[Clinical manifestations in patients exposed to an environmental toxic accident (Abidjan, Ivory Coast 2006)]. / Manifestations cliniques chez les sujets exposés à un accident toxique environnemental (Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire 2006).

INTRODUCTION: In 2006, 528 tons of petroleum toxic waste have been released in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) during a major environmental accident. This study was aimed to describe the clinical manifestations provoked by these toxic waste. METHODS: We have analysed the records of patients admitted to the university hospital of Cocody (Abidjan) following exposure to toxic waste. All the information were recorded on specific files or on notification files created by the physicians of the National Institute of Public Health, the authority charged with the supervision of this exercise. The files were completed by the physician in the course of the examination of the patient. RESULTS: Over a period of 3-month-period, 10,598 patients were examined. The clinical manifestations affected all age groups. They were dominated by respiratory symptoms: pulmonary (74.5%) and upper respiratory (31.0%). Pulmonary symptoms included cough (48.8%), chest pain (37.9%), dyspnoea (9.5%) and a few cases of hemoptysis. Digestive symptoms mainly comprised abdominal pain (36.2%), diarrhea (23.0%), abdominal distension (19.9%) and vomiting (9.9%). The other symptoms were neurological, ophthalmic, cardiovascular and gynaecological. More than 96% of patients presented with at least two symptoms. The respiratory symptoms were significantly more frequent in patients over the age of 17 while diarrhea and vomiting were more often found in patients less than 17 years old. Chest pain was significantly more common in men while abdominal pain and vomiting predominated in women (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: The clinical consequences of toxic waste exposure were varied and sometimes serious. A medium- and long-term evaluation of the subjects is required.

[Evaluation of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment in Ivory Coast from 2008 to 2010]. / Évaluation du traitement de la tuberculose multi-résistante en Côte d'Ivoire de 2008 à 2010.

This is a retrospective study conducted from January 2008 to December 2010 on sectional descriptive analysis of records of patients treated for MDR-TB and whose follow-up was in the thoracic department of Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) of Cocody in Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire. We selected eight patients who met the inclusion criteria of 21 MDR-TB patients registered during the study period. The average age was 29.25years ranging from 21 to 39. Males accounted for 75% of the patients (6 males and 2 females). The students represented the professional social layer most affected with 37.5% of the patients. All patients had a history of tuberculosis and only one patient was HIV positive under anti-retroviral (zidovudin, lamivudin and efavirenz). All cultures found Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The resistance profile in addition to isoniazid and rifampicin, found two cases of resistance to ethambutol and streptomycin. The chest radiograph at the time of initiation of second-line treatment showed essentially excavations in 75% of cases and infiltrates in 25%. The lesions were bilateral in 7 of 8 patients (87.5%). The main side effects observed during treatment were limited to cochleovestibular disorders (2 patients) and neuropsychiatric disorders (2 patients) and digestive disorders in half of the patients with removal of the offending molecule kanamycin. After 24months of treatment, it was numbered five cures (62.5%), two failures and one death.

[Correlation of the manifestations of tuberculosis and the degree of immunosuppression in patients with HIV]. / Corrélations des manifestations de la tuberculose pulmonaire avec le degré d'immunodépression au VIH.

CONTEXT: Correlation of the manifestations of tuberculosis and the degree of immunosuppression in patients with HIV. BACKGROUND: The advent of HIV has contributed to the increase in the number of people with tuberculosis. The clinical and paraclinical of TB/HIV co-infected are polymorphic and function of immune status. OBJECTIVES: To determines the clinical and paraclinical characteristics of TB related to different levels of CD4 lymphocytes. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective case series based on analysis of 450 patients with both TB/HIV co-infections. It focused on the records of patients with pulmonary smear-positive (TPM +) with a positive HIV status. The effect of immunosuppression was analyzed in groups based on the CD4 count (<200/mm(3), of 200-350/mm(3) and>350/mm(3)), in a chronological fashion from April to September 2010 until there were 150 patients in each CD4 group. RESULTS: Among the 450 patients, 71.1% were between 25 and 45years old. The clinical signs were more significant as the level of CD4 fell. The clinical signs were predominantly fever (93%) and weight loss (62.7%). Pulmonary cavitation (59.3%), infiltrates (38.7%) and the location of the lesions at the lung apex (72%) were more common in the third group patients. By contrast, extra pulmonary lesions (mediastinal lymphadenopathy, pleurisy) and normal x-ray (9.3%) were more frequent in patients of the first group. The scarcity of cavitations (22.3% compared to 59.3% CD4>350) and the increase in associated lesions became more marked if patients were immunocompromised. Hematologic, hepatic, renal disorders were more frequent and severe in the most immunocompromised patient group. CONCLUSION: HIV-associated tuberculosis has an atypical clinical, radiological, biological presentation and is more severe when there is significant immunosuppression.

