South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
-
Paediatric traumatic brain injury (PTBI) is a major public health problem. However, recent epidemiological data for PTBI in South Africa (SA) are lacking. ⋯ The identification of aetiological factors and the description of demographic profiles of children sustaining TBI constitutes a basis for preventative policy administration and intervention strategies in SA.
-
The Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has run a surgical outreach programme for over a decade.Objective. To quantify the impact of the outreach programme by analysing its effect on the operative capacity of a single rural health district. ⋯ The infrastructure is well established and the outreach programme is well run and reliable. The clinical outputs of the programme are significant. However, the impact of this programme on specific outcomes is less certain. This raises the question of the future strategic choices that need to be made in our attempts to improve access to surgical care.
-
Chronic otorrhoea is difficult to treat, with treatment in South Africa (SA) being protocol driven and generally initiated at the primary healthcare level. There is a lack of local studies that focus on the bacteriology and antimicrobial sensitivities of chronic otorrhoea, which underpins the management advice offered. ⋯ Amoxicillin is a poor choice of antibiotic due to its low sensitivity, which calls into question the current DoH guideline for otorrhoea. Antimicrobial treatment protocols should be based on local data and be revisited from time to time. This study suggests that, should first-line treatment fail, an antibiotic with Gram-negative cover, e.g. a topical fluoroquinolone, should be considered.