UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY FINDINGS IN PATIENTS REFERRED WITH UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS IN ELDORET, KENYA: A RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW.

BACKGROUND: Dyspepsia is one of the major indications for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Other indications include dysphagia, odynophagia and gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopy is an expensive procedure that is out of reach of many patients in resource constrained region such as western Kenya. We reviewed endoscopy records from both public and private health institutions spanning ten years. OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern of referral and endoscopy diagnoses in patients referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in Eldoret, Kenya. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, private hospitals and private clinics in Eldoret, Kenya. SUBJECTS: One thousand six hundred and ninety (1690) Patients who underwent upper GI endoscopy from 1993 to 2003 were reviewed after obtaining clearances from the respective institutions. Information on age, sex, symptoms, and endoscopy diagnosis were extracted and subjected to statistical analysis. RESULTS: The most common symptom was dyspepsia in 1059 (62.7%) followed by dysphagia in 224 (13.3%). Others were referred with diagnosis of cancer of the stomach or oesophagus. Common endoscopy diagnoses were cancer of the oesophagus in 199 (11.8%) and duodenal ulcer in 186 (11.0%). The majority of the patients (30.4%) had normal endoscopy findings. Of the 1059 patients with dyspepsia, only 154 (14.5%) had duodenal ulcer and 34 (3.2%) had gastric ulcers, the majority, 37.2% had normal endoscopy findings. CONCLUSION: Dyspepsia was main reason for referral, but the majority of such patients had normal findings. Cancer of the oesophagus was the main diagnosis in patients with dysphagia. In view of the cost of endoscopy, only those with dyspepsia and alarm symptoms be referred for the procedure.

Risk factors for death in HIV-infected adult African patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors for death in HIV-infected African patients on anti-retroviral therapy (ART). DESIGN: Retrospective Case-control study. SETTING: The MOH-USAID-AMPATH Partnership ambulatory HIV-care clinics in western Kenya. RESULTS: Between November 2001 and December 2005 demographic, clinical and laboratory data from 527 deceased and 1054 living patients receiving ART were compared to determine independent risk factors for death. Median age at ART initiation was 38 versus 36 years for the deceased and living patients respectively (p<0.0148). Median time from enrollment at AMPATH to initiation of ART was two weeks for both groups while median time on ART was eight weeks for the deceased and fourty two weeks for the living (p<0.0001). Patients with CD4 cell counts <100/mm3 were more likely to die than those with counts >100/mm3 (HR=1.553. 95% CI (1.156, 2.087), p<0.003). Patients attending rural clinics had threefold higher risk of dying compared to patients attending clinic at a tertiary referral hospital (p<0.0001). Two years after initiating treatment fifty percent of non-adherent patients were alive compared to 75% of adherent patients. Male gender, WHO Stage and haemoglobin level <10 grams% were associated with time to death while age, marital status, educational level, employment status and weight were not. CONCLUSION: Profoundly immunosuppressed patients were more likely to die early in the course of treatment. Also, patients receiving care in rural clinics were at greater risk of dying than those receiving care in the tertiary referral hospital.

Human cryptosporidiosis: a review.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of risk factors, presentation and management of human cryptosporidium infection. DATA SOURCES: Literature review was obtained through PubMed search. DATA SELECTION: Published articles on the taxonomy of Cryptosporidium and the epidemiology, clinical presentation and management of cryptosporidiosis were reviewed. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Abstracts and complete articles relevant to the objective were selected, read and analysed to extract information for this article. CONCLUSIONS: Human cryptosporidiosis is a severe diarrhoeal disease in malnourished children and immuno-compromised adults in whom it confers poor prognosis. Management is mainly supportive as drug therapy remains elusive. Fortunately the prevalence in AIDS patients is declining due to the widespread use of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).

Determinants in HIV counselling and testing in couples in North Rift Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) has been shown to be an acceptable and effective tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Couple HIV Counselling and Testing (CHCT) however, is a relatively new concept whose acceptance and efficacy is yet to be determined. OBJECTIVE: To describe factors that motivate couples to attend VCT as a couple. DESIGN: A cross sectional qualitative study. SETTING: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Moi University, School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya SUBJECTS: Seventy one individuals were interviewed during KII (9) and dyad interviews (31 couples). Ten FGDs involving a total of 109 individuals were held. RESULTS: Cultural practices, lack of CHCT awareness, stigma and fear of results deter CHCT utilisation. Location of centre where it is unlikely to be associated with HIV testing, qualified professional staff and minimal waiting times would enhance CHCT utilisation. CONCLUSIONS: CHCT as a tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS in this region of Kenya is feasible as the factors that would deter couples are not insurmountable.