[Etiologies of non tuberculous empyema in adult patients infected with HIV in a service of pneumology, Abidjan (Ivory Coast)]. / Étiologies des pleurésies purulentes non tuberculeuses chez les patients adultes infectés par le VIH dans un service de pneumologie à Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire).

OBJECTIVES: To identify the main bacteria that cause thoracic empyema of HIV-infected patients. METHODS: Retrospective study analyzing the etiology of thoracic empyema in patients admitted to the pneumology clinic of the university hospital center in Abidjan from January 1998 to December 2010. We included all patients with bacteriologically confirmed thoracic empyema and had serological test for HIV. We compared the different pathogens based on HIV status. RESULTS: There were 42 patients of thoracic empyema composed of 24 (63.3%) HIV-infected patients [15 (62.5%) males and nine (37.5%) women] and 18 (36.7%) HIV-negative patients [13 (72.22%) men and five (27.78%) women]. The average age of HIV-infected patients was 41.2 years and 44.8 years for HIV-negative patients. HIV status was known only for 4.76% patients at admission, and most of them had a severe stage of immune suppression, (the average T CD4 cell count was 96/mm(3)). Pleurisy was monomicrobial in 83.33% HIV-infected patients and 94.4% HIV-negative patients. It was polymicrobial in 16.67% immunocompromised patients and 5.56% HIV-negative patient. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from 58.33% HIV-infected patients. Streptococcus Pneumoniae was observed in 61.11% HIV-negative patients. CONCLUSIONS: Gram-negative bacteria are the main causes of thoracic empyema in patients HIV-infected.

[Pancytopenia: a severe complication of miliary tuberculosis]. / La pancytopénie : une complication grave de la miliaire tuberculeuse.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiology, clinical features and outcome of patients with hematologic abnormalities in miliary tuberculosis. METHODS: This was a retrospective study in the pneumology department of the University hospital in Abidjan (RCI), between January 2000 and December 2009. We analyzed the medical records of patients with pancytopenia occurring in the context of miliary tuberculosis. We compared the clinical characteristics and the outcome in patients with pancytopenia versus patients without pancytopenia. RESULTS: Pancytopenia occurred in 12% of patients with miliary tuberculosis; 11 men (61%) and seven women (39%). The average age of patients was 33 years, [17-67 years]. Pancytopenia with miliary tuberculosis was frequently associated with HIV: 92.8% (P=0.0009). The clinical characteristics were: fever (88.9%), severe weight loss: 100% vs. 78.8% MT without pancytopenia (P=0.025), respiratory distress: 100% vs. 52.3% MT without pancytopenia (P=0.00032), splenomegaly: 77.8% vs. 5.30% MT without pancytopenia (P=0.0000), multiple lymph nodes: 66.7% vs. 29.5% MT without pancytopenia (P=0.0043). The occurrence of pancytopenia in military TB is associated with a bad prognosis and the outcome was unfavorable in 8.33% (P=0.00001). CONCLUSION: Patients with pancytopenia in miliary tuberculosis have a high mortality despite tuberculosis treatment.

[Non-tuberculous pleural infections versus tuberculous pleural infections]. / Atteintes pleurales non tuberculeuses versus atteintes pleurales tuberculeuses.

