[Human African trypanosomiasis: description of two pediatric cases in Yaoundé, Cameroon]. / Trypanosomiase humaine africaine: à propos de deux cas pédiatriques à Yaoundé, Cameroun.

During the first decades of the 20th century, about 45% of deaths in Cameroon were believed to be due to human African trypanosomiasis. Thanks to the screening and treatment campaigns implemented between 1926-1932, a considerable regression of the disease was achieved and, by the 1950s, only a few well-known and delimited foci remained. Today, human African trypanosomiasis is an extremely rare diagnosis, especially in children. The purpose of this report is to describe two cases of neuromeningeal human African trypanosomiasis that were discovered coincidentally in two children, ages 12 and 2 years. The children were from two villages in the center of Cameroon that is not considered as a known endemic focus. These two cases raise difficult questions about the possibility of latent endemic foci of human African trypanosomiasis and of animal-to-human transmission. The outcome was favorable in the first case and fatal in the second.

Assessment of gestational age in the Cameroonian newborn infant: a comparison of four scoring methods.

A clinical assessment of gestational age using four different methods was performed in the same population of 358 Cameroonian newborn infants with the aim of determining the most applicable in the local context. Method applicability was compared in terms of validity, accuracy, reliability, and ease of administration. The gestational age ranged from 25 to 44 weeks. The infants were evaluated within 72 h from birth, using the scoring methods of Farr (FSM), Dubowitz (DSM), Ballard (New Ballard Score--NBS) and Eregie (ESM). The DSM was the most valid with a 93 per cent agreement within +/-2 weeks of gestational age by dates followed by the ESM with 92.4 per cent. The NBS and the FSM showed lower validity of 85.6 per cent and 78.3 per cent respectively. The ESM was the most accurate with a mean difference (MD) in weeks (+/-1 SD) between gestational age by method and gestational age by dates of 0.259+/-1.376, followed by the NBS with 0.355+/-1.51. The DSM was fairly accurate with a MD of 0.500+/-1.31, and the FSM the least accurate with a MD of 1.228+/-1.495. The DSM was the most reliable with a high correlation coefficient (r) of 0.94. The NBS and the ESM had comparable reliability with correlation coefficient of 0.93 each. The easiest to administer was the ESM, completed in an average of 41 s, followed by the FSM in 1 min 22 s. The NBS was completed in 2 min 48 s and the DSM in 4 min 28 s. We concluded that the Eregie model has comparable validity and reliability to the Dubowitz score but is more accurate, simple, and very easy to administer. It is therefore recommended where the workload is heavy and health personnel limited, as is the case in developing countries.

[Kangaroo mother care: bibliographical review on the current attitudes, their interests and their limits]. / Les unités et soins kangourou: revue bibliographique sur les attitudes actuelles, leurs intérêts et leurs limites.

Initiated in 1978 by a Colombian team, then largely adapted in industrialized countries as well as in poor developed countries, the kangaroo mother care (KMC) are known to ensure for low birth weight newborn, a thermoregulation, a good physiological stability and a better relational comfort with their parents. The goal of this work is to make a bibliographical review on current concepts, interests and limits of this method. We re-examined impact of the KMC on the basal metabolism, thermoregulation, growth and evolution of these children. They are helpful in the developing countries but medical safety should not be forgotten. In these countries where there's high frequentation of the services, they are able to regulate body temperature and metabolic adaptation of the newborn. In developed countries, KMC contribute to decrease anxiety of parents and improve the relations with their child. However, it is difficult to recommend their use in current practice. Rigorous randomised studies are necessary to argue their establishment in full safety, to know the neuropsychological development and the real somatic growth on the long term of the children and to known their true economic cost.

Clinical trial of beta-arteether versus quinine for the treatment of cerebral malaria in children in Yaounde, Cameroon.

One hundred and two children aged 0-10 years with cerebral malaria (Blantyre coma score of 2 or less) were randomly treated either with intramuscular arteether (3.2 mg/kg on Day 0, followed by 1.6 mg/kg on Days 1 to 4) or intravenous (i.v.) quinine dihydrochloride (20 mg of the salt/kg, followed by 10 mg of the salt/kg every 8 hr up to Day 6). Treatment with oral quinine sulfate (10 mg/kg every 8 hr) was substituted for i.v. quinine when the patient was able to take oral medicine. All patients were followed up in the hospital for 7 days; thereafter, they were treated as outpatients on Days 14, 21, and 28. Mortality rate, the main efficacy parameter, was 11.8% lower in the arteether treatment group than in the quinine group (15.7% versus 27.4%); however, the difference was not significant (P = 0.25). Means for fever clearance time, coma resolution time, and parasite clearance time were similar in the 2 treatment groups (42.2 +/- 34.9 hr; 34.8 +/- 18.8 hr, and 46.3 +/- 28.5 hr, respectively for arteether, versus 45.0 +/- 26.7 hr; 30.3 +/- 18.9 hr, and 40.7 +/- 18.9 hr, respectively, for quinine). At 28 days, the cure rates were 73.2% and 64.9% for the arteether and quinine treatment groups, respectively. Arteether is safe and therapeutically at least as effective as quinine for the treatment of cerebral malaria in children in Cameroon. Because of its ease of administration, arteether appears to be suited for use in the rural zones where monitoring facilities do not exist.

The epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in two Cameroonian villages: Simbok and Etoa.

In support of ongoing immunologic studies on immunity to Plasmodium falciparum, demographic, entomologic, parasitologic, and clinical studies were conducted in two Cameroonian villages located 3 km apart. Simbok (population = 907) has pools of water present year round that provide breeding sites for Anopheles gambiae, whereas Etoa (population = 485) has swampy areas that dry up annually in which A. funestus breed. Results showed that individuals in Simbok receive an estimated 1.9 and 1.2 infectious bites per night in the wet and dry season, respectively, whereas individuals in Etoa receive 2.4 and 0.4 infectious bites per night, respectively. Although transmission patterns differ, the rate of acquisition of immunity to malaria appears to be similar in both villages. A prevalence of 50-75% was found in children < 10 years old, variable levels in children 11-15 years old, and 31% in adults. Thus, as reported in other parts of Africa, individuals exposed to continuous transmission of P. falciparum slowly acquired significant, but not complete, immunity.

[Severe forms of malaria in children in a general hospital pediatric department in Yaounde, Cameroon]. / Les formes graves du paludisme de l'enfant dans un service de pédiatrie générale à Yaoundé, Cameroun.

Severe forms of malaria in children are responsible for 1 million deaths yearly in young children in hyperendemic areas. The main objective of this study was to identify and compare common manifestations of different forms of severe malaria and to evaluate the prognosis for hospital treatment in an endemic area. 271 files of children admitted into hospital between March 1991 and September 1996 were analysed. These children were confirmed to have Plasmodium falciparum in their peripheral blood. 78 patients (29%) had the severe form of malaria. 43 patients (53%) were under 5 years of age. The 5 severe types identified were characterized by very high temperatures 28 cases (36%), cerebral malaria 20 cases (26%), prostration and weakness 15 cases (19%), severe anaemia 14 cases (18%) and haemoglobinuria 1 case (1.3%). Cerebral malaria and severe anaemia were more common in children under 5 years old. The average parasitemia was 16,366 +/- 1390 parasites per microlitre. Clearance of parasitemia was obtained on day 3 in almost all cases; 6 patients with very high temperatures presented neither sign of visceral complications nor convulsions. The average period in coma for cases of cerebral malaria was 1.7 days; 12 anaemic patients were transfused. There were no deaths. No abnormality was found on physical examination after an average hospitalisation of 5.3 days. An early diagnosis and adequate treatment of severe forms of malaria in children by qualified personnel will usually result in a favourable prognosis in our area.

[Cerebral malaria in children in Yaounde, Cameroon. Clinical, paraclinical and developmental aspects]. / Le neuro-paludisme de l'enfant à Yaoundé, Cameroun. Aspects cliniques, paracliniques et évolutifs.

Cerebral malaria is one of the major and deadly complications of malaria. In Cameroon, recent reports indicate that severe cases of malaria are increasingly more prevalent, particularly in children. The present study aims at describing the clinical presentation and laboratory findings of cerebral malaria in children in Yaounde. All patients admitted in the paediatric ward of Yaounde Central Hospital with malaria, who presented neurological signs and were tested positive for Plasmodium in their peripheral blood were recruited into the study. 36 cases were enrolled in all, making up 2.7% of all admissions. The patients' median age was 4.5 years. 52.8% were on malaria prophylaxis. Convulsions and coma with preceding hyperthermia were present in more than 90% of the patients. Blood parasites level median was 1.3% on admission. One patient had hypoglycaemia on admission and two others had it later on after admission; 16.7% had neurological sequels at discharge and two children died (5.6%). Delay in diagnosis and initiation of treatment with quinine adversely affected the prognosis of cerebral malaria in the study group.

