Frequency of recurrent stroke in Burkina Faso: an observational hospital based study of 6 months

Introduction: studies on stroke recurrence are rare in sub Sahara Africa. The aim to this study is to determine the prevalence and risk factors for recurrent stroke in two University Teaching Hospital in Burkina Faso. Methods: this prospective cross-sectional study was carried on 266 stroke patients admitted in two hospitals in the city of Ouagadougou from September 1, 2017 to February 28, 2018. Patients with stroke recurrence (ischemic or hemorrhagic) were included. Results: of 266 acute stroke patients included, 44(16.4%) had recurrent stroke. The mean age of patients was 66.5 ± 11.49 years with male predominance. Hypertension was the most vascular risk factors (81.8%). Previous stroke was ischemic in 61.4%, hemorrhagic in 22.7% and unknown in 15.9% of cases. Poor compliance (< 60%) was determined in patients taking antiagregant agents (43.6%) and statins (50%). At admission, the most neurological disorders was motor deficit (100%), aphasia (84.1%), and deglutition disorders (15.9%). CT scan showed ischemic in 82% and hemorrhagic stroke in 18% of cases. With the analysis of second stroke, recurrent stroke after intracerebral hemorrhage was hemorrhagic in 77.8% and ischemic in 22.2%. Recurrent stroke after ischemic stroke was ischemic in 100%. Conclusion: stroke recurrence is common in our context. Hypertension was the most common vascular risk factor in recurrent stroke. Poor compliance was determined in patients taking antiagregant agents and statins in previous stroke

Is Guillain–Barre syndrome following chickenpox a parainfectious disease? A case report and literature review

Abstract Background Polyradiculoneuropathy following infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) is rare and most of the time, happens in the context of reactivation of latent VZV. We report a case of acute polyradiculoneuropathy following primary infection with VZV marked by atypical clinical features raising the hypothesis of a para-infectious disease. Case presentation We describe a 43-years-old male who developed ataxia, dysphagia, dysphonia, and oculomotor disorders (vertical binocular diplopia and bilateral ptosis) followed by quadriplegia with areflexia which occurred 4 days later. The patient had a history of varicella that occurred 10 days before the onset of these symptoms. Nerve conduction study revealed features consistent with an acute motor-sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN). Anti-ganglioside antibodies were negative. Based on clinical presentation and ancillary examination, we retain the Miller Fisher/Guillain-Barré overlap syndrome diagnosis. The patient was treated with high doses of methylprednisolone but the evolution of the disease was nevertheless marked by a complete recovery six weeks after onset of symptoms. Conclusion GBS following varicella is a rare but severe disease occurring most often in adults and marked by greater involvement of the cranial nerves. Its clinical features suggest that it is a para-infectious disease. Antiviral therapy has no effect on the course of the disease but its administration within the first 24 h after the onset of chickenpox in adults can prevent its occurrence

Frequency and Mortality Risk Factors of Acute Ischemic Stroke in Emergency Department in Burkina Faso

Objective. To determine the prevalence of ischemic stroke deaths and their predictive factors in the Emergency Department at Yalgado Ouedraogo University Teaching Hospital (YOUTH). Methodology. This was a retrospective study with an analytical and descriptive focus over a period of three years from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2017. Results. During the study period, 302 acute ischemic stroke patients with a mean age of 62.2±14.26 years were included. Atrial hypertension was the most common vascular risk factor in 52.5%. On admission, 34.8% of patients had loss of consciousness. The mean time to perform brain CT was 1.5 days. The average length of stay was 4 days. Electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and cervical Doppler were not performed during hospitalization in ED. The mortality rate was 39%, respectively, 37.6% in male and 41.6% in female. The mean age of patients who died in ED was 63.6±13.52 years. Hypertension was the most common vascular risk factors in 54.2% of death. After logistic regression, the predictors of death were past history of heart disease, consciousness disorders, hyperthermia, hyperglycemia on admission, poststroke pneumonia, and urinary tract infection. Conclusions. Acute ischemic stroke was frequent in Emergency Department with high mortality rate. The mortality risk factors were the same than those found in literature. This higher mortality can be avoided by early diagnosis and an adequate management

Spontaneous Subarachnoid Haemorrhage in Neurological Setting in Burkina Faso: Clinical Profile, Causes, and Mortality Risk Factors

To determine the prevalence, clinical profile, causes, and mortality risk factors of spontaneous arachnoid haemorrhage at Yalgado Ouedraogo University teaching Hospital, we conducted a 5-year retrospective study of 1803 stroke patients admitted to Neurology Department during the period from January 2012 to December 2016. During the study period, spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage accounted for 3.2 % of all stroke. The mean age of patients was 60 years (range 20-93 years). There was a female predominance in 55.9%. The common vascular risk factors were hypertension (79.7%) and chronic alcohol consumption (16.9%). The main symptoms were headache (76.2%), motor weakness (74.5%), and consciousness disorders (62.7%). Neurological examination revealed limb weakness in 76.2% and meningeal irritation in 47.4%. The best admission Glasgow Coma Scale score of 15 was found only in 37.3 % of patients. About 50.8% of patients were admitted to Hunt and Hess moderate grade (III) resulting in a mortality of 24.80%. The main cause of spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage was hypertension (77.9%). Cause could not be determined in 8.5 % of cases. The mortality rate was 37.3%. There was high mortality in patients with intraventricular haemorrhage and in patients with disturbances of consciousness. In conclusion, our study showed a poor frequency of spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage with high mortality. Hypertension was the most common cause of spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage

Knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning epilepsy among nurses and midwives working in primary health care settings in Ouagadougou of Burkina Faso

Abstract Background In developing countries, there is a lack of epilepsy knowledge among health workers. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice concerning epilepsy among nurses and midwives working in primary health care settings in Ouagadougou. Methods We carried out a cross-sectional study in the health districts of Ouagadougou from August 1st to September 15th, 2017. All nurses and midwives working in three health districts were included in this study. Results A total of 213 participants with a mean age of 39.5 years were included in the survey; 79.81% of them had a general certification in secondary education and 62% had a professional experience of more than 10 years. About 99% of the participants had not received training on epilepsy-related care during the last six months. In addition, 74.5% of the participants had a good knowledge on epilepsy and 65% had a good practice toward epilepsy. The level of knowledge was associated with the workplace, years of training, and the professional experience. The level of knowledge about epilepsy was also associated with the level of education, while there was a significant link between professional status and nurses' level of practice in the management of seizures. Conclusions Efforts must be made to provide continuing education for nurses in order to improve their knowledge on epilepsy