The good life in rural and urban Senegal: A qualitative and quantitative study.

Very few studies have analyzed the influence of the environment, rural or urban, on the notion of good life and subjective well-being in sub-Saharan Africa and none, to our knowledge, has combined qualitative and quantitative methodologies for this purpose. The objectives of this interdisciplinary study were: a) to understand the emic representations of the good life in rural and urban Senegal and; b) to compare the levels and determinants of satisfaction with life between these two populations. This study was carried out in Dakar and in a very isolated rural area in the North East of Senegal: the sylvo-pastoral zone of Ferlo. A total of six focus groups were conducted for the qualitative phase, while the quantitative phase was conducted on representative samples of the populations living in Dakar (N = 1000) and Téssékéré (N = 500). Our results indicate that, against all expectations, life satisfaction is better in the Senegalese Ferlo than in the capital, Dakar. This difference may be the joint result of less meaningful social comparisons and a relationship with nature as a source of stress restoration in rural areas. However, the lifeworld of the rural Fulani of the Ferlo is being undermined by global climatic disturbances, which imposes rapid adaptations of pastoralism; otherwise this activity, that is not only subsistence but also identity-based, may disappear.

The burden of erectile dysfunction in dialysis patients in Senegal.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is very common in dialysis patients because of organic and psychological risk factors. It has a negative impact on patients' quality of life. In Senegal, ED is assumed to be frequent in the general adult population but its prevalence in dialysis patients is unknown. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with ED in Senegalese dialysis patients. Seventy dialyzed men >18 years old were included. Erectile dysfunction was assessed using the abridged version of International Index of Erectile Function already validated in dialysis patients. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with ED in patients. The mean age of the patients was 52 ± 11.3 years (21-70 years) and the median dialysis vintage was 39.4 months (interquartile range 9-51 months). The prevalence of ED was 81.5% for all patients (80% in hemodialysis and 81.75% in peritoneal dialysis). Severe ED was found in 11.5% of patients. The prevalence of ED was 74.5% in patients younger than 50 years and 86.6% in those 50 years or older. Marital status, comorbidity, hemoglobin level, and use of antihypertensive drugs were not different between patients with and without ED. Libido was conserved in 77% of patients and 44.7% were not satisfied during sexual intercourse. Multivariate analysis identified age and dialysis vintage as risk factors of ED in our patients. Only 7 patients received treatment for ED and 22% sought a consultation with a specialist (urologist and psychologist).

Current indication of plasma exchanges in nephrology: a systematic review.

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has been firstly performed with centrifugation devices used in blood banking procedures. Nowadays, TPE is increasingly performed in intensive care units using hemodiafiltration generators that ensure better efficiency and simplicity. However, prescription for the different medical pathologies depends on weak evidence-based recommendations, and is often guided by the clinician's own experience. In this review, we briefly recall the rationale of TPE prescription before discussing the evidence level of common indications of TPE in nephrology. Currently, strong evidence-based data for the benefit of TPE is clearly demonstrated in renal diseases such as hemolytic uremic syndrome, anti-glomerular basement membrane vasculitis, and recurrent glomerulonephritis after kidney transplantation and management of humoral renal allograft rejection in high-risk recipients. However, the other indications of TPE, such as renal vasculitis associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, mixed cryoglobulinemia, periarteritis nodosa, and acute renal failure in myeloma are still controversial. Finally, TPE have been found to be clearly inefficient in lupus nephritis, except for patients with associated thrombotic mic-roangiopathy or catastrophic antiphospholipid antibodies syndrome. More randomized clinical trials are required to precisely place TPE in the management of renal diseases. Meanwhile, the decision to use this burdensome and costly therapy should be individualized according to its proven benefits and potential complications.