Acute coronary syndrome patterns in the Young: risk factor profile and in-hospital outcomes in a tertiary referral hospital in Kenya.

INTRODUCTION: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) accounts for coronary artery disease (CAD) -related morbidity and mortality. There has been growing concern about the rising incidence of ACS among young individuals globally both in developed and developing countries, including Sub-Saharan Africa. This group's phenotypic characteristics; risk factors and clinical outcomes are not well described. contextual and regional studies are necessary to understand the magnitude of ACS among young Individuals and help highlight challenges and opportunities for improved ACS outcomes in the region. The study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of young individuals hospitalized with ACS and report on in-hospital outcomes. METHODOLOGY: This single-center retrospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. Medical records of all young individuals hospitalized with ACS from 30th June 2020 to 1st May 2023 were reviewed. We defined young individuals as 50 years or below. Categorical variables were reported as frequencies and proportions, and compared with Pearson chi- square or Fisher's exact tests. Continuous variables were reported as means or medians and compared with independent t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests. P- value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among 506 patients hospitalized with ACS, (n = 138,27.2%) were aged 50 years and below. The study population was male (n = 107, 79.9%) and African(n = 82,61.2%) predominant with a median age of 46.5 years (IQR 41.0-50.0). Hypertension (n = 101,75.4%) was noted in most study participants. More than half of the cohort were smokers (n = 69,51.5%) having a family history of premature ASCVD(n = 70,52.2%) and were on lipid-lowering therapy(n = 68,50.7%) prior to presentation. ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was the most common clinical manifestation of ACS (n = 77, 57.5%). Of the significant coronary artery disease (n = 75,56.0%), the majority of the individuals had single vessel disease (n = 60, 80%) with a predilection of left anterior deciding artery(n = 47,62.6%). The Main cause of ACS was atherosclerosis (n = 41,54.6%). The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 46.0 (± 12.4). The in-hospital mortality was (n = 2, 1.5%). CONCLUSION: This study highlights that young individuals contribute to a relatively large proportion of patients presenting with ACS at our center. The most common presentation was STEMI. The principal cause was atherosclerosis. The findings of this study highlight the importance of developing systems of care that enable the early detection of CAD. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were prevalent and modifiable, thus targets of intervention.

The Pattern of Admission, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcomes Among Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Hospital in Tanzania: A 5-Year Retrospective Review.

Introduction: Despite the implementation of complex interventions, ICU mortality remains high and more so in developing countries. The demand for critical care in Sub-Saharan Africa is more than ever before as the region experiences a double burden of rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in the background battle of combating infectious diseases. Limited studies in Tanzania have reported varying factors associated with markedly high rates of ICU mortality. Investigating the burden of ICU care remains crucial in providing insights into the effectiveness and challenges of critical care delivery. Material and Methods: A single-center retrospective study that reviewed records of all medically admitted patients admitted to the ICU of the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam, from 1st October 2018 to 30th April 2023. To define the population in the study, we used descriptive statistics. Patients' outcomes were categorized based on ICU survival. Binary logistic regression was run (at 95% CI and p-value < 0.05) to identify the determinants for ICU mortality. Results: Medical records of 717 patients were reviewed. The cohort was male (n=472,65.8%) and African predominant (n=471,65.7%) with a median age of 58 years (IQR 45.0-71.0). 17.9% of patients did not survive. The highest mortality was noted amongst patients with septic shock (29.3%). The lowest survival was noted amongst patients requiring three organ support (n=12,2.1%). Advanced age (OR 1.02,CI 1.00-1.04), having more than three underlying comorbidities (OR 2.50,CI 1.96-6.60), use of inotropic support (OR 3.58,CI 1.89-6.80) and mechanical ventilation (OR 9.11,CI 4.72-18.11) showed association with increased risk for mortality in ICU. Conclusion: The study indicated a much lower ICU mortality rate compared to similar studies conducted in other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. Advanced age, underlying multiple comorbidities and organ support were associated with ICU mortality. Large multi-center studies are needed to highlight the true burden of critical care illness in Tanzania.

Advancing primary care: Establishing family medicine specialty in Tanzania.

Family medicine has existed as a training pathway through a private university in Tanzania since 2004. As global calls have increased to embrace primary health care as a pathway to ensuring universal health coverage, so has Tanzania recently turned to explore family medicine as a specialty to improve access to comprehensive, high-quality healthcare for her entire population. This article outlines ongoing efforts to define competencies and skills of a family medicine physician in Tanzania, engage government support and open the first public university training programme for family medicine postgraduate education.

