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Biomedical subjects

N Kuakuvi

Publications and source records attributed to N Kuakuvi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Etiologic factors of prematurity in Ziguinchor maternity hospital center (Senegal)].

A case-control study was conducted between September 2003 and January 2004. Fifty four newborn babies born before 37 weeks of gestation resulting from 47 pregnancies including 7 multiple pregnancies were compared to 105 newborn babies born between 37 and the 42 weeks of gestation. Parturient geographical origin, marital status, age, alcohol or tea consumption and height were not significantly associated to premature birth (p > 0.05). On the other hand, a higher parity or equal to 3, a number of antenatal care lower than 3 were significantly associated with the risk of premature birth (p < 0.05). But a gestity and a parity lower than 3 and a number of antenatal consultations higher or equal to 3 had a protective effect (OR < 1; p < 0.05). We recommend a reinforcement of malarial prevention during pregnancy according to WHO recommendations and the improvement of the quality of the antenatal care in the Ziguinchor medical district.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

[Assessment of management training for low-level community health workers providing care for children with acute respiratory infections in four districts of Senegal].

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections are the leading cause of death in childhood and most child deaths in Senegal occur at home without qualified health care. Despite this situation, only qualified healthcare workers are authorized to prescribe antibiotics. A competency-based training program was developed to improve and assess management of acute respiratory infections in young children aged between 2 and 59 months by low-level educated community health workers (CHWs) in four districts of Senegal. METHODS: In accordance with the strategy developed by the World Health Organisation, educated low-level community health workers in four district of Senegal were given a three-day course on the management of acute respiratory failure. We assessed the effects of the course by comparing pre-training and post-training skills with the Students t test. RESULTS: The results showed that the educated low-level community health workers were capable of acquiring the skills needed to effectively manage children with acute respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: Further evaluation is needed to determine the mid- and long-term effects of the course and supervised post-training activities.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2003

[Management of children with sickle cell disease in Africa: experience in a cohort of children at the Royal Albert Hospital in Dakar].

Management of major sickle hemoglobinopathies in industrialized countries has improved significantly over the last few years thanks to strict application of the preventive and curative measures developed as a result of a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. However patients in Africa have benefited little from progress in the field due to the lack of human and physical resources in sharp contrast with the high prevalence of the disease. The purpose of this study was to analyze problems involved in management of childhood sickle cell disease in Africa based on our experience in a cohort of 556 cases treated over a period of 12 years. The main problems were the same as those encountered in other black African nations, i.e., delayed diagnosis due to a lack of routine neonatal diagnostic screening, difficulty implementing anti-infectious prophylaxis due not only to the high cost of recommended vaccinations not covered by the Expanded Program on Immunization but also to poor compliance with antiobioprophylaxis, and insufficient transfusion facilities hindering application of long-term transfusion protocols when indicated. In addition the high prevalence of digestive-tract parasitosis and malaria raise the need to combine standard preventive measures with routine parasiticidal treatment and malarial prophylaxis adapted to each geographical area. The high frequency of associated iron deficiency requires systematic laboratory testing to identify and treat resulting manifestations during follow-up. An important prerequisite for widespread implementation of appropriate preventive and curative measures in Africa is recognition of sickle cell disease as a priority in public health care policy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

[Neonatal mortality associated with transfer of low birth weight newborns. Assessment of a neonatal care unit of Dakar].

The aim of this study is to assess mortality rate of low birth weight newborns admitted to a neonatal care unit of Dakar after transfer. This retrospective study include all newborns weighing less than 2500 g transferred to Abass Ndao neonatal care unit between January 1st,1998 and December 31, 1999. Maternal, newborns and transfer related parameters were studied. Data of 180 new-borns were recorded from a sample of 247 babies transferred. The mean weight of these babies were 1452.5 +/- 432 g. An ambulance was used for transport in only 10% of cases. The median time of admission after birth was 3 hours. Median delay of admission and methods of transfer, maternal age and parity, apgar score at 1st and 5th minute were comparable between the newborns deceased and survivors (p > 0.05). To reduce mortality associated with newborns transfer, we insist on a better organisation of neonatal transport in under developed countries by promoting obstetricians and paediatricians collaboration and prevention of low birth weight.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

[Progressive spinal amyotrophy type I or Werdnig-Hoffman disease. Apropos of 5 cases in Dakar (Senegal)].

