G. Houngbedji

Verbal communication disorders in brain damaged post-stroke patients in Benin

UNLABELLED In Western countries, progress has lessened the severity of numerous sequels of verbal communication disorders (VCD). For Africa and more particularly Benin, few data on the subject are presently available. OBJECTIVE To analyze the occurrence and development of post-stroke VCD in Benin. METHOD A retrospective, descriptive and analytical study focused on 563 post-stroke patients treated in rehabilitation department of the National university hospital of Cotonou (CNHU) from January 2006 through December 2010. RESULTS VCD prevalence was 42.10%. Average age was 57.17 ± 12.62 years, sex ratio was 1.75, and 74.69% were right-handed. VCD affected oral expression (95.78%), written expression (2.11%), oral comprehension (13.08%) and written comprehension or reading (0.84%). Type of stroke, sex and age had no impact on VCD occurrence following stroke. Only 5.91% of the patients underwent speech therapy. Progression was favorable in 21.09% of the cases studied. CONCLUSION In Benin, post-stroke VCD is exceedingly common and occasions major social difficulties. Prevalence of VCD in a predominantly oral culture underscores the need for speech therapists to develop a more broadly ecological approach toward treatment.

Satisfaction of Patients Treated in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department in CNHU-HKM of Cotonou

Satisfaction of patients is an important dimension of the hospital management and the evaluation of the quality of care and services offered to patients. Objective: To estimate the degree of satisfaction of patients admitted in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department in the National Hospital and University Center (CNHU-HKM) in Cotonou. Method: Cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical aim. It was led from June 15th to October 15th 2013, on 158 patients or guides of children or not communicating patients having ambulatory care in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and who agree to participate to the study. The level of global satisfaction of the subjects was estimated with a digital scale from 0 to 10. It was secondarily transformed into a discreet qualitative variable. Result: Rate of participation was 63.2%. Patients had deficiencies of rheumatilogical origine (41.1%), neurological (27.2%), traumatological (24.1%). Their pathologies were evolving since 1 month to 10 years. It was about their first attendance of the Rehabilitation Department of CNHU-HKM in 72.2%. Patients’ degree of satisfaction was good for the deadliness of expectation, reception (80%), cleanliness of the building, respect of patients’ intimacy. Global satisfaction of patients was good in 72%. It was influenced by the deadline of evolution of the pathologies. Discussion-Conclusion: The level of satisfaction of patients admitted in the Rehabilitation Department in CNHU-HKM was acceptable. However, they are parameters that remain to be improved.

What happens to cutaneous and musculoskeletal sequelae of buruli ulcer one to five years after return home to healed patients

Buruli ulcer (BU) is an emerging disease caused by Mycobacteriumulcerans (Mu). It occurs in the form of endemic foci in the tropics (in Africa, America, Asia and Oceania.1 Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a factor that increase this emergence of the disease.2,3 Its treatment needs using of specific antibiotics, but also plastic and /or orthopedic surgical methods.3–5 If the disease is mutilating by itself, its taking care is not less mutilating, in some cases. However, after healing, there are capacity limitations and participation restrictions that occur in a significant number of patients.6–9 They can range from a simple limitation to ankylosis, or from a loss of substance to an amputation. These are sometimes cancerous lesions, especially after a retreat of at least 5 years.10 Despite those numerous problems, in Benin patients who are cured return to their homes and are not often reviewed for an assessment of their future. This study aims to examine the becoming of the cutaneous and musculoskeletal sequelae of former UB patients one to five years after returning home.

Health-related quality of life of adult patients healed from Buruli ulcer in Benin.

Background: The implementation of the antimicrobial therapy greatly improved Buruli Ulcer (BU) care. Nevertheless, the disease still imposes significant burden. In rural endemic areas, many patients are being healed from the disease with disabling sequels. They are living without social assistance in a context of poverty. Various researches have evaluated the therapeutic modalities that are used to control the BU disease, but any study on the quality of life (QOL) of the patients healed from BU has been reported. Methodology/Principal Findings: A total of 105 patients healed from Buruli ulcer and, 105 control Original Research Article Kpadonou et al.; BJMMR, 6(1): 88-98, 2015; Article no.BJMMR.2015.186 89 subjects without Buruli ulcer history are enrolled in the study after giving well-informed consent. The Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF-36) is administrated to access their QOL. The study is approved by the Ethical committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC). All the patients have a weak QOL than control subjects. The deterioration affects their physical functioning, their physical role, their emotional role and their mental health (p<0.05). However, in spite of their low QOL, subjects aged from 40 years old and over (p = 0.003), and subjects married, divorced or widowed (p = 0.01) work physically better than the other subgroups, even if they are mentally weaker. In a Spearman correlation test, we have observed significant relationships of socio-economic variable with the decrease of SF-36 subscale values. Conclusion/Significance: BU patients are healed in a long-term physically and psychologically marked by the sequels induced by the disease. The results of the present study suggest that interventions and supports are needed to improve the QOL of these patients.