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CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 25, No 5, September/October 2014
AFRICA
251
ceftriaxone and metronidazole appeared
to be the most abused drugs in this region.
Inhispresentation,DrMapohSylvester
revealed the increasing admission rate for
heart failure at the DGH, however, with
a contrasting decline in mortality rate
from this disease in recent years. This
is most likely explained by the recent
establishment of an intensive cardiac and
vascular care unit in the hospital.
Dr Tchente Charlotte, a consultant
obstetrician and gynaecologist at DGH
reported that respiratory distress was
more common among newborns born
via elective caesarian delivery prior to 39
weeks’ gestation than in those born via
vaginal delivery. This difference lessened
with increasing gestational age.
Dr Essomba Noel and colleagues
reported that being widowed, being an
alcohol drinker, or having opportunistic
infections were the main correlates, in
regression analyses, of poor adherence
to antiretroviral therapy among patients
in Douala.
Dr Ako Forbang, in a study to
characterise the clinical and radiological
patterns and treatment options of
patients with hip osteoarthritis in DGH,
reviewed 9 615 cases. The prevalence
of symptomatic hip osteoarthritis was
2.7%, with a preponderance of females.
Patients mostly presented with pain,
and the frequent radiological grade was
Kellgren-Lawrence grade 4. Of those with
indications for hip arthroplasty, less than
50% underwent replacement therapy, with
the main constraints being financial.
The neurologist Dr Mapoure, in
an effort to describe the epidemiology,
aetiology and prognosis of thunderclap
headaches in Douala, realised that most
cases occurred spontaneously and during
sexual intercourse, with themain aetiology
being subarachnoid haemorrhage.
Mortality rate was high, mainly from
subarachnoid haemorrhage, and seizures
were the main predictive factor of death.
Several posters were presented on a
wide variety of topics, including excessive
daytime sleepiness and hypertension
by Dr Nganda Malea, post-exposure
prophylaxis for HIV by Dr Aminde
Leopold, survival of stroke patients
by Dr Mapoure, hypertension in rural
Cameroon by Dr Arrey Walters, vitamin
changes in haemodialysis patients by
Cedric Gueguim, and the influence of
tradipractitioners’ services on patients’
adherence to ARVs by Dr Songo Jacques.
Plenary session: cardiac disease
and pregnancy
This session was co-chaired by the
chief executive officer of the Douala
General Hospital, Prof Eugene Belley
Priso, the director of the HICRA, Prof
Karen Sliwa-Hahnle, and the dean of the
Faculty of Medical and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Douala, Prof
Albert Mouelle Sone. Prof Sliwa-Hahnle
gave a very well-attended lecture on recent
advances in cardiac disease in pregnancy.
She elaborated on her novel discoveries
on the pathogenesis of peripartum
cardiomyopathy (PPCMP), with a
sub-type of prolactin being the origin of
the myocardial changes consistent with
PPCMP. She went on to demonstrate
research evidence and promising successes
in the treatment of the condition using
bromocriptine in rats and mice. She then
discussed possible differential diagnoses
of PPCMP, and provided an algorithm
for the diagnosis of PPCMP.
Prof Sliwa-Hahnle’s lecture also
focused on the updated European
Society guidelines for the management
of cardiac diseases in pregnancy. She
concluded by calling on all participants
Poster session 1.
Audience during the plenary session.
Official photo.