pregnancies and childbirth, can contribute to curb this trend.