INTRODUCTION: In countries where tuberculosis is endemic, the main differential diagnosis for pleural infection by common bacteria is pleural tuberculosis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to determine the differences between pleural infection by common bacteria and that caused by pleural tuberculosis. METHODOLOGY: Our study was a retrospective analysis and compared the characteristics of confirmed pleural infection by common bacteria (PIB) and that due to pleural tuberculosis (PT). RESULTS: For the PIB, the signs evolved for 2.4 ± 1.4 weeks versus 5.6 ± 2.2 weeks for the PT (P=0.01). In multivariate analysis, for PIB the onset of symptoms was more abrupt (OR=3.8 [1.5; 9.9]; P=0.01), asthenia was less frequent (OR=0.3 [0.1; 0.9]; P=0.03), pleural liquid was more purulent (OR=40.0 [15.0; 106.7]; P<0.01). The blood neutrophil count was more frequently raised in cases of PIB (OR=2.5 [1.2; 5.4]; P=0.02). Pneumothorax/hydropneumothorax was less frequent in PIB (OR=0.3 [0.1; 1.0]; P=0.04). CONCLUSION: Clinical differences exist between pleural effusions caused by tuberculosis (TB) and those due to other bacterial infections. However, they are not sufficiently sensitive and therefore the search for the tuberculous bacillus must be systematic while waiting for implementation of new diagnostic tests for the organism.

[Clinical manifestations related to kitchen biomass smoke in African women]. / Manifestations cliniques liées à la fumée de cuisine chez les femmes en milieu africain.

CONTEXT: Fires of wood and charcoal play an essential part in the cooking of food in Africa. These fires emit thick smoke that has definite health consequences. OBJECTIVES: To determine the clinical manifestations related to kitchen smoke and to identify the type of fire most often incriminated. METHODS: It was a transverse study comparing the clinical features in women using three types of fire: wood, charcoal and gas. We questioned 200 women in each group who used one type of fire exclusively for five days a week for at least five years. RESULTS: Clinical manifestations associated with the smoke were reported in all the women using wood as opposed to 98.5% using charcoal and 45.5% using gas. More than 80% had physical signs. These comprised 89.1% upper respiratory and 77% pulmonary signs. Upper respiratory signs were the most common, mainly sneezing and nasal obstruction. At the pulmonary level, a predominance of signs was found in women using wood fires (47.3%) and charcoal (36.2%), the difference being statistically significant. The signs included chronic cough, chest pain and dyspnoea. Wheezes were found in 15% of the women. CONCLUSION: Cooking smoke exposes women to complications which are most frequently associated with the use of wood or charcoal.

[Contribution of the surgical treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis during medical follow-up (experience of the pneumology department of the CHU of Cocody, in connection with five observations)]. / Apport du traitement chirurgical de la tuberculose à bacilles résistants au cours du suivi médical (expérience du service de pneumologie du CHU de Cocody : à propos de cinq observations).

Multidrug resistance is defined as a resistance to two major antituberculosis drugs, which are isoniazid and rifampicin. The aim of the study was to specify the place of the thoracic surgery during the medical follow-up of the TB-MDR. Five files were kept over six years during this retrospective study. On the clinical and radiological level, localised lesions and a negative HIV serology were noted in the five patients. The completion date of the surgery varied between the third month and the 22nd after the beginning of the medical treatment. This delay in carrying out the surgery was encouraged by the social conditions of the patients. Three series of expectoration culture post-surgery were all negative. After surgery, the medical treatment was drawn out over six and 12 months depending on the clinical condition of the patient. No recurrence was observed. Only one patient died one year after the surgery from hemoptysis in relation to pulmonary sequelae.

[Removal of an intratracheobronchial foreign body opaque to X-rays in a child within a context of inadequate medical technical equipment]. / Extraction d'un corps étranger intratrachéobronchique radio-opaque chez un enfant dans un contexte de plateau sous-médicalisé.

Intratracheobronchial foreign bodies are common accidents in children. In developed countries, the removal of these intratracheobronchial foreign bodies is performed with flexible or rigid fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Resorting to surgery is rare. In the inadequate medical context described, suitable medical technical equipment doesn't exist. Removal alternatives are necessary in order to avoid sanitary evacuation which is not always within patients' means. In this study, the authors describe the removal of an intratracheobronchial foreign body opaque to X-rays with foreign body forceps. The forceps, passed through the orotracheal intubation probe, were guided by an image intensification system in a traumatology operating theatre.