Intravenous ketamine for severe alcohol use disorder at Moi Teaching & Referral Hospital, Kenya: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder is prevalent globally and in Kenya, and is associated with significant health and socio-economic consequences. Despite this, available pharmacological treatment options are limited. Recent evidence indicates that intravenous (IV) ketamine can be beneficial for the treatment of alcohol use disorder, but is yet to be approved for this indication. Further, little has been done to describe the use of IV ketamine for alcohol use disorder in Africa. The goal of this paper, is to: 1) describe the steps we took to obtain approval and prepare for off-label use of IV ketamine for patients with alcohol use disorder at the second largest hospital in Kenya, and 2) describe the presentation and outcomes of the first patient who received IV ketamine for severe alcohol use disorder at the hospital. CASE PRESENTATION: In preparing for the off-label use of ketamine for alcohol use disorder, we brought together a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians including psychiatrists, pharmacists, ethicists, anesthetists, and members of the drug and therapeutics committee, to spearhead the process. The team developed a protocol for administering IV ketamine for alcohol use disorder that took into account ethical and safety issues. The national drug regulatory authority, the Pharmacy and Poison's Board, reviewed and approved the protocol. Our first patient was a 39-year-old African male with severe alcohol use disorder and comorbid tobacco use disorder and bipolar disorder. The patient had attended in-patient treatment for alcohol use disorder six times and each time had relapsed between one to four months after discharge. On two occasions, the patient had relapsed while on optimal doses of oral and implant naltrexone. The patient received IV ketamine infusion at a dose of 0.71 mg/kg. The patient relapsed within one week of receiving IV ketamine while on naltrexone, mood stabilizers, and nicotine replacement therapy. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS: This case report describes for the first time the use of IV ketamine for alcohol use disorder in Africa. Findings will be useful in informing future research and in guiding other clinicians interested in administering IV ketamine for patients with alcohol use disorder.

Clinical bleeding patterns and management techniques of abnormal uterine bleeding at a teaching and referral hospital in Western Kenya.

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) affects 30% of reproductive age women globally. However, there are limited local studies evaluating the management of these women. The diagnostic guideline using structural and functional causes of AUB adopts the PALM-COEIN criteria, namely: Polyp; Adenomyosis; Leiomyoma; Malignancy and Hyperplasia; Coagulopathy; Ovulatory dysfunction; Endometrial; Iatrogenic; and Not yet classified. This study aimed to determine the clinical bleeding patterns, adherence to PALM-COEIN diagnosis guidelines and management of AUB among women in their reproductive age. This was a cross-sectional study among 108 women with AUB aged 18-45 years was conducted at the gynaecology department of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Western Kenya between April 2018 and April 2019. Their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected using interviewer administered structured questionnaire and chart reviews. Adherence to diagnosis recommendations was assessed using PALM COEIN classification. Descriptive and inferential data analysis was conducted at 95% confidence interval. The median age was 30 (IQR: 22, 41) years with prolonged bleeding as the most predominant pattern at 41.7%. Bleeding patterns were significantly associated with age (p = 0.04). Only 16.7% were diagnosed as per the PALM-COEIN criteria with PALM and COEIN accounting for 60% and 40% respectively. Leiomyoma (44.5%) was the common cause of AUB. Laboratory evaluation included: pregnancy tests, full haemogram, hormonal profile and biopsy. Most (79.6%) of the women had abdominopelvic ultrasound done. Medical management was provided for 78.7% of women. Prolonged bleeding was the most common pattern with medical management preferred. There is need for in-hospital algorithms to ensure adherence to PALM-COEIN guidelines.