South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of ultraviolet C light and isopropyl alcohol for the disinfection of cellular phones in a paediatric intensive care unit setting.
A considerable proportion of cellular phones (cell phones) used by healthcare workers (HCWs) have been shown to be contaminated with pathogenic micro-organisms, making these devices reservoirs to infect susceptible patients. Although many units have well-defined infection control protocols, methods for the decontamination of cell phones are scarce. ⋯ Although both 70% isopropyl alcohol and UVC light disinfection effectively reduced CFUs following decontamination, 70% isopropyl alcohol was determined to be much more effective.
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Practice Guideline
The South African guidelines on enuresis: 2024 update.
Enuresis, also referred to as nocturnal enuresis, is characterised by discrete episodes of urinary incontinence during sleep in children aged ≥5 years in the absence of congenital or acquired neurological disorders. This guideline is an update of the 2017 version. ⋯ This is an updated guideline endorsed by relevant key opinion leaders in SA, with additional input from international experts in the field.
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Observational Study
Analysis of emergency centre recidivism for interpersonal violence in a district-level hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
Interpersonal violence is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in low- and upper-middle-income countries. It is postulated that a significant portion of these patients have repeated presentations to an already overburdened healthcare system. Data describing the burden of interpersonal violence recidivism are poor. ⋯ Recidivist presentations represent a significant proportion of interpersonally violently injured patients, and are likely to be under-documented. Recidivism poses a measurable burden, and further research is needed to facilitate the identification of at-risk individuals, and specific secondary prevention strategies should be developed to prevent or reduce escalating patterns of injury associated with interpersonal violence.
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South Africa (SA) has the highest prevalence of people with tuberculosis (TB) and HIV coinfection globally. People living with HIV have an increased risk of TB infection, and are more likely to develop extrapulmonary TB. Approximately 10 - 20% of extrapulmonary TB accounts for skeletal TB, with spinal involvement in 50 - 60% of instances. Previous studies have shown highly heterogenic results regarding the effect of HIV status on clinical and laboratory characteristics in patients with spinal TB (STB). ⋯ In our cohort, HIV-infected patients with STB were more likely to present with vertebral collapse, and more vertebrae on average were diseased compared with HIV-uninfected patients with STB. CD4 cell count may affect granuloma formation, and it seems that HIV infection has a negative effect on cellular immunoresponse in STB, which emphasises the need for early antiretroviral therapy initiation.
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While a large number of cases in an HIV setting may be attributed to infections, there has also been a rise in HIV- associated malignancies such as Kaposi sarcoma and aggressive B-cell lymphoma. ⋯ Expedited histopathological assessment of bowel resection in HIV-infected patients could improve clinical outcomes with early treatment.