The Significance of Variceal Haemorrhage in Ghana: A Retrospective Review.

BACKGROUND: This study describes the burden of bleeding oesophageal varices at the main tertiary referral centre in Accra. DESIGN: Retrospective design to describe the endoscopic spectrum and review mortality data following acute upper gastro-intestinal bleeding at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Endoscopic data was reviewed in the Endoscopy Unit between 2007 and 2010. Mortality data was collated from the Department of Medicine between 2010 and 2013. INTERVENTIONS: The study questionnaire compiled clinical and demographic characteristics, endoscopic diagnoses, length of hospital admission and treatment regimens. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Aetiology and time-trend analysis of mortality rates following acute upper gastro-intestinal bleeding; variceal bleeding treatment modalities. RESULTS: On review of the endoscopic diagnoses, gastro-oesophageal varices were identified in 21.9% of cases followed by gastritis 21.7%, duodenal ulcer, 17.0%, and gastric ulcer, 13.2%. Gastro-oesophageal varices were the predominant cause of death from acute upper gastro-intestinal haemorrhage from 46% in 2010 to 76% in 2013. Outcomes following acute upper gastro-intestinal bleeding were dismal with some 38% of fatalities occurring within the first 24 hours. Injection sclerotherapy was the dominant endoscopic modality for secondary prevention of variceal bleeding in comparison with band ligation, mainly as a result of cost and availability. CONCLUSIONS: At the tertiary centre in Accra, variceal bleeding is an increasingly common cause of acute upper gastro-intestinal haemorrhage in comparison with previous reviews in Ghana. Its significantly high in-hospital mortality reflects inadequate facilities to deal with this medical emergency. A strategic approach to care with endoscopic services equipped with all the necessary therapeutic interventions will be vital in improving the outcomes of variceal bleeding in Ghana.

Inflammatory bowel disease in Accra: what new trends.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been more common in Western Europe and North America. Initially IBD had been thought to be low in incidence among Sub-Saharan Africans. However, it is now being increasingly recognised in patients of African descent. OBJECTIVE: A comparative assessment of the patterns of IBD in Accra from 1997 to 2011. METHODS: This study used a retrospective design to access clinical details of follow-up patients attending the Gastroenterology Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra between February, 1997 and May, 2011. It was a comparative seven-year review of clinical presentations of IBD between April, 2004 -August, 2011 (t2) and February, 1997 - March, 2004 (t1) for changing patterns of disease in tertiary care. RESULTS: Twenty-eight (28) new IBD patients were seen in the Gastroenterology Clinic, KBTH with IBD during 2004 - 2011 (t2) in comparison to 17 patients over 1997 - 2004 (t1). Presentations of severe diarrhoea were 70.4% and 55.6% in (t1) and (t2) respectively. Eighty-two percent (82%) of patients with IBD in (t2) had a severely inflamed colon on the index colonoscopy. Most patients (70-80%) responded to medical therapy (steroids, sulfasalazine) with no colon resections for steroid-refractory colitis. CONCLUSION: Although relatively uncommon, IBD recorded a 65% rise in incidence over the study periods with a male preponderance. Most patients with IBD were presenting late with severe clinical and endoscopic features of disease yet medically responsive. Non-specific (indeterminate) colitis gained prominence in (t2).

Appropriateness and diagnostic yield of referrals for oesophagogastroduodenoscopy at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Increasing endoscopy workload in open-access services necessitates adoption of appropriateness criteria to check abuse and improve yield. OBJECTIVE: To assess the appropriateness of referrals for oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) and its relationship to yield at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Accra. METHODS: Referrals, signs, and symptoms of 375 consecutive patients for diagnostic oesophagogastroduodenoscopy were evaluated over four months. Indications were categorized as appropriate or inappropriate using the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) guidelines and endoscopic findings (yield) categorized as positive or negative. The relationship between these was analyzed and the diagnostic accuracy of the guidelines determined. RESULTS: There were 209 (55.7%) females, and 316 (84.3%) open-access procedures. Mean age was 46±17 years. Dyspepsia, 272 (72.5%) and epigastric tenderness, 192 (41.4 %) were the commonest symptom and sign respectively. Only 133 (35.5%) reported alarm symptoms. Appropriate referrals constituted 221(58.9%). Inappropriate referral rate was similar for endoscopists and non-endoscopists. Positive yield was 62.7%. Male sex, age > 45 years, haematemesis, persistent vomiting, gastroenterologists' referrals and epigastric tenderness were the best predictors of positive yield. Gastritis, 121 (32.3%), duodenal ulcer, 48 (12.5%) and oesophagitis, 36 (9.6%) were the leading endoscopy diagnoses. Carcinomas were reported only after 45 years and 18 (81.8%) of the cases had alarm symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate referral for OGD rate is high in Accra. Yield is improved by adherence to the ASGE guidelines but its accuracy as a screening tool for OGD at Korle- Bu Teaching Hospital is too low to recommend it for adoption.

