Addressing Malawi's surgical workforce crisis: a sustainable paradigm for training and collaboration in Africa.

BACKGROUND: The exodus of health professionals including surgeons from sub-Saharan Africa has been well documented, but few effective, long-term solutions have been described. There is an increasing burden of surgical diseases in Africa attributable to trauma (road traffic injuries), burns, and other noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, increasing the need for surgeons. METHODS: We conducted a Descriptive analysis of surgical academic partnership between Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) Malawi, the University of Malawi-College of Medicine, the University of North Carolina in the United States, and Haukeland University Hospital, Norway, to locally train Malawian surgical residents in a College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) approved program. RESULTS: The KCH Surgery Residency program began in 2009 with 3 residents, adding 3 general surgery and 2 orthopedic residents in 2010. The intention is to enroll ≥ 3 residents per year to fill the 5-year program and the training has been fully accredited by COSECSA. International partners have provided near-continuous presence of attending surgeons for direct training and support of the local staff surgeons, while providing monetary support in addition to the Malawi Ministry of Health salary. CONCLUSION: This collaborative, academic model of local surgery training is designed to limit brain drain by keeping future surgeons in their country of origin as they establish themselves professionally and personally, with ongoing collaboration with international colleagues.

Epidemiology of pediatric injury in Malawi: burden of disease and implications for prevention.

PURPOSE: Pediatric injuries pose a significant health burden in sub-Saharan Africa, though historic data are too scarce to appreciate the extent of the problem. The purpose of this study is to utilize a comprehensive database to describe the epidemiology of pediatric injuries at a tertiary hospital in Malawi. METHODS: Data were prospectively collected on patients presenting to the emergency department for treatment of injuries from 2008 to 2010 (n = 23,625). The subset of pediatric patients (n = 7233) underwent cross-sectional analysis to examine demographics, injury environment, timing and mechanisms. RESULTS: Pediatric patients, (0-16 years) comprised 30.6% of all trauma patients. Mean age was 7.2 years. Falls were the most common injury (43%), followed by burns (11.1%), pedestrian road traffic injuries (9.7%), foreign bodies (7.5%), and assaults (7.2%). Statistically significant differences in injury pattern were observed between gender, age groups and season. After logistic regression, predictors of fall included male gender, home setting, and rainy season, whereas predictors of burn included female gender, age 0-5 yrs, home setting, and cold season. Predictors of pedestrian injury included age 6-10 yrs, female, and roadside setting. Predictors of foreign body ingestion included age 0-5 yrs, female gender, home setting, and daytime, and predictors of assault include male gender, age 11-16 yrs, nighttime hours. All predictors were statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed patterns of injury based upon age, gender, location, and season. Our results may prove useful to stakeholders in injury prevention for designing, evaluating, and implementing programs to improve public safety in children in Malawi and similar resource poor nations.

An observational study addressing the anatomic basis of mesosigmoidopexy as a rational treatment of non-gangrenous sigmoid volvulus.

Sigmoid volvulus is a common cause of bowel obstruction. We describe mesosigmoidopexy, an accepted surgical technique for the management of non-gangrenous sigmoid volvulus, and provide anatomic correlations supporting the therapy. Mesosigmoidopexy should be considered as a rational alternative to resection and anastomosis when operating on non-gangrenous sigmoid volvulus.

Hospital-based injury data in Malawi: strategies for data collection and feasibility of trauma scoring tools.

Injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Utilizing a partnership between Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) and the University of North Carolina Departments of Surgery, we describe an approach to injury surveillance, examine the utility of trauma scoring systems, and outline steps necessary before such scoring systems can be reliably instituted in a resource-constrained setting.

Re-examining treatment strategies for sigmoid volvulus: An analysis of treatment and outcomes in Lilongwe, Malawi.

INTRODUCTION: Sigmoid volvulus is a common surgical emergency in many regions of the world, with significant morbidity and mortality. The aims of this study were to (a) summarize outcomes and (b) define a treatment algorithm for sigmoid volvulus in our setting. EXPERIMENTAL: Five year (2003-2008) retrospective review of sigmoid volvulus cases at Kamuzu Central Hospital, in Lilongwe, Malawi. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: There were 239 cases of sigmoid volvulus identified. Cases were mostly seen in males (91.7%), with a median age of 50 (range 18-86). Gangrene was noted in 36.7% of cases. Mesosigmoidopexy (36%), Hartmann's procedure (33%), and resection and anastomosis (23%) were the most common procedures. There was seasonal variation with more cases seen in the harvest months of March and April. The major complications noted were recurrence (5 of 6 recurrences after mesosigmoidopexy / plasty) and anastomotic leakage after resection and anastomosis (2 in gangrenous, and 2 in non-gangrenous sigmoid volvulus). CONCLUSIONS: Gangrenous sigmoid volvulus is best managed with Hartmann's procedure. Non-gangrenous sigmoid volvulus is best managed with resection and anastomosis, unless there are risk factors for anastomotic leakage, in which case the surgeon should consider mesosigmoidopexy with non-absorbable suture.

Epidemiology of injuries at a tertiary care center in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Injury surveillance is an ongoing process required for primary, secondary, and tertiary injury prevention. In Malawi, hospital-based injury data are not available. METHODS: From February to June 2008 we collected data on injured patients presenting to Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi. The sample (n = 1,474) was predominantly male (75.7%), and age distribution was bimodal (peak age groups <5 years and 26-30 years). Road-traffic injury (RTI) was the most common reason for treatment (43.4%), followed by assault (24.0%), which was more common than expected. The most common injuries were lacerations, contusions, and abrasions. We observed both gender- and age-specific patterns in injury mechanism: Injured females were more likely than injured males to have suffered an injury as a passenger in a car or on a bicycle, or to have suffered from falls, foreign bodies, and burns; injured males were more likely than injured females to have suffered an injury as an automobile driver or bicyclist, or from an assault. Falls, burns, and foreign bodies affected younger victims, whereas bicyclists, automobile drivers, and motorcycle operators were generally older persons. RESULTS: The hospital admission rate was 26.8%. Most patients arrived by private vehicle (43.8%), which was also the fastest means of transportation. There were 25 mass casualties leading to 102 admissions; all but one were due to RTIs, and seven were associated with at least one fatality. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidated injury epidemiology in Malawi and identified questions for future research. Other developing countries should conduct such prospective data collection to identify region-specific injury patterns and to promote injury prevention.

Lithopedion presenting as intra-abdominal abscess and fecal fistula: report of a case and review of the literature.

A rare case of unrecognized and long-standing lithopedion ("stone baby") with erosion into the bowel with fecal fistula formation is described. A literature review is also presented.