Causes of delay in diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients attending a referral hospital in Western Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the length of delays from onset of symptoms to initiation of treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Chest/TB clinic, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Eldoret, Kenya. SUBJECTS: Newly diagnosed smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty patients aged between 12 and 80 (median; 28.5) years were included in the study. They comprised 148 (64.3%, median 30 years) males and 82 (35.7%, median 28 years) females. One hundred and two (44%) came from urban and 128 (56%) came from rural setting covering a median distance of 10 (range 0-100) kilometres and paying Kshs 20 (range 0-200) to facility. Cough was the commonest symptom reported by 228 (99.1%) of the patients followed by chest pain in 214 (80%). The mean patient delay was 11 +/- 17 weeks (range: 1-78 weeks) with no significant difference between males and females, the mean system delay was 3 +/- 5 weeks (range: 0-39 weeks). The median patient, health systems and total delays were 42, 2, and 44 days respectively for all the patients. Marital status, being knowledgeable about TB, distance to clinic and where help is sought first had significant effect on patient delay. CONCLUSION: Patient delay is the major contributor to delay in diagnosis and initiation of treatment of PTB among our patients. Therefore TB control programmes in this region must emphasise patient education regarding symptoms of tuberculosis and timely health seeking behaviour.

Admission characteristics, diagnoses and outcomes of HIV-infected patients registered in an ambulatory HIV-care programme in western Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: To determine admissions diagnosis and outcomes of HIV-infected patients attending AMPATH ambulatory HIV-care clinics. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Academic Model for Prevention and Treatment of HIV/ AIDS (AMPATH) ambulatory HIV-care clinic in western Kenya. RESULTS: Between January 2005 and December 2006, 495 HIV-infected patients enrolled in AMPATH were admitted. Median age at admission was 38 years (range: 19-74), 62% females, 375 (76%) initiated cART a median 56 days (range: 1-1288) before admission. Majority (53%) had pre-admission CD4 counts <100 cells/ml and 23% had counts >200 cells/ml. Common admissions diagnoses were: tuberculosis (27%); pneumonia (15%); meningitis (11%); diarrhoea (11%); malaria (6%); severe anaemia (4%); and toxoplasmosis (3%). Deaths occurred in 147 (30%) patients who enrolled at AMPATH a median 44 days (range: 1-711) before admission and died a median 41 days (range: 1-713) after initiating cART. Tuberculosis (27%) and meningitis (14%) were the most common diagnoses in the deceased. Median admission duration was six days (range: 1-30) for deceased patients and eight days (range: 1-44) for survivors (P=0.0024). Deceased patients enrolled in AMPATH or initiated cART more recently, had lower CD4 counts and were more frequently lost to follow-up than survivors (P<0.05 for each comparison). Initiation of cART before admission and clinic appointment adherence were independent predictors of survival. CONCLUSION: Although high mortality rate is seen in HIV-infected in-patients, those initiating cART before admission were more likely to survive.

Stakeholders perception of HIV sero-discordant couples in western Kenya.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the perceptions of key stakeholders regarding the counselling needs of HIV sero-discordant couples as part of preparation for a clinical trial involving HIV sero-discordant couples. DESIGN: Qualitative study using key informant and couple interviews. SETTING: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). SUBJECTS: A purposive sample of nine key informants and 31 couple interviews totaling 71 participants. The couple interviews consisted of HIV untested, HIV concordant (positive and negative) and discordant couples. RESULTS: Seventy one individuals participated in nine key informant and 31 couple interviews. The responses identified the following as key issues in counselling HIV discordant couples: The need for education on the meaning of HIV sero-discordancy including potential sources of infection; assistance in disclosing HIV test results to one's partner; discussion of the stigma surrounding formula feeding. Overall, the participants supported safer sexual practices in discordant partnerships. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial support of HIV sero-discordant couples should include messages about the meaning, mechanisms and implications of sero-discordancy. Culturally appropriate HIV-disclosure and safer sex messages are also needed to support these partnerships.

Glycaemic responses after ingestion of some local foods by non-insulin dependent diabetic subjects.

Fifteen non-insulin dependent diabetic volunteers, aged 51 +/- 3.9 years, were studied over a two month period to determine their glycaemic responses to various local foods. They were all on chlorpropamide and one subject was removed from analysis due to concurrent use of insulin. They received on separate occasions two servings of white bread, one serving of: brown bread, white lice, English potatoes, maize meal, millet and cassava each. Each meal contained 50 g of carbohydrate. A total of 107 glucose tolerance tests (GTTs) were performed and the glycaemic index (GI) for each food calculated. The mean blood sugars at 0,60 and 120 minutes were comparable for each food, and the peak rise occurred at 60 minutes. The highest rise (4.0 mmol/I) was seen with millet porridge. The highest GI was seen with white rice and the lowest with English potatoes (159.9 and 34.3 respectively). Overall, the cereals conferred higher GIs than the root vegetables. The GIs of English potatoes, maize meal, millet and cassava significantly differed from that of white bread. It is concluded that, using GIs, dietary guidelines comprising locally available and affordable foods can be made.

