Coronary angiographic findings in dilated cardiomyopathy in a sub-Saharan African population.

AIM: To describe the coronary angiographic aspects observed in patients with dilated cardiomyopathies (DCM) in a sub-Saharan African country in order to improve their management. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from 1 January 2010 to 31 March 2016. All patients aged 18 years and older, presenting with DCM and admitted to Abidjan Heart Institute, who underwent coronary angiography were included. One hundred and eight patients were selected. We analysed and compared the coronary angiographic features observed. RESULTS: The median age of our patients was 52 years (46-61). There was a male predominance (sex ratio = 3). Hypertension (53.7%) was the major cardiovascular risk factor found. Coronary angiography was abnormal in 37 patients (34.3%). Twenty-three patients (21.3%) had obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients with CAD were older than those with normal coronary arteries, but with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.06). Hypertension (p < 0.001) and diabetes (p = 0.0003) were statistically significantly more commonly reported in patients with CAD. CONCLUSIONS: Ischaemic heart disease is likely to be underdiagnosed in sub-Saharan Africa. A coronary angiographic assessment of patients receiving treatment for DCM, especially in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, should help optimise their management and improve prognosis.

Building and strengthening capacity for cardiovascular research in Africa through technical training workshops: a report of the joint course on health research methods by the Clinical Research Education Networking and Consultancy and the Ivorian Society of Cardiology.

Africa bears a quarter of the global burden of disease but contributes less than 2% of the global research publications on health, partially due to a lack of expertise and skills to carry out scientific research. We report on a short course on research methods organised by the Clinical Research Education Networking and Consultancy (CRENC) during the third international congress of the Ivorian Cardiac Society (SICARD) in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Results from the pre- and post-test evaluation during this course showed that African researchers could contribute more to scientific research and publications, provided adequate support and investment is geared towards the identification and training of motivated early-career scientists.

[Eclampsia at a teaching hospital in Ivory Coast: management, outcome and prognostic factors]. / Les éclampsies en centre hospitalier universitaire en Côte d'Ivoire: prise en charge, évolution et facteurs pronostics.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the management and evolution of eclampsia in the intensive care units of Côte d'Ivoire. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective study undertaken in the intensive care units in the University Teaching Hospitals of Cocody and Yopougon from 2001 to 2006. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit for eclampsia were included in this study. The management and evolution (clinical condition at admission, medications used, type of delivery, type of anesthesia, mortality, sequellae, clinical evolution) were studied. Factors predicting mortality were identified with the calculation of odds ratio and confidence interval. The Chi-square of Mantel Haenszel was used with an alpha error = 5%. RESULTS: The study involved 313 patients with a mean age of 22.7 +/- 6.1 yr. Diazepam was the most frequently used anticonvulsant (50.5% of cases), and dihydralazine was the preferred anti-hypertensive agent (50.2%). Cesarean delivery occurred in 58.5% of cases and vaginal delivery in 41.5%. General anesthesia with intubation was used in 79% of Cesarean deliveries and spinal anaesthesia with bupivacaine 0.5% (dose: 10 in 12.5 mg) in 21%. Treatment was not followed regularly in 31.3% of cases. Maternal and perinatal mortality was 16% and 16.1%, respectively. Risk factors for mortality were: admission from outside of a university hospital, admission delay >12 hr, Glasgow score