Fecal Calprotectin Excretion in Preterm Infants during the Neonatal Period

Fecal calprotectin has been proposed as a non-invasive marker of intestinal inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease in adults and children. Fecal calprotectin levels have been reported to be much higher in both healthy full-term and preterm infants than in children and adults.To determine the time course of fecal calprotectin (f-calprotectin) excretion in preterm infants from birth until hospital discharge and to identify factors influencing f-calprotectin levels in the first weeks of life, including bacterial establishment in the gut.F-calprotectin was determined using an ELISA assay in 147 samples obtained prospectively from 47 preterm infants (gestational age, and birth-weight interquartiles 27–29 weeks, and 880–1320 g, respectively) at birth, and at 2-week intervals until hospital discharge. (p = 0.047).During the first weeks of life, the high f-calprotectin values observed in preterm infants could be linked to the gut bacterial establishment

Thoracotomies à l’Hôpital General de Douala : Indications et résultats

Introduction : La thoracotomie est une procédure chirurgicale majeure pouvant être conduite dans un contexte d’urgence ou électif. Celle-ci peut avoir diverses indications et comme tout acte chirurgical conduire à de nombreuses complications avec un taux de mortalité relativement élevé dans notre contexte où le plateau technique est souvent limité. Objectif : Le but de notre étude était de déterminer les indications et les résultats des thoracotomies à l’hôpital général de Douala entre 2006 et 2017. Patients et Méthode : Il s’agissait d’une étude rétrospective qui s’est déroulée dans le service de chirurgie de l’hôpital général de Douala dans la période allant du 1er Janvier 2006 au 31 Décembre 2017. Au total 35 dossiers de patients ayant bénéficié d’une thoracotomie ont été inclus. Résultats : Les principales indications retrouvées étaient les traumatismes thoraciques avec 37 % de cas suivies de la persistance du canal artériel 14 % et les séquelles de tuberculose 11 %. Les complications étaient retrouvées dans 17 % des cas (n=5) avec comme principale complication l’empyème avec 11% de cas. Le taux de mortalité était de 6 %.Conclusion : Au terme de notre étude, nous avons observé que les indications de thoracotomies étaient aussi bien traumatiques que non traumatiques avec une légère prédominance pour les indications traumatiques. Le taux de mortalité bien qu’acceptable était non négligeable. Mots clés : Thoracotomie, indications, complications, Douala English title: Thoracotomies at Douala General Hospital: Indications and resultsIntroduction: thoracotomy is a major surgical procedure that can be done in the context of an emergency or as elective. It can have diverse indication and like every other surgical act, has numerous complications with a relatively high mortality rate in limited technical facilities settings. Objective: The aim of our study was to determine the indication and results of thoracotomies at the Douala General Hospital between 2006 and 2017. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in the surgical unit of the Douala General Hospital. The file of 37 patients who underwent thoracotomy between 1st January 2006 to the 31st of December 2017 were included Results: The main indication found were thoracic trauma with 37% of cases, following patient by ductus arteriosus closure 14% and tuberculosis sequels (11%). Complications were found in 17% of the case (n = 5) with main complication being empyema. The mortality rate was of 6%. Conclusion: The present study showed that the indication for thoracotomy could be traumatic as well as not traumatic with a predominance of traumatic indications. The mortality rate was 6%. Keywords : Thoracotomy, indication, complications, Doual

Implementation of targeted cholera response activities, Cameroon.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the implementation of case-area targeted interventions to reduce cholera transmission using a rapid, localized response in Kribi district, Cameroon. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional design to study the implementation of case-area targeted interventions. We initiated interventions after rapid diagnostic test confirmation of a case of cholera. We targeted households within a 100-250 metre perimeter around the index case (spatial targeting). The interventions package included: health promotion, oral cholera vaccination, antibiotic chemoprophylaxis for nonimmunized direct contacts, point-of-use water treatment and active case-finding. FINDINGS: We implemented eight targeted intervention packages in four health areas of Kribi between 17 September 2020 and 16 October 2020. We visited 1533 households (range: 7-544 per case-area) hosting 5877 individuals (range: 7-1687 per case-area). The average time from detection of the index case to implementation of interventions was 3.4 days (range: 1-7). Oral cholera vaccination increased overall immunization coverage in Kribi from 49.2% (2771/5621 people) to 79.3% (4456/5621 people). Interventions also led to the detection and prompt management of eight suspected cases of cholera, five of whom had severe dehydration. Stool culture was positive for Vibrio cholerae O1 in four cases. The average time from onset of symptoms to admission of a person with cholera to a health facility was 1.2 days. CONCLUSION: Despite challenges, we successfully implemented targeted interventions at the tail-end of a cholera epidemic, after which no further cases were reported in Kribi up until week 49 of 2021. The effectiveness of case-area targeted interventions in stopping or reducing cholera transmission needs further investigation