Magnitude, Distribution and Contextual Risk Enhancing Predictors of High 10-Year Cardiovascular Risk Among Diabetic Patients in Tanzania.

Introduction: Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. In Diabetics, ASCVD is associated with poor prognosis and a higher case fatality rate compared with the general population. Sub-Saharan Africa is facing an epidemiological transition with ASCVD being prevalent among young adults. To date, over 20 million people have been living with DM in Africa, Tanzania being one of the five countries in the continent reported to have a higher prevalence. This study aimed to identify an individual's 10-year ASCVD absolute risk among a diabetic cohort in Tanzania and define contextual risk enhancing factors. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at the Aga Khan hospital, Mwanza, for a period of 8 months. The hospital is a 42-bed district-level hospital in Tanzania. Individuals 10-year risk was calculated based on the ASCVD 2013 risk calculator by ACC/AHA. Pearson's chi-square or Fischer's exact test was used to compare categorical and continuous variables. Multivariable analysis was applied to determine contextual factors for those who had a high 10-year risk of developing ASCVD. Results: The overall cohort included 573 patients. Majority of the individuals were found to be hypertensive (n = 371, 64.7%) and obese (n = 331, 58%) having a high 10-year absolute risk (n = 343, 60%) of suffering ASCVD. The study identified duration of Diabetes Mellitus (>10 years) (OR 8.15, 95% CI 5.25-14.42), concomitant hypertension (OR 1.82 95% CI 1.06-3.06), Diabetic Dyslipidemia (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.08-1.92) and deranged serum creatinine (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.03) to be the risk enhancing factors amongst our population. Conclusion: The study confirms the majority of diabetic individuals in the lake region of Tanzania to have a high 10-year ASCVD risk. The high prevalence of obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia augments ASCVD risk but provides interventional targets for health-care workers to decrease these alarming projections.

Prevalence & Factors Associated With Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention at a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a minimally-invasive lifesaving intervention for these patients; however, acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication of the procedure commonly occurring due to radiocontrast-induced nephropathy. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional analytical study was carried out at the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam (AKH,D), Tanzania. A total of 227 adults who underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention from August 2014 to December 2020 were enrolled. The AKI was defined based on an increase in absolute and rise in percentage creatinine using the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN), and contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was utilized to analyze factors associated with AKI and the outcomes of these patients. RESULTS: Twenty-two of the 227 (9.7%) participants sustained AKI. The majority of the study population was male and of Asian ethnicity. No statistically significant factors were associated with AKI. The in-hospital mortality rate was 9% for the AKI versus 2% for non-AKI groups. The AKI group had a longer hospital stay and required ICU care and organ support including hemodialysis. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly 1-in-10 patients undergoing PCI are likely to develop AKI. The in-hospital mortality rate is x4.5 times higher for patients with AKI post-PCI compared to those without AKI. Further larger studies are recommended to determine factors associated with AKI in this population.

Severe Crohn's Disease With Intra-abdominal Fistula: First Reported Case From Tanzania.

We describe a case of Crohn's disease occurring in a young Tanzanian female. Crohn's disease is rare in Africa and not encountered normally. The presentation of Crohn's disease overlaps with many other abdominal disorders that are common in an African setting, such as tuberculosis and schistosomiasis. The disease is probably underdiagnosed in Africa due to limitations in diagnostic testing and rarity.

Outcomes of Surgical Tracheostomy on Mechanically Ventilated COVID-19 Patients Admitted to a Private Tertiary Hospital in Tanzania.

OBJECTIVES:  The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in an increase in the number of patients necessitating prolonged mechanical ventilation. Data on patients with COVID-19 undergoing tracheostomy indicating timing and outcomes are very limited. Our study illustrates--- outcomes for surgical tracheotomies performed on COVID-19 patients in Tanzania. METHODS:  This was a retrospective observational study conducted at the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. RESULTS:  Nineteen patients with COVID-19 underwent surgical tracheotomy between 16th March and 31st December 2021. All surgical tracheostomies were performed in the operating theatre. The average duration of intubation prior to tracheotomy and tracheostomy to ventilator liberation was 16 days and 27 days respectively. Only five patients were successfully liberated from the ventilator, decannulated, and discharged successfully. CONCLUSIONS:  This is the first and largest study describing tracheotomy outcomes in COVID-19 patients in Tanzania. Our results revealed a high mortality rate. Multicenter studies in the private and public sectors are needed in Tanzania to determine optimal timing, identification of patients, and risk factors predictive of improved outcomes.

