Risk Factors for Neonatal Mortality at the Institute of Nutrition and Child Health of the Donka/Guinea-Conakry National Hospital

Introduction: The birth of a baby is a moment of joy and celebration. However, the neonatal period is a very delicate phase of life. Neonatal mortality rates remain high in low-income countries. In Guinea, after 20 years, this rate has fallen from 34.2% in 1998 to 32% in 2018. Objective: To identify the main risk factors for neonatal mortality. Methods: This was an observational, analytical case-control study, lasting 6 months from January 1 to June 30, 2019, conducted at the Institut de Nutrition et de la Santé de l’Enfant (INSE) at Donka National Hospital. Results: We collected 242 cases and 242 controls, i.e. a total of 484 records. 748 patients were registered, with 32.35% deaths. 82.86% of deaths occurred in the early neonatal period. Statistical analysis revealed the main risk factors: prematurity (RQ 7.39 95% CI 3.27 - 16.61 p = 0.0000003), hypothermia (RQ 2.29 95% CI 1.51 - 3.46 p = 0.0001), acute fetal distress (RQ 2.13 95% CI 1.33 - 3.43 p = 0.0016), low birth weight (QR 1.91 95% CI 1.12 - 3.24 p = 0.016), home birth (QR 3.26 95% CI 1.25 - 8.46 p = 0.015). Conclusion: Neonatal mortality is a health problem in the INSE neonatology department. To reduce the mortality rate in this referral facility, it is essential to equip it and provide ongoing training for staff.

Endometrial Cancer: Epidemiological, Histological and Therapeutic Aspects in the Gynecology-Obstetrics Department of the Donka National Hospital, CHU of Conakry

Objective: To study the epidemiological, histological and therapeutic characteristics of endometrial cancer in the Gynecology-Obstetrics department of the Donka National Hospital, CHU of Conakry. Methods: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of 86 patients with endometrial cancer treated in the Gynecology-Obstetrics department of the Donka National Hospital from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2021, based on their medical records. We analysed the epidemiological, histological and therapeutic aspects of the disease. Results: Endometrial cancer accounted for 3.1% of the 2793 gynecological pathology cases registered in the department during the study period, ranking third. The mean age of the patients was 63 ± 5 years. Most of them were uneducated (59.3%), postmenopausal (91.9%), nulliparous (30.2%), obese (65.1%) and hypertensive (77.1%). More than half of the patients (53.4%) were diagnosed at stage I. Endometrioid adenocarcinoma was the predominant histological type (68.6%). Surgery was performed in 96.6% of the patients, and chemotherapy in 14.0%. After a mean follow-up of 15 months, 84.5% of the patients were alive. Conclusion: Endometrial cancer is a common gynecological malignancy in our department. Endometrioid adenocarcinoma is the most frequent histological subtype. Surgery is the main treatment modality.

Epidemioclinical Aspects of Childhood Domestic Accidents in the Emergency Department of Boffa Hospital

Introduction: Domestic accidents are defined as accidents that occur in the home or its immediate surroundings. Objective: To describe the epidemioclinical and therapeutic aspects. Patients and Methods: Prospective, descriptive study from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 in the emergency department of Boffa prefectural hospital included all children aged 0 to 15 years admitted for domestic accidents. Results: Of 120 cases of accidental trauma, 56 were domestic accidents. The mean age was 7.08 years. The 0 - 5 and 11 - 15 age groups were the most represented (35.71%). The sex ratio was 1.55 in favor of boys. Domestic accidents were represented by falls (26.78%), thermal burns (21.43%), snakebite wounds (17.86%) and dog bites (10.71%), drowning (5.36%), and electrification by lightning (3.60%), one case or 1.78% of each of the following: esophageal foreign body by palm nut, firearm, wall collapse, stretching of upper limb. Paracetamol was the molecule most frequently used (89.28%). The outcome was favorable in 92.86% of cases. However, four (4) deaths were recorded. Conclusion: Domestic accidents remain a significant pathology at Boffa prefectural hospital.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the General Adult Population in Benin (Parakou 2022)

