Experience de la premiere formation medicale continue en echographie destinee aux medecins generalistes et sages-femmes a l'UFR des sciences de la sante de Saint-Louis

Introduction. L'echographie est une modalite d'imagerie medicale non irradiante avec une innocuite parfaite. Ce travail rapporte la premiere experience de formation en echographie a l'UFR des sciences de la sante de Saint-Louis. L'objectif etait de renforcer les connaissances et savoir-faire en echographie de 11 medecins generalistes et 11 sages-femmes. Methode La formation s'est deroulee sur 13 semaines; avec un tronc commun portant sur les connaissances de base; et la pratique de l'echographie gyneco-obstetricale. A la fin du tronc commun; les sages-femmes debutaient les stages et les medecins poursuivaient la formation en echographie abdomino-pelvienne avant leurs stages. Des tests ont precede et cloture la partie theorique qui s'est deroulee sous forme d'exposes illustres d'images et cas pratiques. L'evaluation reposait sur le nombre d'objectifs atteint et l'assiduite. Resultats : 19 apprenants sur 22 ont valide la formation. Entre le pre-test et le Post-test; il y'avait chez les sages-femmes une progression de la moyenne de 66;6 et de 85;7 chez les medecins. L'assiduite etait satisfaisante. Le meilleur score d'objectif atteint chez une sage-femme etait de 100; et le score minimale chez elles etait de 85;5; avec une moyenne de 97;1 et un ecart type de 4;6. Chez les medecins le meilleur score etait de 95; le plus faible etait de 4;8 avec une moyenne de 72 et un ecart type de 3;1.Conclusion : Cette experience enclenche le processus de regionalisation de la formation medicale continue dans les universites senegalaises facilitant l'acces aux agents de sante a la formation medicale continue

[Etiologic factors of prematurity in Ziguinchor maternity hospital center (Senegal)]. / Facteurs étiologiques de la prématurité au centre hospitalier régional de Ziguinchor, Sénégal.

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.

[Adolescent reproductive health in Senegal: situation and care strategies]. / Sante de la reproduction des adolescents au Senegal: situation et strategies de prise en charge.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent reproductive health is a public health concern in Senegal because of early sexuality and fecondity and its consequences. The objectives of this study is to address key issues of adolescent reproductive health and interventions in order to give recommendations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this review article, data collection was performed from work carried out in Sénégal and related to adolescent reproductive health. Thus, aspects related to sexuality and its consequences in adolescent health have been studied. Also, interventions which address adolescent reproductive health have been highlighted. RESULTS: Adolescents represent the quater of the population in Senegal. They are faced with h ealth issues related to early pregnancies, unsafe abortion, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection. Despite these remarks, adolescents hardly use health services because of stigmatisation, shame, fear or because of health providers attitudes. Several interventions have been launched and implemented. They have included sensibilisation, information, education and services provision in structures specially reserved for adolescents and youth. CONCLUSION: Several research studies and interventions have been done in adolescent reproductive health. However, few of them have been published in peer review journals. During adolescence, continuous actions with an holistic approach should be taken to address adolescent health issues and development.

Polyphasic characterization of rhizobia that nodulate Phaseolus vulgaris in West Africa (Senegal and Gambia).

Fifty-eight new isolates were obtained from root nodules of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivated in soils originating from different agroecological areas in Senegal and Gambia (West Africa). A polyphasic approach including both phenotypic and genotypic techniques was used to study the diversity of the 58 Rhizobium isolates and to determine their taxonomic relationships with reference strains. All the techniques performed, analysis of multilocus enzyme electrophoretic patterns, SDS-PAGE profiles of total cell proteins, PCR-RFLP analysis of the genes encoding 16S rRNA and of the 16S-23S RNA intergenic spacer region (ITS-PCR-RFLP), auxanographic tests using API galleries and nodulation tests lead to the consensus conclusion that the new rhizobial isolates formed two main distinct groups, I and II, belonging to Rhizobium tropici type B and Rhizobium etli, respectively. By MLEE R. etli and group II strains showed several related electrophoretic types, evidencing some extent of internal heterogeneity among them. This heterogeneity was confirmed by other techniques (ITS-PCR-RFLP, SDS-PAGE and host-plant-specificity) with the same nine distinct strains of group II showing some differences from the core of group II (54 strains).

