[Electrocardiographic findings related to young Senegalese basketball players]. / Aspects électrocardiographiques de jeunes basketteurs sénégalais.

Intensive and prolonged practice of sport can lead to cardiovascular and electrocardiographic changes. The purpose of this study was to describe the electrocardiographic changes in some young black Senegalese players practicing competitive basketball. We conducted a prospective descriptive analysis of surface electrocardiogram (ECG) findings related to young Senegalese Black players practicing competitive basketball. The study involved 40 young basketball players, 20 girls and 20 boys, whose average age was 17 ± 0.86 years (ranging from 17 to 19 years) and 15 ± 1.56 years (ranging from 13 to 18 years) respectively. Heart rate was lower among boys, 59 beats ± 9 beats (ranging from 42 to 85) than among girls 73 beats/ min ± 11 beats (ranging from 50 to 95) (p = 0.0004). The following features have been observed: repolarization abnormalities such as T-wave inversion V1-V4 in 3 cases (7.5%), right ventricular hypertrophy in 1 case (2.5%), right axis deviation (QRS axis) in 1 case (2.5%). Intensive and prolonged practice of basketball leads to electrocardiographic changes in the young black Senegalese players.

[Poorly tolerated atrial tachycardia in a newborn: a case study]. / La tachycardie atriale mal tolérée du nouveau-né: à propos d'un cas.

Poorly tolerated cardiac rhythm disorders in the newborn are a real emergency requiring early and adequate management. We here report the case of 15-day old newborn with atrial tachycardia associated with acute heart failure requiring electrical cardioversion.

[Poorly tolerated broad QRS complex tachycardia in a newborn]. / Une tachycardie à QRS large mal tolérée chez un nourrisson.

Poorly tolerated broad QRS complex tachycardia in a newborn poses problems with its diagnosis and emergency management. We report the case of a 35-day-old newborn with broad QRS complex tachycardia admitted because of cardiocirculatory distress. Doppler echocardiography showed morphologically normal heart. The patient received a loading dose of amiodarone but it didn't attenuate tachycardia. Normal sinus rhythm was restored after cardioversion through Lifeline semi-automatic external defibrillator. Maintenance therapy was based on oral amiodarone. The patient had normal sinus rhythm at 03 months of follow-up.

[The prevalence of symptomatic infantile heart disease at Louga Regional Hospital, Senegal]. / Prevalence des cardiopathies infantiles symptomatiques au Centre Hospitalier Régional de Louga, Senegal.

The management of congenital or acquired infantile heart diseases in sub-Saharan African countries still presents problems, particularly with diagnosis and access to surgical treatment. Our objectives were to describe the heart diseases observed in the paediatric setting of the Louga Regional Hospital (LRH) and report their short-term evolution. In the study period from 1 July 2009 to 31 December 2012, 82 children out of 18,815 presented with heart disease, which was a prevalence of 4.3/1,000. There was a female predominance, with a ratio of 1.2. The most frequent presenting conditions were dyspnoea at 47.5%, followed by heart murmurs at 35.3%, and congestive heart failure at 13.4%. Congenital heart diseases were the most frequent, representing 69.5% of the cases, followed by acquired heart diseases at 29.3%, and mixed-type cases at 1.2%. The most frequently encountered congenital heart diseases were ventricular septal defect (24.4%), followed by atrioventricular septal defect (12.2%), tetralogy of Fallot (9.8%) and patent ductus arteriosus (7.3%). Acquired heart disease was represented by rheumatic heart disease, found in 25.6% of the cases, and tuberculous pericarditis in 3.7%. The mortality rate was high, with 20 children dying (24.4%) during the study period. Only 13 out of 82 patients (15.9%) were operable and surgery was carried out in France, courtesy of the association Humanitarian Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque. Infantile heart diseases were therefore not very frequent in the paediatric unit of Louga Regional Hospital. However, congenital heart disease was more frequent than acquired heart disease, with a high mortality rate. Access to surgery remains limited.