Medical students from Parakou (Benin) and West-African traditional beliefs on death and cadavers

Charlier, Philippe; Brun, Luc; Grandmaison, GL de la; Hervé, C.

doi:10.4314/ahs.v12i4.7

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The people interviewed for this survey had negative perceptions of forensic autopsies. This perception of forensic autopsy is also observed among medical students in Benin [9] and doctors and nurses in Nigeria [10]. These negative perceptions of forensic autopsy are most likely related to beliefs pertaining to death and the mortal remains of the deceased.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Forensic Autopsy in the Republic of Benin: Knowledge and Perceptions of Relatives of the Deceased

Egnonwa¹,

Agnes²,

Anthelme³

et al. 2022

CAJPH

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This study aimed to describe the knowledge of relatives of the deceased regarding forensic autopsy and to analyze their perceptions of this forensic act. The focus of the study was the relatives of deceased individuals who died in violent contexts or suffered suspicious deaths, in which case a forensic autopsy was necessary. A total of 109 people were included in the study. The majority of respondents were male (78.0%). The average age of respondents was 46 +/-11 years. A total of 56.9% of respondents had never heard the expression "medico-legal autopsy" before the death of the relative. Respondents know. that autopsies are used to identify the cause of death in 80.7% of cases. An association was found between level of education and level of knowledge concerning forensic autopsies (p=0.001). A total of 85.3% of respondents had poor perceptions of forensic autopsy. The preservation of bodily integrity was more important than the benefits of knowing the cause of death for 57.8% of respondents. Respondents claimed that family members made at least one attempt to postpone the autopsy in 94.5% of cases. Objections to the autopsy were motivated by the fear of not being able to proceed quickly with the burial (93.6%), the fear of seeing the body undergo an aesthetic alteration (74.3%), the feeling of inflicting suffering on the deceased (45.3%) and the conception of autopsy as a practice prohibited by respondents' religion (38.5%). The cultural and human dimensions of forensic autopsy should not be overlooked. For more support from the relatives of the deceased, it is essential to integrate, beyond medicine and law, social considerations and human.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Forensic Autopsy in the Republic of Benin: Knowledge and Perceptions of Relatives of the Deceased

Egnonwa¹,

Agnes²,

Anthelme³

et al. 2022

CAJPH

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“…We hypothesize that the parents' refusal stemmed from a loss of confidence in allopathic medicine due to the delayed diagnosis of basidiobolomycosis, which was preceded by erroneous treatment for BU including surgical excision. With the failure of allopathic medical and surgical therapies the parents interpreted the unfavorable evolution as evidence for witchcraft (enchantment); in Benin this culturally supported framework for understanding disease warrants traditional therapies including herbal treatments, rather than allopathic approaches [ 37 – 40 ]. It is important that health workers, especially in BU-endemic areas, recognize the clinical symptoms of basidiobolomycosis and ask for histological testing in order to avoid delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment for this potentially devastating disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subcutaneous Granulomatous Inflammation due to Basidiobolomycosis: Case Reports of 3 Patients in Buruli Ulcer Endemic Areas in Benin

Brun

Roux

Sopoh³

et al. 2018

Case Reports in Pathology

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Background Basidiobolomycosis is a rare subcutaneous mycosis, which can be mistaken for several other diseases, such as soft tissue tumors, lymphoma, or Buruli ulcer in the preulcerative stage. Microbiological confirmation by PCR for Basidiobolus ranarum and culture yield the most specific diagnosis, yet they are not widely available in endemic areas and with varying sensitivity. A combination of histopathological findings, namely, granulomatous inflammation with giant cells, septate hyphal fragments, and the Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon, can confirm basidiobolomycosis in patients presenting with painless, hard induration of soft tissue. Case Presentations We report on three patients misdiagnosed as suffering from Buruli ulcer, who did not respond to Buruli treatment. Histopathological review of the tissue sections from these patients suggests basidiobolomycosis. All patients had been lost to follow-up, and none received antifungal therapy. On visiting the patients at their homes, two were reported to have died of unknown causes. The third patient was found alive and well and had experienced local spontaneous healing. Conclusion Basidiobolomycosis is a rare subcutaneous fungal disease mimicking preulcerative Buruli ulcer. We stress the importance of the early recognition by clinicians and pathologists of this treatable disease, so patients can timely receive antifungal therapy.

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“…A brief look into African cosmology may shed some light on the origin of this attitude about death and cadavers. In most African cultures, death is not seen as annihilation of a person, but merely ‘a passing away into another state of existence’ Furthermore, Africans believe that ‘man and nature are not two independent realities, but an inseparable continuum of a hierarchical order by making the visible world continuous with invisible world’ This notion of inseparability between the living and the dead leads to a ‘reverential respect’ being given to the dead due to the general belief that ‘something of the dead person does not wholly disappear.’ The ancestors are the ‘living dead’ who are believed to wield power and influence over the living. They are accorded respect at death by treating their ‘bodies’ appropriately with the prescribed rituals and they in turn offer protection to the living.…”

Section: Cultural Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reuse Of Pacemakers In Ghana And Nigeria: Medical, Legal, Cultural And Ethical Perspectives

Ochasi¹,

Clark²

2014

Developing World Bioethics

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO) cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally. Over 80% of CVD deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is estimated that 1 million to 2 million people worldwide die each year due to lack of access to an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) or a pacemaker. Despite the medical, legal, cultural and ethical controversies surrounding the pacemaker reutilization, studies done so far on the reuse of postmortem pacemakers show it to be safe and effective with an infection rate of 1.97% and device malfunction rate of 0.68%. Pacemaker reutilization can be effectively and safely done and does not pose significant additional risk to the recipient. Heart patients with reused pacemakers have an improved quality of life compared to those without pacemakers. The thesis of this paper is that pacemaker reutilization is a life-saving initiative in LMICs of Nigeria and Ghana. It is cost effective; consistent with the principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice with a commitment to stewardship of resources and the Common Good. Used pacemakers with adequate battery life can be properly sterilized for use by patients in LMICs who cannot afford the cost of a new pacemaker.

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Medical students from Parakou (Benin) and West-African traditional beliefs on death and cadavers

Cited by 8 publications

References 12 publications

Forensic Autopsy in the Republic of Benin: Knowledge and Perceptions of Relatives of the Deceased

Forensic Autopsy in the Republic of Benin: Knowledge and Perceptions of Relatives of the Deceased

Subcutaneous Granulomatous Inflammation due to Basidiobolomycosis: Case Reports of 3 Patients in Buruli Ulcer Endemic Areas in Benin

Reuse Of Pacemakers In Ghana And Nigeria: Medical, Legal, Cultural And Ethical Perspectives

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