Conference Material > Poster
Cazes C, Phelan KPQ, Hubert V, Boubacar H, Tshibangu G, et al.
MSF Scientific Days International 2021: Research. 2021 May 18
Conference Material > Abstract
Diallo AK, Bossard C
Epicentre Scientific Day Paris 2023. 2023 June 8
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Early psychosocial stimulation with disadvantaged infants can lead to short- and long-term benefits in cognitive and social development. Programs with multiple
components, including health, nutrition, and psychosocial stimulation have shown to be the most successful at enhancing the rehabilitation of severe acute malnourished (SAM) children. The STIMNUT study assesses the feasibility of integrating an adapted version of the ‘Follow-Up of Severe Acute Malnourished children’ (FUSAM) protocol developed by Action Contre la Faim into the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Therapeutic Feeding Programme in Koutiala (Mali) for SAM children aged 6-23 months and their primary caregivers.
METHODS
A convergent mixed methods study was implemented between July 2022 and May 2023 in two outpatient health facilities and the general hospital in Koutiala. An adaptation of the PRECEDE-PROCEED conceptual framework was used to adapt, implement and evaluate the psychosocial stimulation intervention. The study was
divided into 3 successive phases: (1) a mixed methods initial assessment at community level, (2) the contextual adaptation of the FUSAM protocol through a participatory approach (PAR) and (3) an assessment of its acceptability. For this assessment, 15 individual interviews with mothers were conducted. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed and interpreted concurrently.
RESULTS
During the PAR process, various stakeholders including, development workers and health professionals, parents of SAM children and traditional healers, worked together to practically adapt the intervention. They proposed for instance to include a community-level ceremony at the beginning of the intervention with traditional authorities, villages chiefs and other local stakeholders to increase its appropriation and to sensitize community members. During phase 3, a total of 149 psychosocial stimulation sessions (122 individual and 27 collective) were delivered by a team of 3 psychosocial workers to the 36 families included. The preliminary acceptability results showed that the sessions were well appreciated by the mothers. They became more acceptable as the intervention progressed because of the resulting positive changes in their children’s wellbeing, in theirs and their families’ relationship with their children, and in the mothers' relationships with their husbands and extended family.
CONCLUSION
The implementation of the adapted version of FUSAM protocol and its acceptability assessment at primary and secondary health care levels will now be used to inform the further deployment of the intervention. In particular, the results have allowed the development of a framework for the StimNut intervention to make it locally relevant and to guide its reproducibility in other contexts.
KEY MESSAGE
StimNut is a mixed method feasibility study on the integration of a psychosocial stimulation intervention into the standard nutritional care for SAM children aged 6-23 months In Koutiala, Mali.
This abstract is not to be quoted for publication.
Early psychosocial stimulation with disadvantaged infants can lead to short- and long-term benefits in cognitive and social development. Programs with multiple
components, including health, nutrition, and psychosocial stimulation have shown to be the most successful at enhancing the rehabilitation of severe acute malnourished (SAM) children. The STIMNUT study assesses the feasibility of integrating an adapted version of the ‘Follow-Up of Severe Acute Malnourished children’ (FUSAM) protocol developed by Action Contre la Faim into the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Therapeutic Feeding Programme in Koutiala (Mali) for SAM children aged 6-23 months and their primary caregivers.
METHODS
A convergent mixed methods study was implemented between July 2022 and May 2023 in two outpatient health facilities and the general hospital in Koutiala. An adaptation of the PRECEDE-PROCEED conceptual framework was used to adapt, implement and evaluate the psychosocial stimulation intervention. The study was
divided into 3 successive phases: (1) a mixed methods initial assessment at community level, (2) the contextual adaptation of the FUSAM protocol through a participatory approach (PAR) and (3) an assessment of its acceptability. For this assessment, 15 individual interviews with mothers were conducted. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed and interpreted concurrently.
