[Thrombolysis in pulmonary embolism with high mortality risk: Experience of a cardiology department in sub-Saharan Africa]. / La thrombolyse dans l'embolie pulmonaire à haut risque de mortalité : expérience d'un service de cardiologie d'Afrique Subsaharienne.

INTRODUCTION: High-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) accounts for 5% of total acute PE and is a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate therapeutic management by fibrinolysis. The objective of this work is to describe the experience of thrombolysis in high-risk PE in a cardiology department in Togo. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is an analytical and descriptive study carried out in the cardiology department of the Campus teaching hospital of Lomé over a period of 5 years (August 2012 to July 2017) concerning patients hospitalized for high-risk mortality PE and having undergone streptokinase thrombolysis. RESULTS: Twenty-eight of the 102 PE were at high risk of mortality (27.5%). They were 9 men and 19 women with an average age of 61.9±14.1 years. The mean systolic blood pressure was 65mmHg and 50% of the patients were placed on dobutamine. Thrombolysis was performed in 22 of the 28 patients (78.6%). Eighteen patients had a short protocol and 4 a long protocol. The mortality rate was 32.1% or 13.6% in the thrombolysis PE versus 100% in the non-thrombolysis PE (P=0.01). Causes of death in thrombolysis were persistent shock (2 cases) at the end of thrombolysis and sudden death occurred 1 month after hospitalization. The average hospital stay was 18.8 days. CONCLUSION: The high-risk PE remains today a pathology burdened with heavy mortality. Thrombolysis remains the first treatment to reduce this mortality.

[Prevalence and determinants of the increased carotid intima-media thickness in a population of 1203 black African hypertensive]. / Prévalence et facteurs déterminants de l'épaisseur intima-media carotidienne élevée dans une population de 1203 hypertendus noirs africains.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence and determinants of increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in a population of black hypertensive patients and it influence of on the assessment of their overall cardiovascular risk. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a 16-month, cross-sectional study conducted in the outpatient unit of the cardiology department of the Campus teaching hospital of Lome, and included 1203 hypertensive patients, both sexes, aged 35 years and more. Each patient benefited from a carotid IMT measure. Carotid IMT was increased if it was>0.9mm and the plaque was defined as a carotid IMT>1.2mm. RESULTS: The mean age of our patients was 53.3±10.4 years with a sex ratio of 1.6 in favor of women. The duration of hypertension was less than 5 years in 56.7% and hypertension was grade 1 in 47.7% of cases. The mean carotid IMT was 0.89mm±0.20. The prevalence of the increased carotid IMT was 45.8% and that of an atheroma plaque was 15.8%. Carotid IMT was correlated with age (P˂0.0001), duration of arterial hypertension (P=0.01), history of stroke (P˂0.0001), and presence of left ventricular hypertrophy to cardiac ultrasound (P=0.01). The overall cardiovascular risk was modified after taking into account the carotid IMT. An increase in cardiovascular risk was observed in 30.5% of hypertensive patients. CONCLUSION: Increased carotid intima-media thickness is frequent in Togolese hypertension. The determining factors are age, duration of arterial hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy and stroke. The systematic measurement of the carotid intima-media thickness would better evaluate the overall cardiovascular risk for our patients.

Acute coronary syndromes: epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic characteristics at the Campus teaching hospital of Lome, Togo.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this work was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in the cardiology department of Lome Campus University Hospital in Togo. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a prospective study that consistently included patients hospitalized from 2014 to 2017 for ACS, based on clinical, electrocardiographic, and laboratory findings. RESULTS: Of 1914 patients admitted to the department during the study period, 67 were admitted for ACS, for a 3.5% prevalence. The (M/F) sex ratio was 1.91. Patients' mean age was 60 ± 12 years. The clinical presentation was an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in 71.6% of cases, and non-STEMI in 28.4% of cases, including 18.1% non-Q-wave infarction and 10.3% unstable angina. The mean time to admission after the onset of symptoms was 81.9 ± 124.6 hours. Patients were transported to the hospital by a private vehicle in 82.1% of cases. Thrombolysis was performed for 14.6% of patients (7/48 patients with ACS STEMI), with a success rate of 85.7% (n=6). In-hospital mortality was 10.5% (7/67). This mortality was significantly associated with the interval from onset of symptoms to admission and with the Killip stage. CONCLUSION: Acute coronary syndromes are increasingly common in Togo. They are characterized by a relatively young age and a long delay until admission. Improving the management of these conditions in our countries requires effective primary prevention.