Urgences chirurgicales digestives en Afrique subsaharienne : étude prospective d’une série de 622 patients à l’Hôpital national de Zinder,Niger

The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiologic, therapeutic, and prognostic aspects of surgical acute abdomen at the National Hospital of Zinder (HNZ). This was a prospective study of patients undergoing digestive surgical emergencies in HNZ over 24 months (January 2013–December 2014). During the study period, 622 digestive surgical emergencies were operated. The mean age was 22.91 ± 18.14 years old, with a sex-ratio of 3:1. The average admission time was 64.31 ± 57.90 h. Abdominal pain was the main reason for admission in 61.90% (N = 385) of the cases, with or without fever throughout the course in 26.05% (N = 162) of the cases. The average time before surgery was 9.13 ± 5.97 h. Acute peritonitis accounted for 51.61% (N = 321) of cases, led by ileal perforation maybe from typhoid (N = 175). The acute intestinal obstruction and acute appendicitis accounted for 27.49% (N = 171) and 9.65% (N = 60) of the cases, respectively. Abdominal trauma had affected 53 patients (8.52%). The average length of hospital stay was 8.71 ± 5.29 days. Postoperative morbidity was 38.10% (N = 237). Septic complications (N = 187) were predominant. Overall lethality of 13.67% (N = 85), was associated with the delay of diagnosis and treatment (P < 0.001). The incidence and the high morbidity and lethality of digestive surgical emergencies in the Sub-Saharan context, could be avoided through prevention, early consultation, and adequate intra-hospital management.     

Participation in medical research as a resource‐seeking strategy in socio‐economically vulnerable communities: call for research and action

The freedom to consent to participate in medical research is a complex subject, particularly in socio‐economically vulnerable communities, where numerous factors may limit the efficacy of the informed consent process. Informal consultation among members of the Switching the Poles Clinical Research Network coming from various sub‐Saharan African countries, that is Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Benin, seems to support the hypothesis that in socio‐economical vulnerable communities with inadequate access to health care, the decision to participate in research is often taken irrespectively of the contents of the informed consent interview, and it is largely driven by the opportunity to access free or better quality care and other indirect benefits. Populations' vulnerability due to poverty and/or social exclusion should obviously not lead to exclusion from medical research, which is most often crucially needed to address their health problems. Nonetheless, to reduce the possibility of exploitation, there is the need to further investigate the complex links between socio‐economical vulnerability, access to health care and individual freedom to decide on participation in medical research. This needs bringing together clinical researchers, social scientists and bioethicists in transdisciplinary collaborative research efforts that require the collective input from researchers, research sponsors and funders.     

In Vivo Selection of Plasmodium falciparum Pfcrt and Pfmdr1 Variants by Artemether-Lumefantrine and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine in Burkina Faso

Plasmodium falciparum Pfcrt-76 and Pfmdr1-86 gene polymorphisms were determined during a clinical trial in Burkina Faso comparing the efficacies of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ) and artemether-lumefantrine (AL). Significant selection of Pfcrt-K76 was observed after exposure to AL and DHA-PPQ, as well as selection of Pfmdr1-N86 after AL but not DHA-PPQ treatment, suggesting reverse selection on the Pfcrt gene by PPQ. These results support the rational use of DHA-PPQ in settings where chloroquine (CQ) resistance is high.