Post-Recovery Relapse of Children Treated with a Simplified, Combined Nutrition Treatment Protocol in Mali: A Prospective Cohort Study

The present study aimed to determine the 6-month incidence of relapse and associated factors among children who recovered from acute malnutrition (AM) following mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC)-based simplified combined treatment using the ComPAS protocol. A prospective cohort of 420 children who had reached a MUAC ≥ 125 mm for two consecutive measures was monitored between December 2020 and October 2021. Children were seen at home fortnightly for 6 months. The overall 6-month cumulative incidence of relapse [95%CI] into MUAC < 125 mm and/or edema was 26.1% [21.7; 30.8] and 1.7% [0.6; 3.6] to MUAC < 115 mm and/or edema. Relapse was similar among children initially admitted to treatment with a MUAC < 115 mm and/or oedema and among those with a MUAC ≥ 115 mm but <125 mm. Relapse was predicted by lower anthropometry both at admission to and discharge from treatment, and a higher number of illness episodes per month of follow-up. Having a vaccination card, using an improved water source, having agriculture as the main source of income, and increases in caregiver workload during follow-up all protected from relapse. Children discharged as recovered from AM remain at risk of relapsing into AM. To achieve reduction in relapse, recovery criteria may need to be revised and post-discharge strategies tested.

[Materno-Fetal Prognosis Of Anemia In Bougouni]

GOAL

The goal was to assess the maternal-fetal prognosis of anemia in pregnant women in the Bougouni reference health center.

METHODS

We carried out a prospective descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study from January 1 to December 31, 2013 at the Bougouni reference health center. It covered all pregnant women with a hemoglobin level below 11g/dl regardless of the outcome of the pregnancy.

RESULTS

The prevalence of anemia in pregnant women was 33.2%. They were women married to peasants in 88.6% of cases, unschooled in 93.2% of cases, having not done antenal care in 56.8% of cases. Malaria was the most common etiology in 75% of cases. Anemia was severe in 61.4% of cases. The maternal-fetal prognosis was dominated by 3.3% of maternal death, 12.5% of abortion, 7.6% of prematurity and 6.8% of fetal death in utero.

CONCLUSION

Anemia in pregnant women is the source of many maternal-fetal complications.

[Factors affecting nosocomial infection in the surgery setting at the Hospital of Point "G"]

Nosocomial infections are a common and increasing problem globally, and particularly in Africa. The significant economic burden of these infections on the health care system as well as their impact on patient morbidity and mortality is well recognised within the medical communities.The goal of this study was to investigate factors that influence nosocomial infection in all in-patients from the surgery wards (surgery ward A and B, Gynoeco-obstetrics, urology and intensive care) at the national hospital of Point G in Bamako, Mali. We report the number of nosocomial infection during a prospective study between June 2003 and January 2004. Of 1043 in-patients, 102 had had a nosocomial infection with a global prevalence of 9.7% (8.0-11.4). Of 1024 patients with surgery, 101 had had a nosocomial infection, a post-surgery nosocomial infection rate of 9.8% (8.1-11.5). We observed different site of nosocomial infection such as suppuration sup-aponevrotics (41.2%), parietal infection sub-aponevrotics (32.4%), urinary infection (17.6%) and organ suppuration (3.9%). Other nosocomial infection observed were pneumonia (2.9%) and catheterisation (2.0%). The nosocomial infection rate was 10.3% in male while it was 7.3% in female. The difference between male and female was not statistically significative (chi2 = 2.33, p = 0.12). Nosocomial infection was more prevalent in patients after emergency surgery (15.1%) than in scheduled surgery patients (8.5%) (chi2 = 8.15, p = 0.004). The classes III and IV of ALTEMEIER had the higher proportion of nosocomial infection (35.9%) against 4.8% for the classes I and II (chi2 = 144.95, p < 0.001). The patients with ASA score I had a lower nosocomial infection rate than patients from the intensive care unit or patients of Class II + III + IV (chi2 = 13.2, p = 0.001). Patients classified according to the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System (NNISS) with a score 0 had a nosocomial infection rate less than patients classified as NNISS score 1, 2 or 3 (chi2 = 82.0, p < 0.001). The study results underline the need for further investigations of the role of microbial agents and antimicrobial resistance in the outcome of patients with nosocomial infection.

[Infectious endocarditis, complication of mitral valve prolapse]

Among 77 patients with bacterial endocarditis on native valves explored by echocardiography, 12 (7 male, 5 female, mean age: 50 years) presented with mitral valve prolapse. This condition is relatively common, being found in 15.5% of patients with bacterial endocarditis and in 32% of those with mitral valve endocarditis. Two-dimensional TM echocardiography showed the mitral valve prolapse in every case and, in 11/12 cases, a vegetation associated with a varying degree of thickening of the valve due to myxoid degeneration. Although cardiac signs were sometimes minimal. Ten hemocultures were positive: 7 for streptococci, 2 for staphylococci and 1 for Hemophilus para-aphrophilus. Two patients died of cerebral haemorrhage, and there were 2 cases of hemiplegia, 4 cases of transient left ventricular failure and 2 cases of spleen embolism. These findings suggest that prophylactic treatment of bacterial endocarditis should be undertaken in patients with mitral valve prolapse and signs of myxoid degeneration at echocardiography.