RESULTS
During the PAR process, various stakeholders including, development workers and health professionals, parents of SAM children and traditional healers, worked together to practically adapt the intervention. They proposed for instance to include a community-level ceremony at the beginning of the intervention with traditional authorities, villages chiefs and other local stakeholders to increase its appropriation and to sensitize community members. During phase 3, a total of 149 psychosocial stimulation sessions (122 individual and 27 collective) were delivered by a team of 3 psychosocial workers to the 36 families included. The preliminary acceptability results showed that the sessions were well appreciated by the mothers. They became more acceptable as the intervention progressed because of the resulting positive changes in their children’s wellbeing, in theirs and their families’ relationship with their children, and in the mothers' relationships with their husbands and extended family.
CONCLUSION
The implementation of the adapted version of FUSAM protocol and its acceptability assessment at primary and secondary health care levels will now be used to inform the further deployment of the intervention. In particular, the results have allowed the development of a framework for the StimNut intervention to make it locally relevant and to guide its reproducibility in other contexts.
KEY MESSAGE
StimNut is a mixed method feasibility study on the integration of a psychosocial stimulation intervention into the standard nutritional care for SAM children aged 6-23 months In Koutiala, Mali.
This abstract is not to be quoted for publication.
Conference Material > Slide Presentation
Bossard C, Payotte S, Scarpa G, Diallo AK, Lissouba P, et al.
MSF Paediatric Days 2024. 2024 May 3; DOI:10.57740/hbFEFb2
Conference Material > Poster
Cazes C, Sirna F, Phelan KPQ, Hubert V, Tshiala BK, et al.
MSF Scientific Days International 2022. 2022 May 9; DOI:10.57740/cbcx-vk63
Conference Material > Poster
Yang SL, Gonzalez M, Hazaea Mohammed HA, Lim SY, Ferreras E, et al.
MSF Paediatric Days 2024. 2024 May 3; DOI:10.57740/ahq9-t438
Conference Material > Poster
Isanaka S, Garba S, Cabrera ME, Rocaspana M
MSF Scientific Days International 2021: Research. 2021 May 18; Volume 7 (Issue 1); 47.
Conference Material > Abstract
Josaphat A, Saldanha AM, Mwanga JP, Simon A
MSF Paediatric Days 2022. 2022 November 26; DOI:10.57740/ttb5-d359
INTRODUCTION
Tuberculosis (TB) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are major health problems in east Democratic Republic Congo (DRC), a setting with persistent armed conflict and population displacement. Diagnosis of TB in children is difficult as symptoms are non-specific and diagnostic sensitivity is low, especially in SAM.
CASE DESCRIPTION (Download PDF for photos accompanying this description)
A 4-year old girl was referred for a 2-week history of fever, cough, weight loss, and swelling of the limbs and face. On examination she was febrile and tachycardic, with pedal edema up to the knee, facial puffiness, and bilateral crepitations on auscultation. She lived in an overcrowded camp for internally displaced people. Her older brother had similar symptoms and neighbours had recently started TB treatment. She was admitted with a working diagnosis of SAM-Kwashiorkor type, acute pneumonia, and suspicion of TB. At day 5, her fevers continued despite IV broad-spectrum antibiotics. Chest x-ray was insignificant. Sputum microscopy and GeneXpert on gastric aspirate were both negative for TB. She developed abdominal distension and a spontaneous fistula at the umbilicus (photo), discharging milky fluid that was thought to be digested nutritional milk. Anti-tuberculosis treatment was started based on strong clinical suspicion of extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB). Within 2 weeks she improved clinically and nutritionally, the fistula spontaneously closed eliminating the need for surgery, and she could be discharged.
DISCUSSION
This case highlights the difficulties of diagnosing EPTB in children with SAM. Diagnosis relies heavily on clinical suspicion and epidemiological information. Negative sputum microscopy and GeneXpert gastric aspirate analysis do not rule out TB. Early initiation of treatment is the most important factor affecting mortality, thus empirically starting treatment should be considered. Spontaneous enterocutaneous fistulas caused by TB are rare, and there is limited literature describing their presentation or treatment. In our case, an empiric conservative treatment approach was very successful and even eliminated the need for surgery.
