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Background. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute, major, life-threatening complication that mainly occurs in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and is the foremost cause of death in these children. Overall mortality in children with DKA varies from 3.4% to 13.4% in developing countries. There is a need to understand outcomes among children with DKA in sub-Saharan African countries. Objective. To determine the death rate and clinical outcomes of children and adolescents aged 0-18 years managed for DKA at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). Study Methods. This was a retrospective study carried out among children aged 0–18 years admitted with DKA at KNH between February 2013 and February 2018. The study site was the central records department at KNH. The inclusion criteria were children aged 0-18 years admitted with a diagnosis of DKA based on the ISPAD guidelines biochemical criteria. Results. Out of the 159 files reviewed, the median age of children was 13 years (IQR 10-15). 41.1% of patients had severe DKA while 35.7% had moderate DKA. We reported a mortality of 6.9% while 93.1% of children recovered and were discharged home. The median duration of hospital stay was 8 days. High risk of mortality was reported among children who had high serum creatinine (OR 5.8 (95% CI 1.6-21.2)), decreased urine output (OR 9.0 (95% CI 2.2-37.3)), and altered level of consciousness (OR 5.2 (95% CI 1.1-25.1)). Conclusion. DKA-associated mortality in our study was low at 6.9%. High serum creatinine, decreased urine output, and altered level of consciousness were associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to describe baseline data on etiological, clinical, laboratory, and management strategies in Kenyan children and adolescents with Disorders of Sex Development (DSD). Methods. This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with DSD who presented at ages 0–19 years from January 2008 to December 2015 at the Kenyatta National (KNH) and Gertrude’s Children’s (GCH) Hospitals. After conducting a search in the data registry, a structured data collection sheet was used for collection of demographic and clinical data. Data analysis involved description of the frequency of occurrence of various variables, such as etiologic diagnoses and patient characteristics. Results. Data from the records of 71 children and adolescents were reviewed at KNH (n = 57, 80.3%) and GCH (n = 14, 19.7%). The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 2.7 years with a median of 3 months. Thirty-nine (54.9%) children had karyotype testing done. The median age (IQR) of children with reported karyotypes and those without was 3.3 years (1.3–8.9) and 8.3 years (3.6–12.1), respectively (p=0.021). Based on karyotype analysis, 19 (48.7%) of karyotyped children had 46,XY DSD and 18 (46.2%) had 46,XX DSD. There were two (5.1%) children with sex chromosome DSD. Among the 71 patients, the most common presumed causes of DSD were ovotesticular DSD (14.1%) and CAH (11.3%). Majority (95.7%) of the patients presented with symptoms of DSD at birth. The most common presenting symptom was ambiguous genitalia, which was present in 66 (93.0%) patients either in isolation or in association with other symptoms. An ambiguous genitalia was initially observed by the patient’s mother in 51.6% of 62 cases despite the high rate (84.7%) of delivery in hospital. Seventeen (23.9%) of the cases had a gender reassignment at final diagnosis. A psychologist/psychiatrist or counselor was involved in the management of 23.9% of the patients. Conclusion. The commonest presumed cause of DSD was ovotesticular DSD in contrast to western studies, which found CAH to be more common. Investigation of DSD cases is expensive and needs to be supported. We would have liked to do molecular genetic analysis outside the country but financial challenges made it impossible. A network for detailed diagnostics in resource-limited countries would be highly desirable. There is a need to train health care workers and medical students for early diagnosis. Psychological evaluation should be carried out for all patients at diagnosis and support given for families.

Background. The prevalence and distribution of endocrine disorders in children in Africa are not well known because most cases are often undiagnosed or diagnosed too late. The awareness of this led to the launch of the Paediatric Endocrinology Training Center for Africa (PETCA) designed to improve quality and access to health care by training paediatricians from Africa in paediatric endocrinology. Methods. The fellowship is undertaken over an 18-month period: six months of clinical and theoretical training in Kenya, nine months of project research at the fellow’s home country, and three months of consolidation in Kenya. Upon completion, certified paediatricians are expected to set up centers of excellence. Results. There have been two phases, phase I from January 2008 to October 2012 and phase II from January 2012 to April 2015. Fifty-four fellows from 12 African countries have been certified, 34 (phase I) and 20 (phase II). Over 1,000 patients with wide ranging diabetes and endocrine disorders have been diagnosed and treated and are being followed up at the centers of excellence. Conclusion. The successes of the PETCA initiative demonstrate the impact a capacity building and knowledge transfer model can have on people in resource-poor settings using limited resources.