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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Managing pain in children with cancer in Africa: A survey from the French-African Pediatric Oncology group
Archives de Pediatrie, Volume 20, No. 3, Year 2013
Notification
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Description
Introduction: The French-African Pediatric Oncology group (GFAOP) has contributed to a significant improvement in the prognosis of pediatric cancers in Africa through the development of therapeutic protocols adapted to local conditions. In parallel, the development of supportive care such as pain management, is now a major priority of our group. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the management of pain in children with cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. Methodology: A questionnaire was sent to both the doctor and nurse responsible for each of the 8 pilot units (PUs). Results: All physicians and 2 nurses answered the questionnaire. Human resources (3 doctors and 4 nurses per PU) were modest compared to the size of the pediatric population (71 million) and the mean number of 102 cases of cancer/year per PU. Only six physicians had received specific training in pediatric oncology. Morphine was available in only 5 of the 8 PUs; major limitations for its prescription were mainly inconsistent availability (62.5%), fear of side effects (50%), and regulations (37.5%). During the curative phase, more than half of the parents had to buy analgesics when leaving the PU. Pain assessment relied mainly on clinical evaluation (8/8), but was generally concordant with parents' assessment. The majority of patients experienced pain at diagnosis and at a higher degree at relapse, cancer being the predominant etiology. Pain related to other causes such as medical procedures, mucositis, and neuropathic pain was detected; however, its management remained inadequate. Only 2 of 8 PUs had a written protocol for pain management. These deficiencies can be explained by limited resources, both human and financial, but also by cultural factors such as endurance against pain still advocated by many African traditions. Conclusion: In recent years, pain prevention and relief, whatever its origin, have become a priority for all medical teams, especially for children with cancer. With its profound sociocultural changes, Africa is no exception. All teams in our group are aware of the situation and hope for major improvement in pain management in the near future through increased resources and training. © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS.
Authors & Co-Authors
Yao, Atteby Jean Jacques
Cote D'ivoire, Abidjan
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Treichville
Coze, Carole M.
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Traoré, Fousseyni Dicko
Mali, Bamako
Hopital Gabriel Toure
Andre, Nicolas
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Moreira, Claude
Senegal, Dakar
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Aristide le Dantec de Dakar
Pondy, Angèle Hermine Ongotsoyi
Cameroon, Yaounde
Centre Mere et Enfant de la Fondation
Randriamihoatra, S.
Madagascar, Antananarivo
Hôpital Soavimamdriama
Bouda, Chantal Gabrielle
Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou
Yalgado Ouedraogo University Health Centre
Lukamba, Robert Mbuli
Congo, Bukavu
Cliniques Universitaires de Lubumbashi
Koffi, G.
Benin, Lome
Chu Tokoin
Harif, M'hamed
Morocco, Marakech
Chu Mohammed-vi
Statistics
Citations: 11
Authors: 11
Affiliations: 10
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.arcped.2012.12.021
ISSN:
0929693X
e-ISSN:
1769664X
Research Areas
Cancer
Health System And Policy
Maternal And Child Health
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Quantitative