South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Extracorporeal life support is the utilisation of advanced techniques to sustain circulatory and/or ventilatory functions in critically ill patients when standard therapies fail. It is well established in developed countries. There is increasing literature supporting its application in refractory cardiac arrest with a potential reversible cause, a procedure also known as extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eCPR). ⋯ In both these cases the cardiac arrest was witnessed, occurred in the emergency department, and failed to respond to standard advanced resuscitative measures. Both the patients were discharged neurologically intact. Although it is effective, the benefit of this advanced method of resuscitation in a low- to middle-income country is debated.
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Childhood obesity has become a global public health problem and is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction and various cancers in later adulthood.Associations between adult obesity and economic growth, technological changes, socioeconomic status and economic inequities have been reported, but limited data are available for children and adolescents in countries that are undergoing an epidemiological health transition exhibiting both under- and overnutrition. ⋯ An increase in childhood and adolescent obesity over time was observed, while trend associations between obesity and EGIs exist.
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An increasing number of girls living with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) are reaching adolescence and adulthood and becoming pregnant. Youth living with PHIV (YLPHIV) may have HIV-associated infections/complications, long-term exposure to antiretroviral treatment (ART), drug resistance and increased psychosocial challenges, which may adversely affect pregnancy outcomes. There is a lack of published studies on pregnancy in YLPHIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Objectives. To describe characteristics of pregnant South African (SA) YLPHIV and their pregnancy outcomes. ⋯ In recent years, the number of pregnancies in YLPHIV has increased. A considerable proportion of pregnancies occurred in YLPHIV ≤16 years old. A high proportion of pregnancies was electively terminated. The prevalence of elevated VL and poor immunological status among pregnant YLPHIV is concerning.
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Most South Africans depend on the public sector for health services. There is an increasing demand for arthroplasty in the public sector, but a paucity of academic data regarding its cost. ⋯ The study showed that clinicians need to be aware of procedural costing in the current financial climate. There are still opportunities to optimise cost containment in the state sector.