Performance in mortality prediction of SAPS 3 And MPM-III scores among adult patients admitted to the ICU of a private tertiary referral hospital in Tanzania: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Illness predictive scoring systems are significant and meaningful adjuncts of patient management in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). They assist in predicting patient outcomes, improve clinical decision making and provide insight into the effectiveness of care and management of patients while optimizing the use of hospital resources. We evaluated mortality predictive performance of Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS 3) and Mortality Probability Models (MPM0-III) and compared their performance in predicting outcome as well as identifying disease pattern and factors associated with increased mortality. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted to the ICU of the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar- es- Salaam, Tanzania between August 2018 and April 2020. Demographics, clinical characteristics, outcomes, source of admission, primary admission category, length of stay and the support provided with the worst physiological data within the first hour of ICU admission were extracted. SAPS 3 and MPM0-III scores were calculated using an online web-based calculator. The performance of each model was assessed by discrimination and calibration. Discrimination between survivors and non-survivors was assessed by the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) and calibration was estimated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. RESULTS: A total of 331 patients were enrolled in the study with a median age of 58 years (IQR 43-71), most of whom were male (n = 208, 62.8%), of African origin (n = 178, 53.8%) and admitted from the emergency department (n = 306, 92.4%). In- hospital mortality of critically ill patients was 16.1%. Discrimination was very good for all models, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve for SAPS 3 and MPM0-III was 0.89 (95% CI [0.844-0.935]) and 0.90 (95% CI [0.864-0.944]) respectively. Calibration as calculated by Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed good calibration for SAPS 3 and MPM0-III with Chi- square values of 4.61 and 5.08 respectively and P-Value > 0.05. CONCLUSION: Both SAPS 3 and MPM0-III performed well in predicting mortality and outcome in our cohort of patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a private tertiary hospital. The in-hospital mortality of critically ill patients was lower compared to studies done in other intensive care units in tertiary referral hospitals within Tanzania.

Factors Associated with Mortality Among Hospitalized Adults with COVID-19 Pneumonia at a Private Tertiary Hospital in Tanzania: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused millions of deaths worldwide. There has been paucity of data for hospitalized African patients suffering from COVID-19. This study aimed to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients suffering from COVID-19 in Tanzania. METHODS: This was a single center, retrospective, observational cohort study in adult patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Demographics, clinical pattern, laboratory and radiological investigations associated with increased odds of mortality were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 157 patients, 107 (68.1%) patients survived and 50 (31.8%) died. Mortality was highest in patients suffering with severe (26%) and critical (68%) forms of the disease. The median age of the cohort was 52 years (IQR 42-61), majority of patients were male (86%) and of African origin (46%), who presented with fever (69%), cough (62%) and difficulty in breathing (43%). Factors that were associated with mortality among our cohort were advanced age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03-1.11), being overweight and obese (OR 9.44, 95% CI 2.71-41.0), suffering with severe form of the disease (OR 4.77, 95% CI 1.18-25.0) and being admitted to the HDU and ICU (OR 6.68, 95% CI 2.06-24.6). CONCLUSION: The overall in-hospital mortality was 31.8%. Older age, obesity, the severe form of the disease and admission to the ICU and HDU were major risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality.

Smart Watch Detection of Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT): First Case from Tanzania.

Smartwatches like the Apple Watch have been on the rise worldwide and their use is gaining popularity in developing countries. Their ability to detect dysrhythmias is well documented. Present practice discourages the use of these devices as a diagnostic tool. Nevertheless, atypical findings from these devices should be clinically investigated. This case demonstrates an eventual diagnosis of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) based on an Apple watch alert which was subsequently confirmed by electrophysiological evaluation.

Postoperative subcutaneous emphysema following percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A rare complication.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a common urological procedure performed for complicated upper urinary tract stones. The advantages of PCNL include lower morbidity and mortality rates and quicker recovery compared to traditional open surgery. A number of complications have been reported which can be life threatening. Here we present a case of 71 years old lady, who developed subcutaneous emphysema following PCNL.

