Acute intestinal intussusception among children under five years of age admitted in an Ouagadougou hospital, Burkina Faso, 2008-2013: epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects.

INTRODUCTION: acute intestinal intussusception is a life-threatening surgical condition. In some settings, rotavirus vaccines have been associated with a low-level increased risk of intussusception. We describe the epidemiology, clinical manifestations and management of intussusception in a tertiary referral hospital in Burkina Faso prior to the introduction of rotavirus vaccine in October 2013. METHODS: we retrospectively reviewed medical records of all children under 5 years of age treated at the Charles de Gaulle Pediatric Hospital for intussusception meeting the Brighton level 1 diagnostic criteria, from October 31st, 2008 to October 30th, 2013. We report the incidence of intussusception as well as descriptive characteristics of these cases. RESULTS: a total of 107 Brighton level 1 intussusception cases were identified, representing a hospital incidence of 21.4 cases / year. There were 69 males and 38 females (sex ratio of 1.8), with a median age of 8 months (range 2 months to 4 years). Sixty-two percent of intussusception cases occurred among infants (n = 67 cases). The average time from symptom onset to seeking medical consultation was 3.8 days +/- 2.7 (range 0 to 14 days). Treatment was mainly surgical (105 patients, 98.1%) with 35 patients (32.7%) undergoing intestinal resection. Thirty-seven patients (35.5%) experienced post-operative complications. The mortality rate was 9.3%. Intestinal resection was a risk factor for death from intussusception. CONCLUSION: in this review of intussusception hospitalizations prior to rotavirus vaccine introduction in Burkina Faso, delays in seeking care were common and were associated with mortality.

Surgical Site Infection after Digestive Surgery: Diagnosis and Treatment in a Context of Limited Resources.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are responsible for substantial morbidity in patients who undergo digestive surgery. However, very little is known about the aspects of SSIs in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and identify the risk factors of SSI in patients who were treated in the Department of Digestive Surgery of Tenkodogo Hospital in Burkina Faso. We performed a prospective study from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. All patients who underwent digestive tract surgery during this period were included and followed. Patients whose post-operative surgical sites were complicated by infection were identified. Surgical site infection was diagnosed according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definition. Bacteriologic sampling was performed in all included patients. Results: A total 964 patients underwent surgery during the study period and were included in the study. Seven hundred thirty-seven were females (76.4%), and 227 were males. The mean age of the included patients was 47.5 years (standard deviation [SD] = 9 years). One hundred fourteen patients presented with SSI, the incidence of which was 11.8%. The incidence of SSI was substantially higher in females than in males (63.2 vs. 36.8%, p < 0.05). The incidence was also higher in patients living below the poverty line (71.1 vs. 28.9%, p < 0.05). Clinically, the incidence of SSI was higher in emergency surgery than in scheduled surgery (84.2 vs. 15.8%, p < 0.05). Contaminated or dirty surgery was more risky than clean surgery (p < 0.05). With respect to bacteria, the most commonly isolated microbes were Escherichia coli (66.7%) and Staphylococcus aureus (15%). Treatment mainly consisted of appropriate antibiotic therapy and local care. Three deaths were recorded for a mortality rate of 2.6%. Conclusions: Surgical site infections are frequent in sub-Saharan environments. The risk factors seem to be clinical and social.

Management of neglected distal femur epiphyseal fracture-separation.

INTRODUCTION: Neglected epiphyseal fracture-separations of the distal femur are rare. Still reported in developing countries, they lead to therapeutic issues. The objective of the study is to describe their characteristics and to propose treatment options. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten years of ongoing study was held in our orthopedics department. All patients with a neglected epiphyseal fracture-separations of the distal femur after a knee trauma were included in the study. Pre-operative and post-operative data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 13 cases of neglected traumatic epiphyseal fracture-separations of the distal femur were found among 8616 in-patients of the department. It was mainly boys (9M/4F) around 16 years that were received 14 weeks after knee trauma. Most of the injuries were an AO-type 33-E/2.1 (Simple Salter-Harris' type II) (n=12) distal femur malunion (n=10). Associated complications were cutaneous opening (n=7), superficial infection (n=4), deep infection (n=4). Fractures were management surgically (n=12) by an open osteoclasis procedure (n=9), debridement (n=7) and a thigh amputation (n=1). The outcome was better if an open osteoclasis procedure was early performed in closed distal femur mal-union with a complementary rehabilitation program. CONCLUSION: Specialized trauma care facilities must be increased, and trauma education programs must be undertaken to avoid neglected epiphyseal fracture-separations of the distal femur in developing countries.