Tuberculosis (TB) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are major health problems in east Democratic Republic Congo (DRC), a setting with persistent armed conflict and population displacement. Diagnosis of TB in children is difficult as symptoms are non-specific and diagnostic sensitivity is low, especially in SAM.
CASE DESCRIPTION (Download PDF for photos accompanying this description)
A 4-year old girl was referred for a 2-week history of fever, cough, weight loss, and swelling of the limbs and face. On examination she was febrile and tachycardic, with pedal edema up to the knee, facial puffiness, and bilateral crepitations on auscultation. She lived in an overcrowded camp for internally displaced people. Her older brother had similar symptoms and neighbours had recently started TB treatment. She was admitted with a working diagnosis of SAM-Kwashiorkor type, acute pneumonia, and suspicion of TB. At day 5, her fevers continued despite IV broad-spectrum antibiotics. Chest x-ray was insignificant. Sputum microscopy and GeneXpert on gastric aspirate were both negative for TB. She developed abdominal distension and a spontaneous fistula at the umbilicus (photo), discharging milky fluid that was thought to be digested nutritional milk. Anti-tuberculosis treatment was started based on strong clinical suspicion of extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB). Within 2 weeks she improved clinically and nutritionally, the fistula spontaneously closed eliminating the need for surgery, and she could be discharged.
DISCUSSION
This case highlights the difficulties of diagnosing EPTB in children with SAM. Diagnosis relies heavily on clinical suspicion and epidemiological information. Negative sputum microscopy and GeneXpert gastric aspirate analysis do not rule out TB. Early initiation of treatment is the most important factor affecting mortality, thus empirically starting treatment should be considered. Spontaneous enterocutaneous fistulas caused by TB are rare, and there is limited literature describing their presentation or treatment. In our case, an empiric conservative treatment approach was very successful and even eliminated the need for surgery.
Journal Article > ResearchFull Text
BMJ Nutr Prev Health; BMJ nutrition, prevention and health; BMJ NPH. 2024 February 26; e000785.; DOI:10.1136/bmjnph-2023-000785
Rattigan SM, Grantz KH, Hanson K, Langendorf C, Berthé F, et al.
BMJ Nutr Prev Health; BMJ nutrition, prevention and health; BMJ NPH. 2024 February 26; e000785.; DOI:10.1136/bmjnph-2023-000785
INTRODUCTION
Current guidelines for the outpatient treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) recommend the provision of routine medications to all children at admission and prescribed medications as clinically indicated thereafter. The objective of this study was to describe the amount and purpose of medications prescribed during outpatient SAM treatment and explore the effect of routine antibiotics at admission on subsequent medication prescription.
METHODS
Medications prescribed during outpatient treatment were described by medication category, time from admission, and diagnoses among children with SAM in a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of 7-day amoxicillin use. Total medications were compared by parent trial intervention arm (amoxicillin vs placebo) and differences assessed using Χ^2 and two-sample t-tests.
RESULTS
Of the 2399 children enrolled, 74.6% of children received ≥1 prescribed medication during outpatient treatment. Antipyretics/analgesics (44.1% of children), antimalarials (56.6%) and antibiotics (30.0%) were prescribed most frequently. Children who received placebo in the parent trial received fewer total medications (mean difference: −0.80, 95% CI: −0.96 to –0.65) and oral antibiotics (mean difference: −0.96, 95% CI: −0.99 to –0.92) during treatment compared with children who received routine amoxicillin.
CONCLUSIONS
We found high rates of medication prescription during outpatient treatment for SAM, but fewer total medications and oral antibiotics prescribed to children receiving placebo in the parent trial. Our findings underscore the role of outpatient treatment programmes as an important source of medicine prescription and suggest that provision of antibiotics on a clinically indicated basis for outpatient SAM cases may be a strategy to support prudent antibiotic use in certain settings.