Type I spinal muscular atrophy or Werdnig-Hoffman disease is rarely described in black populations. We report five such cases diagnosed in a paediatric outpatient clinic in Dakar. We conducted a retrospective study relating to patients examined for hypotonia progressing since birth for whom the electromyogram had made it possible to confirm an involvement of the peripheral nerve without nerve conduction anomaly. Mean age of diagnosis was 12.3 +/- 7.6 months. Respiratory distress was noted for 2 patients. A family background of similar symptomatology was found in 1 case and consanguinity in 2 cases. Only 1 case of death occurred whereas the 4 other patients were lost to follow-up. The diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy must be considered in the presence of any severe hypotonia in infants.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2002

[Management problems of malignant hemopathies among children in Senegal].

Malignant hemopathies are not considered as public health priority in Senegal because of their infrequency in comparison with infections and malnutrition. However they remain usually lethal instead of a great improvement of their prognosis in suitable therapeutic conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiologic and evolutionnal profile of these pathologies, and identify practical management problems in a reference public pediatric service in Senegal. We retrospectively analysed hospitals registers and records of all patients followed up in Albert Royer Children Hospital of Dakar from january 1989 to december 1998. During this ten years period 25 cases of malignant hemopathies were diagnosed among 32,789 hospitalised children, representing an hospital prevalence of 0.08 per cent. Mean age at the desease diagnosis was 9.5 years and sex ratio 2.57 (18 boys and 7 girls). The malignant type was acute leukemia (AL) in 11 cases (44%) including 9 cases of of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 2 cases of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML); chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in 2 cases (8%), Hodgkin's desease (HD) in 9 cases (36%) and non hodgkinian lymphoma (NHL) in 3 cases. NHLwere Burkitt type in 2casesand lymphoblastic type in 1 case. Their was no maxillary or facial localisation in Burkitt type lymphoma. The mean duration between the first clinical symptomes and the diagnosis of the disease was 4 months and delayed diagnosis was mainly due to delayed transfer from peripheral health services to hospital. Among 19 patients whose records were available, 17 were subjected to chemotherapy. However reference protocols were completely applyed in only 2 cases, one with HD and an other with lymphoblastic lymphoma. Transfusion managementwas not sufficient because of the lack of blood derived products (packed platelets or leucocytes) when needed. Thirteen patients died while followed up and mean survival after first hospitalisation in these cases was 120 days in ALL, 38 days in AML, 2.5 years in HD and 18 months in NHL The other patients were lost of sight and presumed to be dead at home. Eventually, this study showed that, in our hospital, children with malignant hemopathies did not derive benefit of therapeutic progress enregistered long time ago in developed countries, since they remain constantly lethal. The main factors of lethality could be delayed transfer to hospital because of lack of knowledge about these pathologies in the peripheral health services and poor therapeutic conditions in reference hospitals. Creation of specialised clinical haematology department could enable us to improve the prognosis of these affections by an optimal use of available human and material ressources.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

[Major thrombocytosis associated with severe anemia in children. Diagnosis of 9 cases].

Major thrombocytosis associated with severe anemia is uncommon in pediatrics. We report 9 consecutive cases observed in Albert Royer Children Hospital of Dakar. They were 7 boys and 2 girls 4 to 15 years old (mean age = 10 years). Six patients had a history of geophagia and 3 presented recent emission of worms by the stools. Anemia was clinically well tolerated in all cases. In initial blood count platelet levels varied from 800 10(3) to 1180 10(3)/mm3 (mean = 1032 10(3)/mm3), while hemoglobin level varied from 3.4 to 7.4 g/dl (mean = 4.9 g/dl). Anemia was microcytic, hypochromic and associated with low serum iron level in all patients. We considered the diagnosis of reactive thrombocytosis induced by iron deficient anemia in all cases. Platelet count and red cell indices were progressively normalised with iron treatment and no complication of thrombocytosis was observed. Considering published data, iron deficiency is one of the most frequent causes of reactive thrombocytosis in children. The physiopathologic mechanism, still unknown, could involve cytokines of thrombopoiesis. Reactive thrombocytosis induced by iron deficiency or other factors have usually a benign course and need no specific treatment other than that of the etiology.

Adolescent↗