TITLE:
Congenital Heart Disease in Rural Senegal: A Retrospective Study of 79 Patients
AUTHORS:
Babacar Niang, Aminata Mbaye, Djibril Boiro, Aliou Abdoulaye Ndongo, Mame Diarra Thiam, Aliou Thiongane, Modou Guéye, Amadou Lamine Fall, Ousmane Ndiaye
KEYWORDS:
Heart, Disease, Congenital, Children, Senegal
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.13 No.1,
January
10,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a malformation of the heart present at
birth and resulting from a developmental defect during embryonic life. The aim
was to assess CHD in rural areas. Methodology: This is a retrospective
study conducted over a period of 2 years in rural Senegal. Results: During
the study period, we collected 79 patients with CHD, representing a hospital
prevalence of 2.6%. The mean age at diagnosis was 17.05 months and the sex
ratio was 1.19. The mean birth weight was 2826 g. The main comorbidities were anaemia (54.43%) and
respiratory infections 38 cases (48.10%). Respiratory distress was the most common sign with
98.73%. Radiological cardiomegaly was noted
in 86.7%. The most frequent CHD were interventricular septal defect (IVD)
21.51% and atrial septal defect (ASD) 8.86%. No patient was able to receive
surgical treatment. Seven children died (8.86%) and 21 children were lost to
follow-up (26.58%). On Doppler echocardiography, 16.45% of the patients had
pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Conclusion: In light of
this work, emphasis should be placed on the quality of antenatal consultations,
the quality of management and the regular availability of echocardiography and
a cardio-paediatrician
in order to reduce morbidity and mortality.