Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Cameroon: Prevalence and Predictors—A Multisetting Community-Based Study

Objective. Little is known concerning chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where the disease remains underdiagnosed. We aimed to estimate its prevalence in Cameroon and look for its predictors. Methods. Adults aged 19 years and older were randomly selected in 4 regions of Cameroon to participate in a cross-sectional community-based study. Data were collected in the participant’s home or place of work. Spirometry was performed on selected participants. COPD was defined as the postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity ratio FEV1/FVC<lower limit of normal, using the global lung initiative (GLI) equations for Black people. Binomial logistic regression was used to seek COPD-associated factors. The strength of the association was measured using the adjusted odds ratio (aOR). Results. A total of 5055 participants (median age (25th-75th percentile) = 43 (30–56) years, 54.9% of women) were enrolled. COPD prevalence (95% confidence interval (95% CI)) was 2.9% (2.4, 3.3)%. Independent predictors of COPD (aOR (95% CI)) were a high educational level (4.7 (2.0, 11.1)), living in semiurban or rural locality (1.7 (1.4, 3.0)), tobacco smoking (1.7 (1.1, 2.5)), biomass fuel exposure (1.9 (1.1, 3.3)), experience of dyspnea (2.2 (1.4, 3.5)), history of tuberculosis (3.6 (1.9, 6.7)), and history of asthma (6.3 (3.4, 11.6)). Obesity was protective factor (aOR 95%CI=0.3 (0.2, 0.5)). Conclusion. The prevalence of COPD was relatively low. Alternative risk factors such as biomass fuel exposure, history of tuberculosis, and asthma were confirmed as predictors

Etiology and clinical characteristics of pediatric acute fever among hospitalized children in an endemic malaria transmission area of Cameroon in Central Africa.

Acute fever in the majority of children in resource-limited countries is attributable to malaria and often treated without laboratory evidence. The aim of the study was to characterize acute pediatric infectious fevers (APIF) in the pediatric department of the Douala Laquintinie Hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted among children aged 2 months to 15 years who were admitted with an acute fever (anal temperature ≥ 37.5°C less than 5 days in infants and 7 days in adolescents). 200 children were included and followed up during their hospitalization. The mean age was 3.7 (IQ25-75: 1-4.6) years. More than 3 out of 5 patients (62.5%) came from another health facility and anemia accounted for 29% of the reasons for consultation associated with fever. The main symptoms were vomiting (28%), cough (26%), convulsions (21%) and diarrhea (20%). Skin-mucosal pallor (43.0%) and hepatosplenomegaly (26.0%) were the most common physical signs encountered. Among febrile children, 116/200 (58%) were infected with at least 1 pathogen, and 1/200 (0.5%) had a fever of unknown etiology. Malaria (53% vs 80.5% presumptive) associated with anemia (95.3% of cases) was the most common pathology associated with APIF, followed by pneumonia (19.5%), meningitis (11.5%) and urinary tract infections (10% vs 54.5% presumptive). Malaria was over-diagnosed on admission and over-treated as well as urinary tract infection. A better understanding of common pathogens carriage, a better capacity for improved diagnosis and a better applied clinical algorithm for febrile illnesses in children are needed