Differential localization of arabinan and galactan side chains of rhamnogalacturonan 1 in cambial derivatives.

The development of pectin structural features during the differentiation of cambial derivatives was investigated in aspen (Populus tremula L. x P. tremuloides Michx.) using biochemical and immunocytochemical methods. Comparisons were also made between active and resting tissues. Active tissues, in particular cambial cells and phloem derivatives, were characterized by a high pectin content. Use of antibodies raised against arabinan side chains of rhamnogalacturonan 1 (LM6), as well as biochemical analysis, revealed an obvious decrease from the cortex to the differentiating xylem. Galactan side chains, detected with LM5 antibodies, were present mainly in the cambial zone and enlarging xylem cells. In contrast, they were totally absent from sieve-tube cell walls. Image analysis of LM5 immunogold labelling in the cambial zone showed a clustered distribution of galactan epitopes in the radial walls, a distribution which might result from the association of two different periodic processes, namely the exocytosis of galactan and wall expansion. Cessation of cambial activity was characterized by cell wall thickening accompanied by a sharp decrease in the relative amount of pectin and a lowering of the degree of methylesterification. The data provide evidence that the walls of phloem and xylem cells differ in their pectin composition even at a very early stage of commitment. These differences offer useful tools for identifying the initial cells among their immediate neighbours.

[Effect and mechanism of action of Tinospora bakis roots on biliary secretion using in vivo models]. / Etude de l'effet et du mécanisme d'action des racines de Tinospora bakis sur la sécrétion biliaire àpartir de modèles in vivo.

The aim of this study is to determine the choleretic properties of lyophilized aqueous extract of Tinospora bakis roots. For thus, we have used healthy and cholestatic Wistar rats. After administration of the extract (4 mg/100 g of weight) biliary flow, biliary acids flow, biliary glutathione and glucose concentrations were measured by specific methods. Comparative results between treated rats and non treated rats show: For healthy rats: a significant increase of biliary flow, biliary acids flow in the group of treated rats versus non treated healthy rats. There were no significant difference in the glutathione and glucose concentrations. For cholestatic rats: we noted also significant increase of biliary flow, biliary acids flow and glutathione concentration in the treated rats group. These results suggest that Tinospora bakis has a choleretic effect in vivo which depends on biliary acids and/or glutathione concentration.

Traditional tea drinking in Senegal. A real source of fluoride intake for the population.

Tea drinking after meals is a traditional practice in Senegal where more than 80% of the population from 15 to 60 years old drink tea. According to the tradition, in one session, each tea consumer has to drink 3 cups of decocted tea. The content of a cup is about 30 ml of liquid. Some people drink tea three times daily, that is to say after each meal. Tea plant is rich in fluoride. To determine the effective intake of the Senegalese population from this source, we measured the fluoride concentration not only for each component of the prepared tea but also for each cup of prepared tea. For this study, we used the two main kinds of tea existing locally. The analyses have been done at Rochester, NY Eastman Dental Center, Oral Biology Dept Fluoride Laboratory using the Taves Microdiffusion Method and the fluoride Ion Specific Electrode. The results so that the mean total fluoride concentration of each cup, from the first to the third one, is: 4.0 mg F-/L, 7.436 mg F-/L and 1.230 mg F-/L. It means that on an average in one session, a Senegalese tea consumer has a daily fluoride intake of 1.139 mg F-/L when taking in count the total fluoride and drinking only 90 ml of tea. If we consider the ionic fluoride the amount of daily ingested fluoride for someone who takes only 3 tea-pots of 30 ml each, is 0.830 mg. To conclude, we state that this traditional practice may have a caries preventive effect. Further studies will be grateful for that practice when setting up a caries preventive program in our country. We will also be careful in extending that practice to children less than 8 years old because it might cause dental fluorosis as in Senegal the optimal dose of fluoride is 0.8 mg F-/L.