Knowledge, attitudes and practices of caregivers and laboratory agents on the pre-analytical phase of haematological analyses in Burkina Faso

The pre-analytical phase of biological analyses is critical as it registers the most errors encountered within the testing process. This study aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare workers on the pre-analytical phase in haematological laboratory. A cross-sectional study using an auto-administered questionnaire and direct observations of haematological analyses’ prescribers, blood samples and laboratory staff were conducted from June to August 2020. The questionnaires were designed to gather the socio-professional characteristics, knowledge and attitudes of participants. The observation grids were focused on their practices in haematological analyses requesting, blood samples drawing, transportation and reception at the laboratory. A total of 388 respondents were included. Their average seniority in the profession were 11.4 ± 3.8 years and 13.6% received refreshing training in the last three years. All the laboratory agents, 94.1% of analyses’ prescribers and 76% of blood samplers had good knowledge and attitudes. Moreover, 83% of the request forms, 29.2% of blood samples collection, transportation and 74.8% of blood specimens’ reception at the laboratory were rated good. This study reported some inadequate knowledge, attitudes and practices in the pre-analytical phase that call for reinforcement of basic and continuing trainings and implementation of rigorous technical procedures

Diagnostic biologique différentiel entre le paludisme et la dengue chez des patients fébriles à Ouagadougou au Burkina Faso dans un contexte d’endémie des deux maladies

La dengue constitue un problème de santé publique au Burkina Faso. Notre objectif était de faire le diagnostic biologique de la dengue chez des patients fébriles. Cette étude a porté sur 204 patients. Les kits « Dengue Duo de SD Bioline » ont été utilisés pour le dépistage. Une recherche de Plasmodium par la méthode de goutte épaisse a été réalisée chez les patients ainsi que le dosage du taux de CRP. La RT- PCR en temps réel a été utilisée pour confirmer les résultats positifs au test rapide. Environ 25,98 % des patients étaient TDR positif. L'étude a confirmé la présence de DENV chez 3,77 % des patients avec une association statistiquement significative entre le taux de plaquettes et la positivité à l’Ag NS1. Environ 87,87 % des patients qui avaient des gouttes épaisses positives présentaient également des taux de CRP élevés comparativement aux patients qui avaient des taux de CRP normaux et des gouttes épaisses positives (7,01 %) avec une différence statistiquement significative. Dans cette étude, nous proposons des pistes de diagnostic différentiel entre la dengue et le paludisme, dans un contexte d’endémie des deux maladies, à partir de paramètres biologiques tels que les taux de plaquettes et de CRP.Mots-clés: Dengue, Diagnostic, RT-PCR, Burkina FasoEnglish Title: Differential biological diagnosis between malaria and dengue in febrile patients in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in a context of endemic diseaseEnglish AbstractDengue fever is a public health problem in Burkina Faso. The goal of this study was to make the biological diagnosis of dengue in clinically suspect patients. This study involved 204 clinically suspected dengue patients. Dengue Duo kits from SD Bioline were used for screening. Plasmodium was investigated by the thick-film method in all patients included as well as the dosage of CRP. Complementary biological analyzes were carried out. Real-time RT-PCR was used to confirm positive results in the rapid test. Rapid tests revealed a 25.98% positive Dengue rate. The study confirmed by RT-PCR the effective presence of DENV in 3.77% of patients. Our study revealed a statistically significant association (p = 0.046) between platelet count and NS1 Ag positivity. In contrast, 87.87% (29/33) of patients who had malaria also had high CRP levels compared to patients with normal CRP and thick positive seizures (7.02%) with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.018). In this study, we confirm the responsibility of dengue arboviruses in cases of disease in our country, but also we propose ways of differential diagnosis between dengue and malaria, in an endemic context of both diseases, based on biological parameters such as platelet and CRP levels.Keywords: DENV, Diagnostic, RT-PCR, Burkina Fas