Diagnostic presomptif d'acces palustre et positivite de la goutte epaisse chez l'enfant de 0 a 5 ans a Yaounde (Cameroun)

Les auteurs ont etudie les gouttes epaisses d'un groupe de 178 enfants de 0 a 5 ans consultant aux urgences pediatriques de l'Hopital Central de Yaounde pour fievre chez qui le medecin posait un diagnostic presomptif d'acces palustre apres l'examen clinique. Ils ont ete compares a un groupe de 178 enfants temoins afebriles apparies pour l'age et le sexe. La goutte epaisse etait positive chez 77 enfants febriles (43;25 pour cent); et chez 38 temoins (21;35 pour cent). Le taux de positivite etait plus eleve dans la tranche d'age de 2 a 3 ans dans les 2 groupes; et variait dans le sens de la pluviometrie dans le groupe d'enfants febriles. Les densites parasitaires variaient chez les enfants febriles de 128 globules rouges parasites/mm3 a 200.000; contre 40 a 40.000 chez les temoins. Seuls 7 sujets febriles sur 77 (9;1 pour cent) ayant une goutte epaisse positive parasitaire maximale du groupe temoin. En conclusion; la presomption d'acces palustre doit etre confirmee chaque fois que possible par la parasitemie. Cependant; du fait du portage asymptomatique du Plasmodium; l'association fievre et goutte epaisse positive n'est pas un critere suffisant de paludisme. La litterature preconise le recours a un seuil pyrogene de parasitemie

[Neonatal streptococcus group B infection in Yaoundé (Cameroon). Epidemiologic and clinical aspects]. / Infection néonatale à streptocoque du groupe B à Yaoundé (Cameroun). Aspects épidémiologiques et cliniques.

This study was designed to investigate epidemiologic and clinical features of neonatal group B streptococcal infections. Sixty cases seen over a 60-month period were reviewed. Incidence was 0.8% of admissions. Most affected infants were from low-income families (86.7% of mothers were unemployed and 73.5% of homes were without running water). Neonatal infection was delayed in most instances (76.67%). Fetid vaginal discharge (60%) and premature rupture of the membranes (35%) were the main findings upon history taking. Abnormal body temperature regulation (76.7%) was the most prominent clinical manifestation. Respiratory distress developed in 25% of patients. Meningeal involvement occurred in 73.3% of patients. Serotype B III was recovered in 31 of the 34 cases (91%) in which serotype was determined. Mortality rate was 21.7% and permanent sequelae occurred in 8.3% of patients.

[Purulent meningitis due to flavobacterium meningosepticum in Cameroonian children]. / Méningites purulentes à flavobacterium meningosepticum chez l'enfant camerounais.

Following a number of reports of purulent CSF specimens positive for Flavobacterium meningosepticum in pediatric patients in Yaoundé, a prospective study was carried out in the Department of Pediatrics of the Central Yaoundé Hospital from December 1988 through December 1989. The goals of this study were to determine the incidence of Flavobacterium meningosepticum among infants and children with purulent meningitis, to discover the origin of this pathogen, and to examine its susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Flavobacterium meningosepticum (18.4% of cases) was second by order of incidence, after pneumococci (50%). Incidences were low for the other pathogens usually described in purulent meningitis (H. influenzae, meningococcus...). All the pneumococcus strains recovered were susceptible to ampicillin. In contrast, 21.43% of strains of Flavobacterium meningosepticum were resistant to both ampicillin and chloramphenicol (the combination currently used as first line therapy in the Department), and 14.25% of strains were resistant to cefotaxime. The origin of the Flavobacterium meningosepticum strains found remains to be discovered. The low incidence of H. influenzae deserves to be reevaluated over the next few years.

[Neonatal septicemia and meningitis caused by gram-negative bacilli in Yaondé: clinical, bacteriological and prognostic aspects]. / Les septicémies et méningites néonatales a bacilles gram négatifs a Yaoundé: aspects cliniques, bactériologiques et pronostiques.

Based on 139 cases collected in 36 months, the authors show that neonatal sepsis and meningitis with Gram negative bacilli represent 62.33% of confirmed neonatal sepsis (223 cases out of 6,784 neonatal hospitalisations). 53.96% of cases are manifest within the first 72 hours of life. 35.25% of these infants are preemies. The principal predisposing factors are: foul-smelling leukorrhea (45.23%), prolonged rupture of membranes (26.62%) and notion of resuscitation (36.69%). The most important clinical signs are: thermal dysregulation (47.48%), tonus disturbances (35.97%) and respiratory distress (25.90%). Sepsis make up 85.61% of cases; the principal germs isolated being: Acinetobacter (21.58%), Pseudomonas (15.83%), Escherichia coli (14.39%), Enterobacter (12.95%), Klebsiella (11.51%). Of the germs isolated, 27.78% were resistant to initial treatment with the association ampicillin gentamicin. Mortality rate was 46.76%.