Treatment outcome with a short multidrug-resistant tuberculosis regimen in nine African countries.

SETTING: Nine countries in West and Central Africa. OBJECTIVE: To assess outcomes and adverse drug events of a standardised 9-month treatment regimen for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) among patients never previously treated with second-line drugs. DESIGN: Prospective observational study of MDR-TB patients treated with a standardised 9-month regimen including moxifloxacin, clofazimine, ethambutol (EMB) and pyrazinamide (PZA) throughout, supplemented by kanamycin, prothionamide and high-dose isoniazid during an intensive phase of a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 6 months. RESULTS: Among the 1006 MDR-TB patients included in the study, 200 (19.9%) were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Outcomes were as follows: 728 (72.4%) cured, 93 (9.2%) treatment completed (81.6% success), 59 (5.9%) failures, 78 (7.8%) deaths, 48 (4.8%) lost to follow-up. The proportion of deaths was much higher among HIV-infected patients (19.0% vs. 5.0%). Treatment success did not differ by HIV status among survivors. Fluoroquinolone resistance was the main cause of failure, while resistance to PZA, ethionamide or EMB did not influence bacteriological outcome. The most important adverse drug event was hearing impairment (11.4% severe deterioration after 4 months). CONCLUSIONS: The study results support the use of the short regimen recently recommended by the World Health Organization. Its high level of success even among HIV-positive patients promises substantial improvements in TB control.

Pulmonary embolism: epidemiological data and diagnosis in Kinshasa hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is common but difficult to diagnose. OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical characteristics of PE in Kinshasa hospitals. METHOD: This was a retrospective study in 158 cases with suspected PE. RESULTS: The prevalence of PE was 37% among cases with suspicion of the disease. Male sex was predominant (55%). The mean age was 55 ± 15 years. The main risk factors were obesity (53%), immobilisation (43%) and surgery (14%). The main symptoms were dyspnoea (98%), cough (59%), chest pain (43%) and unilateral limb pain (36%). Tachypnoea (88%), tachycardia (53%) and signs of deep-vein thrombosis (36%) were the main clinical presentations. Lung examination was normal in 55% of the patients. PE prevalence in the 'PE likely' category based on the Wells score was 53%. Levels of D-dimers were elevated in all patients. Sinus tachycardia (72%), S1Q3T3 pattern (30%) and T-wave inversion in V1-V4 (34%) were the main electrocardiographic abnormalities. Chest X-ray was normal in 30% of patients. Right ventricular pressure overload was detected in 58% of patients who had access to echocardiography. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography was performed in 65% of patients. All patients were treated with anticoagulants; no cases received thrombolytics. Patients who died (7%) were all in class III-V according to the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index prognostic score. CONCLUSION: PE is common in Kinshasa, with characteristics similar to those reported in the literature.

[Knowledge of the general population about hypertension and diabetes mellitus in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo]. / Connaissances de la population générale sur l'hypertension artérielle et le diabète sucré au Sud-Kivu, République démocratique du Congo.

BACKGROUND: In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country in a post-conflict period, high priority cannot be given to non-communicable diseases other than to emergencies. This certainly involves inadequacy in raising awareness for prevention of these diseases. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the level of knowledge of the Congolese general population on hypertension and diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Responses to a questionnaire from 3% of the general population aged 15 and older in the city of Bukavu and two rural areas: Hombo and Walungu (South Kivu, eastern DRC), recruited after stratification by ward in the city of Bukavu and a group of prone villages were expected. The questions focused on identification, testing, causes, complications and treatment of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: Of the 7770 respondents, screening for hypertension and diabetes mellitus affected only 14.9% and 7.3% of subjects respectively. Knowledge of these two conditions was generally low in the general population, although better in the subgroups of patients and those with higher socioeconomic level (P<0.05). Use of the medias was also associated with better knowledge (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that knowledge about hypertension and diabetes mellitus and their testing in South Kivu is low. It is imperative that the Congolese government includes non-communicable diseases in its priorities of the millennium. Similarly, the WHO should actively contribute to screening for them in low-income countries.