Current guidelines for the outpatient treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) recommend the provision of routine medications to all children at admission and prescribed medications as clinically indicated thereafter. The objective of this study was to describe the amount and purpose of medications prescribed during outpatient SAM treatment and explore the effect of routine antibiotics at admission on subsequent medication prescription.
METHODS
Medications prescribed during outpatient treatment were described by medication category, time from admission, and diagnoses among children with SAM in a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of 7-day amoxicillin use. Total medications were compared by parent trial intervention arm (amoxicillin vs placebo) and differences assessed using Χ^2 and two-sample t-tests.
RESULTS
Of the 2399 children enrolled, 74.6% of children received ≥1 prescribed medication during outpatient treatment. Antipyretics/analgesics (44.1% of children), antimalarials (56.6%) and antibiotics (30.0%) were prescribed most frequently. Children who received placebo in the parent trial received fewer total medications (mean difference: −0.80, 95% CI: −0.96 to –0.65) and oral antibiotics (mean difference: −0.96, 95% CI: −0.99 to –0.92) during treatment compared with children who received routine amoxicillin.
CONCLUSIONS
We found high rates of medication prescription during outpatient treatment for SAM, but fewer total medications and oral antibiotics prescribed to children receiving placebo in the parent trial. Our findings underscore the role of outpatient treatment programmes as an important source of medicine prescription and suggest that provision of antibiotics on a clinically indicated basis for outpatient SAM cases may be a strategy to support prudent antibiotic use in certain settings.
Conference Material > Video (talk)
Simons E
Epicentre Scientific Day Paris 2023. 2023 June 8
English
Français
Journal Article > ResearchFull Text
PLOS Med. 2022 March 1; Volume 19 (Issue 3); e1003923.; DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003923
Hitchings MD, Berthe F, Aruna P, Shehu I, Ali Hamza M, et al.
PLOS Med. 2022 March 1; Volume 19 (Issue 3); e1003923.; DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003923
BACKGROUND
Community-based management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) involves weekly or biweekly outpatient clinic visits for clinical surveillance and distribution of therapeutic foods. Distance to outpatient clinics and high opportunity costs for caregivers can represent major barriers to access. Reducing the frequency of outpatient visits while providing training to caregivers to recognize clinical danger signs at home between outpatient visits may increase acceptability, coverage, and public health impact of SAM treatment. We investigated the effectiveness of monthly clinic visits compared to the standard weekly follow-up in the outpatient treatment of uncomplicated SAM in northwestern Nigeria.
METHODS AND FINDINGS
We conducted a cluster randomized crossover trial to test the noninferiority of nutritional recovery in children with uncomplicated SAM receiving monthly follow-up compared to the standard weekly schedule. From January 2018 to November 2019, 3,945 children aged 6 to 59 months were enrolled at 10 health centers (5 assigned to monthly follow-up and 5 assigned to weekly follow-up) in Sokoto, Nigeria. In total, 96% of children (n = 1,976 in the monthly follow-up group and 1,802 in the weekly follow-up group) were followed until program discharge, and 91% (n = 1,873 in the monthly follow-up group and 1,721 in the weekly follow-up group) were followed to 3 months postdischarge. The mean age at admission was 15.8 months (standard deviation [SD] 7.1), 2,097/3,945 (53.2%) were girls, and the mean midupper arm circumference (MUAC) at admission was 105.8 mm (SD 6.0). In a modified intention-to-treat analysis, the primary outcome of nutritional recovery, defined as having MUAC ≥125 mm on 2 consecutive visits, was analyzed using generalized linear models, with generalized estimating equations to account for clustering. Nutritional recovery was lower in the monthly follow-up group compared to the weekly group (1,036/1,976, 52.4% versus 1,059/1,802, 58.8%; risk difference: -6.8%), and noninferiority was not demonstrated (lower bound of the confidence interval [CI] was -11.5%, lower than the noninferiority margin of 10%). The proportion of children defaulting was lower in the monthly group than in the weekly group (109/1,976, 5.5% versus 151/1,802, 8.4%, p = 0.03). Three months postdischarge, children in the monthly group were less likely to relapse compared to those in the weekly group (58/976, 5.9% versus 78/1,005, 7.8%, p = 0.03), but cumulative mortality at 3 months postdischarge was higher in the monthly group (159/1,873, 8.5% versus 106/1,721, 6.2%, p < 0.001). Study results may depend on context-specific factors including baseline level of care and the clinical status of children presenting to health centers, and, thus, generalizability of these results may be limited.