A Rare Case of Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasm of the Pancreas.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of pancreas (SPN) is a rare entity. It is almost exclusively seen in females within the second and third decades of life with only small minority affecting children. Due to the paucity of the number of cases seen, the natural history of the disease is not fully understood. SPN tumors of the pancreas are usually found incidentally and usually have an excellent prognosis. We herein present a case of a 33-year-old lady diagnosed with SPN, who presented with abdominal fullness, two weeks post cesarean section.

Case Report: Sudden Splenic Rupture in a Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Patient.

Spontaneous splenic rupture is a rare and life-threatening complication of severe malaria. It demands particular attention since delayed or missed diagnosis can be potentially fatal. The exact incidence is unknown largely due to underreporting. Acute malarial infection accounts for most of the spontaneous splenic rupture. Plasmodium vivax has been associated with the majority of them; however, on rare occasion, other Plasmodium infections have also resulted in splenic rupture. We report the case of a 74-year-old male who was diagnosed with severe malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) infection and developed an acute abdomen while on treatment due to spontaneous splenic rupture which necessitated emergency splenectomy.

Postoperative myocardial injury in a patient with left ureteric stone and asymptomatic COVID-19 disease.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first identified on 8thDecember 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China, and has since spread globally to become an emergency of international concern. Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be asymptomatic or present with symptoms ranging from mild clinical manifestations: such as fever, cough, and sore throat to moderate and severe form of the disease such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In some patients, SARS-CoV-2 can affect the heart and cause myocardial injury which is evidenced either by electrocardiographic (ECG) changes or by a rise in serum troponin level. Patients with myocardial involvement are generally at risk of developing severe illness and tend to have a poor outcome. We hereby present a case of a hypertensive male patient with undiagnosed, asymptomatic COVID-19, who underwent an emergency urologic procedure for ureteric calculi. He eventually sustained a postoperative myocardial injury resulting in his demise. This case highlights the importance of detailed preoperative assessment and anticipation of complications during this global pandemic.

Invasive liver abscess syndrome caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae: first Tanzanian experience.

Over the past 20 years there has been growing awareness of community-acquired primary liver abscess caused by strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) especially in patients of Asian descent, a minority of which are characterized by metastatic spread. A common and frequent destructive complication is endophthalmitis as well as the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS), causing suppurative meningitis or brain abscess. Here we report a case of invasive liver abscess caused by K. pneumoniae in an Asian patient who presented to our hospital in Tanzania with bilateral lower limb swelling for 6 weeks with acute onset of difficulty in breathing.

Endobronchial Tuberculosis: A Rare Presentation.

Endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB) is an infection of the tracheobronchial tree by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is common among young females. Patient can present with fever, cough, wheeze, with or without any constitutional symptoms. It presents as a diagnostic dilemma, as patient sputum smear can be false negative. CT scan may or may not show any abnormality, or any endobronchial lesion. Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and biopsy offers the diagnostic choice. We hereby report a case of a young immunocompetent Asian female who was found to have endobronchial pathology, leading to diagnosis and timely therapy.

Disseminated Carcinomatosis of Bone Marrow in an African Man with Metastatic Descending Colon Carcinoma.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is ranked third worldwide and seventh in Tanzania. The liver and lungs are the most commonly involved sites. Disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow (DCBM) from colorectal carcinoma is rare and typically indicates widespread disease and poor prognosis. We report a case of a 40-year-old African male, who presented to us with abdominal distension, weight loss, fever and change in bowel habit over the past month. He underwent colonoscopy which revealed a necrotic mass in the descending colon. Biopsies were taken, and histopathology confirmed the presence of poorly differentiated mucin-producing adenocarcinoma. The patient suffered a colonic perforation after the fifth cycle of chemotherapy, requiring surgical interventions. Patient's course was complicated by pancytopenia and bone marrow biopsy revealed infiltration by non-hematopoietic malignant cells and bone marrow necrosis. Disseminated carcinomatosis of the bone marrow is a rare and fatal condition; hence high level of clinical suspicion may help in detecting this rare manifestation of colorectal cancer.

COVID-19 and stroke in sub-Saharan Africa: case series from Dar es Salaam.

Low and middle-income countries including those in sub-Saharan (SSA) Africa are experiencing a steady increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. To the best of our knowledge, reports of COVID-19 related strokes are scarce in SSA. The peculiar situation of stroke care in SSA makes COVID-19 associated stroke a bothersome entity as it adds other dynamics that tilt the prognostic balance. We present a case series of COVID -19 related stroke in 3 patients from Tanzania. We emphasized protected code stroke protocol.