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana

Objectives: To study the indications for endo-scopy, the endoscopic diagnosis and other lessons learnt.. Methods: A retrospective and prospective audit of all upper gastrointestinal endoscopies performed in the Endoscopy Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital from January 1995 to December 2002 was performed. Results: A total of 6977 patients, 3777 males and 3200 females with age range 1 year 8 months to 93 years were endoscoped. The mean age of males was 43.5 + 0.5 and females 43.7 + 0.6 years. Epi-gastric pain (42.5%), dyspepsia (32.8%) and haematemesis and melaena (14.2%) were the commonest reasons for endoscopy. Chronic duo-denal ulcer (19.6%), acute gastritis (12.7%), duo-denitis (10.2%), oesophagitis (7.5%) were the commonest diagnoses. Normal endoscopy was reported in 41.1% patients, and was higher in the younger age group compared to the older (R = 0.973, P<0.001). Nine hundred and ninety (14.2%) patients were endoscoped for haematemesis and melaena of which chronic duodenal ulcer (32.1%), gastritis/gastric erosions (12.8%), oesophageal varices (9.8%), carcinoma of the stomach (6.4%), and duodenitis (4.2%), were the commonest causes. No lesion was found in 20.6% of these patients. Urease test was positive in 75% of all biopsy specimen and 85% in chronic duodenal ulcer, gastritis and duodenitis. Conclusion: The normal endoscopy rate is high and needs to be reduced in order to help prolong the lives of the endoscopes. Chronic duodenal ul-cer is usually associated with H. pylori infection and is the commonest cause of upper gastrointesti-nal bleeding

Endoscopic evaluation of upper abdominal symptoms in adult patients, Saudi Aramco-Ai Hasa Health Center, Saudi Arabia.

Upper oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopies (UGI endoscopies) were performed on adult patients who attended Saudi Aramco Health Centre at Al Hasa, Saudi Arabia, between June 1986 and December 1993, with complaint of upper abdominal pain. During this period, three hundred and fifteen (315) patients were examined. Sixty one percent were females and the rest males. Peptic ulcer disease including gastritis was the most common diagnosis made. Helicobacter pylori-like organisms were documented historically in biopsy samples in 113 of 178 (63%) patients. Nearly all were associated with gastritis; no organisms were reported in normal histology specimens. This confirms the association of this organism with gastritis. Gastric cancer suspected radiologically were not confirmed endoscopically or histologically. It is important to endoscope and biopsy for histology suspected gastric cancer and ulcer; a negative result may save the patient from unnecessary surgery, ideally all normal looking gastric mucosa should be biopsied so that histological gastritis is not missed.

Acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage in Ghanaians: an endoscopic review at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

Upper gastro-intestinal (UGI) endoscopy was performed at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital; between 1981-83; on patients with history of acute upper gastro-intestinal haemorrhage. Eight-six (86) such patients were endoscoped and results have been retrospectively analysed to establish the major symptomatology; the underlying lesions; and any other relevant contributory factors. The role of endoscopy in the management of acute upper gastro-intestinal haemorrhage as well as its potential cost effectiveness are discussed. The term endoscopy; in the text refers to oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy; and GI bleed refers to upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage

Plasma potassium in hypertensive Africans on frusemide.

The effects of potassium chloride (as Slow-K 600 mg three times daily) and spironolactone (as Aldactone A 25 mg four times daily) were compared in hypertensive African patients on frusemide. Mean plasma-potassium levels in patients on frusemide plus Slow-K and frusemide plus Aldactone-A rose from 3.6 to 3.8 mOsm/L whilst on frusemide alone mean plasma-potassium fell from 3.7 to 3.6 mOsm/L. The mean blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic, was significantly reduced in the frusemide plus Aldactone-A group when compared with patients on frusemide alone or on frusemide plus Slow-K.