CONCLUSIONS
Where feasible, a weekly schedule of clinic visits should be preferred to maintain effectiveness of SAM treatment. Where geographic coverage of programs is low or frequent travel to outpatient clinics is difficult or impossible, a monthly schedule of visits may provide an alternative model to deliver treatment to those in need. Modifications to the outpatient follow-up schedule, for example, weekly clinic visits until initial weight gain has been achieved followed by monthly visits, could increase the effectiveness of the model and add flexibility for program delivery.
Community-based management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) involves weekly or biweekly outpatient clinic visits for clinical surveillance and distribution of therapeutic foods. Distance to outpatient clinics and high opportunity costs for caregivers can represent major barriers to access. Reducing the frequency of outpatient visits while providing training to caregivers to recognize clinical danger signs at home between outpatient visits may increase acceptability, coverage, and public health impact of SAM treatment. We investigated the effectiveness of monthly clinic visits compared to the standard weekly follow-up in the outpatient treatment of uncomplicated SAM in northwestern Nigeria.
METHODS AND FINDINGS
We conducted a cluster randomized crossover trial to test the noninferiority of nutritional recovery in children with uncomplicated SAM receiving monthly follow-up compared to the standard weekly schedule. From January 2018 to November 2019, 3,945 children aged 6 to 59 months were enrolled at 10 health centers (5 assigned to monthly follow-up and 5 assigned to weekly follow-up) in Sokoto, Nigeria. In total, 96% of children (n = 1,976 in the monthly follow-up group and 1,802 in the weekly follow-up group) were followed until program discharge, and 91% (n = 1,873 in the monthly follow-up group and 1,721 in the weekly follow-up group) were followed to 3 months postdischarge. The mean age at admission was 15.8 months (standard deviation [SD] 7.1), 2,097/3,945 (53.2%) were girls, and the mean midupper arm circumference (MUAC) at admission was 105.8 mm (SD 6.0). In a modified intention-to-treat analysis, the primary outcome of nutritional recovery, defined as having MUAC ≥125 mm on 2 consecutive visits, was analyzed using generalized linear models, with generalized estimating equations to account for clustering. Nutritional recovery was lower in the monthly follow-up group compared to the weekly group (1,036/1,976, 52.4% versus 1,059/1,802, 58.8%; risk difference: -6.8%), and noninferiority was not demonstrated (lower bound of the confidence interval [CI] was -11.5%, lower than the noninferiority margin of 10%). The proportion of children defaulting was lower in the monthly group than in the weekly group (109/1,976, 5.5% versus 151/1,802, 8.4%, p = 0.03). Three months postdischarge, children in the monthly group were less likely to relapse compared to those in the weekly group (58/976, 5.9% versus 78/1,005, 7.8%, p = 0.03), but cumulative mortality at 3 months postdischarge was higher in the monthly group (159/1,873, 8.5% versus 106/1,721, 6.2%, p < 0.001). Study results may depend on context-specific factors including baseline level of care and the clinical status of children presenting to health centers, and, thus, generalizability of these results may be limited.
CONCLUSIONS
Where feasible, a weekly schedule of clinic visits should be preferred to maintain effectiveness of SAM treatment. Where geographic coverage of programs is low or frequent travel to outpatient clinics is difficult or impossible, a monthly schedule of visits may provide an alternative model to deliver treatment to those in need. Modifications to the outpatient follow-up schedule, for example, weekly clinic visits until initial weight gain has been achieved followed by monthly visits, could increase the effectiveness of the model and add flexibility for program delivery.