Anesthesia for Ambulatory Pediatric Surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study in Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Long surgical wait times and limited hospital capacity are common obstacles to surgical care in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Introducing ambulatory surgery might contribute to a solution to these problems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of introducing ambulatory surgery into a pediatric hospital in SSA. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study that took place over 6 months. It includes all patients assigned to undergo ambulatory surgery in the Pediatric University Hospital in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Eligibility criteria for the ambulatory surgery program included >1 year of age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) 1 status, surgery with a low risk of bleeding, lasting <90 minutes, and with an expectation of mild to moderate postoperative pain. The family had to live within 1 hour of the hospital and be available by telephone. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 1250 patients underwent surgery, of whom 515 were elective cases; 115 of these met the criteria for ambulatory surgery; 103 patients, with an average age of 59.74 ± 41.57 months, actually underwent surgery. The principal indications for surgery were inguinal (62) and umbilical (47) hernias. All patients had general anesthesia with halothane. Sixty-five percent also received regional or local anesthesia consisting of caudal block in 79.23% or nerve block in 20.77%. The average duration of surgery was 33 ± 17.47 minutes. No intraoperative complications were noted. All the patients received acetaminophen and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in the recovery room. Twelve (11.7%) patients had complications in recovery, principally nausea and vomiting. Eight (7.8%) patients were admitted to the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: No serious complications were associated with ambulatory surgery. Its introduction could possibly be a solution to improving pediatric surgical access in low-income countries.

Appendicular bilharzioma: An unusual cause of acute intestinal obstruction in childhood (a case report at Charles de Gaulle Paediatric Teaching Hospital of Ouagadougou).

The authors report the case of a 12-year-old boy admitted to the surgical emergency department of Charles de Gaulle Paediatric Teaching Hospital of Ouagadougou for acute abdominal pain. A strangulation of the terminal ileum by a tumour-like appendix wound around the bowel loop was seen during operation. The histological examination of the removed appendix disclosed eggs of Schistosoma haematobium and concluded to bilharzian appendicitis. A course of praziquantel treatment was instituted, and the patient underwent an event-free recovery. Such cases report are infrequent, even in areas where bilharzia-related diseases are endemic. It is important to recognise them and to treat them in an aetiological manner so as to prevent any potential complications. The diagnosis is always an operatory and histological curiosity. Appendectomy and treatment with a course of praziquantel seem quite suitable for this situation.

Left posterolateral strangulated congenital diaphragmatic hernia in children: About a case at the Charles de Gaulle Paediatric Teaching Hospital in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

Late presentation of congenital diaphragmatic hernia is uncommon. It poses considerable diagnostic challenges when it strangulates. The authors report a case of a left posterolateral strangulated congenital diaphragmatic hernia in a 5-year-old child diagnosed at the stage of acute intestinal occlusion with intestinal necrosis and managed successfully. A strangulated congenital diaphragmatic hernia should be suspected in the case of an association of sudden-onset respiratory and digestive manifestations with no sign of trauma or specific pulmonary history. It then requires an antero posterior thoracic X-ray or, even better, a thoracic-abdominal scan to confirm the diagnosis.

[Labial fusion in the paediatric surgery department of Yopougon University hospital (Côte d'Ivoire): 108 cases]. / La coalescence des nymphes au service de chirurgie pédiatrique du CHU de Yopougon : à propos de 108 cas.

INTRODUCTION: Labial fusion is a benign genital disorder in girls. It may be either congenital or acquired, sometimes due to poor hygiene. Parental panic about this "absent vagina" contrasts with its simple, rapid, radical treatment. The study reports the result of simplified treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study covers cases from 1 January 1992 through 31 December 2006 and includes only the cases of young girls treated as outpatients. All patients underwent outpatient surgical treatment. They were placed in gynaecological position. After asepsis of the vulva, a curved Halsted mosquito forceps was inserted into the opening for partial adhesions or across the medial transparent membrane for complete fusion. The forceps were then opened gently until complete detachment occurred. Local anaesthesia with EMLA cream ensured the absence of pain; there was sometimes minimal bleeding. All patients had local antiseptic treatment afterwards. RESULTS: During this study period, 108 patients (including two sisters) with a mean age of 22 months were treated for labial fusion (101 cases of total fusion and 7 partial). Only seven were older than 5 years of age. Overall, 84 patients underwent this basic treatment of section and follow-up antisepsis; none had a recurrence. Twenty girls also received oestrogen cream, and 4 had the surgical section alone. DISCUSSION: This benign disorder is rare and generally isolated in our regions, unlike in Western countries where it is often associated with hormonal deficits. The principal approach has been either therapeutic abstention or oestrogen therapy, both currently recommended in developed countries. Oestrogen treatment is a long procedure (3 or 4 months), however, and follow-up is far from certain. In Africa, all genital disorders are considered serious. Early repair is desirable for that reason and to prevent urinary tract infections and traditional "treatment". Simple outpatient treatment by surgical section with local antiseptic treatment is effective. Vulvar hygiene is essential to prevent recurrence. CONCLUSION: This benign disorder can be treated by any physician, but the psychological impact of the site and the necessary speed suggest the choice of management in paediatric units.