Dietary cassava, beta-cell function and hyperbolic product loss rate in type 2 diabetes patients from South Kivu.

OBJECTIVE: Cassava, a major carbohydrate source in Africa, contains potentially diabetogenic chemicals, although its consumption is not associated with incident diabetes. As it is not known whether cassava intake impairs residual beta-cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), our study compared the metabolic phenotypes of diet- and/or oral antidiabetic drug (OAD)-treated T2D patients in South Kivu (Democratic Republic of the Congo) with [Cassava (+); n=147] and without [Cassava (-); n=46] self-reported cassava consumption. DESIGN & METHODS: A total of 193 patients [male:female (%) 37:63; mean +/-1 SD age: 56+/-11 years] were interviewed to determine the frequency and distribution of eight major dietary carbohydrate (CHO) sources (cassava, plantain, rice, maize, bread, sorghum, potatoes and legumes). Fasting glucose, insulin and lipid levels were obtained after an overnight fast and OAD discontinuation. Cassava (+) and Cassava (-) groups were compared for HOMA indices of insulin sensitivity (S), beta-cell function (B), hyperbolic product (B x S) and B x S loss rate (B x S LR). RESULTS: Diabetes duration was 6+/-7 years, age at diabetes diagnosis was 51+/-11 years and BMI was 25+/-5 kg/m(2). Cassava intake was reported by 76% of patients, and amounted to 29+/-11% of their daily CHO intake. The Cassava (-) group ate more plantain, maize, bread and potatoes, and less sorghum. Age, gender and age at diabetes diagnosis did not differ between Cassava (+) and (-) patients, nor did BMI, fat mass, waist circumference, lipid profile and metabolic syndrome prevalence. HOMA indices of S, B, B x S and B x S LR did not differ significantly between groups-Cassava (+) vs (-): S, 114+/-56% vs 114+/-60%; B, 34+/-30% vs 39+/-32%; B x S, 38+/-35% vs 40+/-31%; and B x S LR, 1.19+/-0.84% vs 1.09+/-0.65% per year-nor did the glucose-lowering modalities. CONCLUSION: Cassava consumption in South Kivu is not associated with changes in T2D phenotype or in the glucose homoeostasis determinants S, B, B x S and B x S LR. Cassava consumption does not accelerate beta-cell function loss in such a population, whose markedly compromised glucose homoeostasis renders them vulnerable to environmentally acquired beta-cell impairment.

Profil et evolution de la resistance primaire de Mycobacterium tuberculosis aux antituberculeux dans deux centres de traitement a Kinshasa

"Objectif : Determiner la frequence; le profil et l'evolution de la resistance primaire aux antituberculeux parmi des sujets seropositifs et seronegatifs pour le VIH traites dans deux centres de Kinshasa. Methodes : Les expectorations des sujets eligibles ont ete ensemencees sur milieu de Lowenstein Jensen et la sensibilite des souches aux antituberculeux usuels testee selon la technique des proportions de Canetti et al. (7). La resistance globale a un ou plusieurs antituberculeux etait de 42et la comparaison des donnees entre sujets VIH+ et VIH- a ete effectuee a l'aide du test de Chi-carre ou du test exact de Fisher selon le cas. Resultats : Sur 161 souches isolees de Mycobacterium tuberculosis; 68 (42) se sont revelees resistantes a au moins un de quatre antituberculeux testes. La monoresistance a ete plus marquee pour la streptomycine (30;4) et l'Isoniazide (19;9). La frequence la plus faible a ete observee pour la rifampicine (5). Le profil de la resistance globale n'a pas montre de difference significative entre sujets VIH+ et VIH- (45""vs 40; p=0;505) tandis que la resistance isolee est apparue plus marquee pour les sujets VIH+ pour tous les antituberculeux testes hormis l'ethambutol La multiresistance (MDR-TB) a ete observee pour 8 souches (5). Conclusion : Le taux de resistance primaire a au moins un antituberculeux et la presence de la multiresistance justifient l'extension de la surveillance au reste du pays en vue de definir les strategies adequates de riposte. L'impact du VIH sur la resistance merite d'etre etudie dans des series plus grandes."