Introduction: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a little-studied psychiatric pathology in our countries, and particularly here in Benin. Objectives: To calculate the prevalence and identify the factors associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among adults in the commune of Parakou in 2022. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical study including subjects aged 18 and over. ADHD was assessed with the Adult ADHD Self Report Scale (ARSR-v1.1) and consequences with the Weiss functional impairment rating scale (WFIRS-S). Results: A total of 456 people were included in the study. The mean age of those surveyed was 25.9 ± 11.6 years. The prevalence of ADHD symptoms among the adults surveyed was 6.8%. The clinical form of ADHD with a predominance of inattention had a prevalence of 3.3%. After multivariate analysis, the factor associated with the presence of ADHD symptoms in adults in the commune of Parakou was: a poor relationship with the subject’s partner (p = 0.031, ORa = 6.5 [1.18-35.68]). Conclusion: ADHD is present in the community of Parakou and needs further attention.

Management of Idiopathic Chronic Hydrocephalus of the Adult in Guinea: A Prospective Study in 16 Patients

Object: Incidence of Idiopathic chronic hydrocephalus of the adult (ICHA) is increasing in Guinea due to the aging of the population. The goal of this study was to describe its epidemiology, clinical presentation, and surgical outcome in a low-resource medical environment. Method: Sixteen patients operated for a probable ICHA were prospectively studied according to a uniform protocol from June 2019 to December 2020. On computerized tomography, all operated patients had a clinical triad of gait disturbance, incontinence, dementia associated with ventriculomegaly, and transependymal edema. In addition, all patients underwent a single lumbar tap, improved clinically, and were subsequently offered a shunt consisting of a simple catheter in 37.5% and a non-adjustable high-pressure valve in 62.5%. Result: The mean age was 68.31 ± 10.4 (range 49 - 89). The sex ratio H/F was 1.67/1. Clinically, the most frequent comorbidity was a combination of hypertension and diabetes in 56.5% of cases. The mean time to diagnosis was 8.31 ± 2.75 months (range 3 - 14). The immediate postoperative mortality was 12.5% from a status epilepticus and pulmonary sepsis. In addition, we observed 2 cases of chronic subdural hematoma (12.5%) and 2 cases of shunt dysfunction (12.5%) in the first three months. The functional outcome was good in 23% of patients at one month (N = 13), 50% at three months (N = 10), and 87.5% at six months (N = 8). Conclusion: In carefully selected cases, the surgical outcome of ICHA in Guinea is comparable to high-income countries. Efforts need to be put in helping patients get covered with universal insurance and generally promote Neurosurgery in the country to improve the quality of care.

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy with or without Choroid Plexus Coagulation for Treatment of Hydrocephalus in Guinea: Analysis of 76 Cases in the Department of Neurosurgery of Kipe, Conakry

In low-income countries, endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) with or without choroid plexus coagulation (CPC) is an increasingly accepted alternative to shunt therapy in adult and pediatric hydrocephalus. The authors report the result of this treatment in Conakry in a mixed population of adult and pediatric patients regardless of the etiology of the hydrocephalus. A retrospective study was conducted on 76 patients undergoing 89 ETV from January 2013 to September 2020. The predominant group of patients was infants less than one year with a mean age of 4.3 months and extremes of 1 - 8 months. The H/F sex ratio was 1.7/1. All patients presented acutely with signs of high intracranial pressure. Post-infectious causes and malformations and tumors were the main etiologies, respectively 21%, 47.3%, and 15.7%. The mean duration of the endoscopic procedures was 49.93 ± 10.9 mm, associated with a choroid plexus coagulation in 42% of cases. The complication rate in the first month was 22%, with CSF leak (5%) and death (11%) accounting for the majority. At three months, the complications rates were 45%, with 14.4% closed stroma, 6% epilepsy, and 24% mortality. The mean follow-up was 28 months (range 2 - 53), and the global success rate of 61%. Our study, with its limitations, shows that ETV with CPC is a safe primary approach for the treatment of hydrocephalus in low-income countries regardless of the etiology and the age of the patients.