ABSTRACT
180 patients who attended the out patient department of Hoima Hospital (Uganda) complaining of epigastric pain were studied in order to verify the cause and to assess the most effective diagnostic method. All the patients underwent the following examinations: stool examination for parasites; upper digestive tract endoscopy; ultrasound scan of liver; spleen; pancreas and kidneys. The results suggest that the main causes of epigastric pain in Uganda are: intestinal parasitosis (27 per cent); gastrointestinal upper tract lesions with endoscopic signs of disease (44.5 per cent) and non-ulcer dyspepsia (28.4 per cent). The best approach to epigastric pain is first of all to rule out the presence of parasites in the stool. Upper digestive tract endoscopy is useful as a second step in the diagnosis while ultrasound examination does not add important information
Subject(s)
Abdominal Pain/diagnosis , Abdominal Pain/diagnostic imaging , Endoscopy , Endoscopy/methods , Intestinal DiseasesABSTRACT
This paper presents the result of a retrospective study and the experience with 223 fibreoptic oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopies; which were performed at Hoima Hospital between January 1991 and January 1992 in an open access service. Almost fifty-three per cent of all patients examined had abnormal findings with gastris as the most frequent diagnosis. Because of its high diagnostic yield; its use in referral centres in developing countries is advocated
Subject(s)
Duodenal Diseases/diagnosis , Duodenoscopy , Esophageal Diseases/diagnosis , Fiber Optic Technology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/diagnosisABSTRACT
180 patients who attended the out patient of Hoima Hospital (Uganda) complaining of epigastric pain were studied in order to verify the cause of it and to assess the most effective diagnostic iter. All the patients underwent the following examinations : stool examination for parasites; upper digestive tract endoscopy; ultra sound scan of liver; spleen; pancreas and kidneys. The results suggest that being the main causes of epigastric pain in Uganda intestinal parasitosis (21 per cent); gastro-enteric upper tract lesions with endoscopic signs of disease and functional dyspepsia the best approach of assessment of epigastric pain is first of all to rule out the presence of parasites in the stool
Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Diseases/diagnosis , Gastrointestinal Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Intestinal DiseasesABSTRACT
HIV seroprevalence in rural areas of Uganda is not well known; but our data suggests that it is already significantly high; although a monitoring system should indicate the trend; and; in order to develop preventive strategies the main general and local risk factors should be known