Dyspepsia: preliminary experience with upper gastrointestinal fibreoptic endoscopy in Eldoret.

Fibreoptic oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) was performed on 45 dysplastic patients suspected of having peptic ulcer (PU). Evidence of PU was found in 39.9% and no abnormality was detected in 60%. Epigastric pain alone (62.2%) and with vomiting (15.5%) were the major reasons for suspecting PU. There were no complications arising from the procedure. It is concluded that OGD is a safe procedure which should be made more available and that the pattern of PUD in Eldoret is similar to that in Nairobi.

Cardiovascular features in adolescents and adults with sickle cell anaemia.

Fifty five sickle cell anaemia (SCA) patients at the Kenyatta National Hospital were studied with a view to elucidating their cardiovascular status. Their age range was 13 to 27 years (median 18.9 years). They comprised 27 males and 28 females and their mean haemoglobin concentration was 8.5 +/- 1.4 g/dl. Haemoglobin level of 8.0-9.9 g/dl seen in 30 patients was noted to confer the lowest incidence of exertional dyspnoea and palpitation. Similarly, patients with this haemoglobin level had the lowest mean heart rate. The mean blood pressure was 114.9 +/- 9.9 mmHg systolic and 64.6 +/- 10 mmHg diastolic. Blood pressures, ejection fraction (EF) and differential fibre shortening (%D) were found to be directly related to haemoglobin level, whereas cardio-thoracic index (CTI) and left ventricular dimensions were inversely related to haemoglobin level. Mean echocardiographic measurements were within normal limits and left ventricular functions were found to be normal in 80.9% of the patients indicating that the majority of SCA patients at the Kenyatta National Hospital have good cardiac function.

Webuye Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems Baseline Survey of Soil-Transmitted Helminths and Intestinal Protozoa among Children up to Five Years.

Background. The intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are globally endemic, and they constitute the greatest cause of illness and disease worldwide. Transmission of IPIs occurs as a result of inadequate sanitation, inaccessibility to potable water, and poor living conditions. Objectives. To determine a baseline prevalence of IPIs among children of five years and below at Webuye Health and Demographic Surveillance (HDSS) area in western Kenya. Methods. Cross-sectional survey was used to collect data. Direct saline and formal-ether-sedimentation techniques were used to process the specimens. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as Chi-square statistics were used to analyze the data. Results. A prevalence of 52.3% (417/797) was obtained with the male child slightly more infected than the female (53.5% versus 51%), but this was not significant (χ (2) = 0.482, P > 0.05). Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica were the most common pathogenic IPIs with a prevalence of 26.1% (208/797) and 11.2% (89/797), respectively. Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) were less common with a prevalence of 4.8% (38/797), 3.8% (30/797), and 0.13% (1/797) for Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworms, and Trichuris trichiura, respectively. Conclusions. Giardia lamblia and E. histolytica were the most prevalent pathogenic intestinal protozoa, while STHs were less common. Community-based health promotion techniques are recommended for controlling these parasites.

A randomized open label clinical trial to compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous quinine followed by oral malarone vs. intravenous quinine followed by oral quinine in the treatment of severe malaria.

The treatment of patients with severe malaria in sub-Saharan Africa has become a challenge to clinicians due to poor compliance to quinine and the increasing multidrug resistance to antimalarials by the P. falciparum parasite. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety profile of two truncated antimalarial regimens of intravenous quinine followed by oral Malarone (Malarone arm) with intravenous quinine followed by oral quinine (quinine arm) in the treatment of severe P. falciparum malaria. The outcome measures were parasite clearance time, fever clearance time, efficacy, and adverse events profile. Consecutive patients aged 1-60 years, with a diagnosis of severe malaria with positive blood smears for P. falciparum parasites and admitted to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital were randomized into the two study arms. Of the 360 patients studied 167 and 193 cases were randomized into the Malarone and quinine arms, respectively. Of the five (1.4 per cent) patients who died, three came from the quinine arm. The frequency of adverse reactions was higher in the oral quinine group (31.6 per cent) than in the Malarone group (25.7 per cent). The mean parasite clearance time was 120 h and 108 h for the quinine and Malarone arms of the study, respectively, and the mean fever clearance times were 84 h and 72 h for the quinine and Malarone arms, respectively (p=0.1). Truncated therapeutic regimen using malarone after intravenous quinine is safer and as effective as conventional intravenous quinine followed by oral quinine in the treatment of severe malaria. The P. falciparum recrudescence rate was lower with the use of Malarone than for quinine.