South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Observational Study
Locked down: Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on trauma presentations to the emergency department.
COVID-19 was recognised as a global pandemic on 11 March 2020. In South Africa (SA), a nationwide lockdown was implemented at midnight on 26 March to prepare for the predicted surge and slow the spread of the virus. ⋯ The volume of trauma presentations secondary to interpersonal violence and RTCs in the Helen Joseph Hospital ED decreased during the lockdown period. The decline in the volume of RTCs was statistically significant, but declines in the volume of trauma presentations secondary to interpersonal violence and in the volume of overall trauma presentations were not.
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Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are defined as conditions involving decreased blood flow to the heart that can lead to heart attacks, stroke or other disorders. CVDs are a common cause of death in low- and middle-income countries. In South Africa (SA) in particular, CVD is the leading cause of death after HIV/AIDS, responsible for 1 in 6 deaths. CVD risk factors include unhealthy diets, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol levels and diabetes. Omega-3 fatty acids may have a protective role in the risk of developing heart disease. ⋯ According to moderate- to high-certainty evidence, short-chain fatty acids and LCn3 have little or no effect on mortality or cardiovascular health. However, omega-3 ALA slightly reduces the risk of CVD events and arrhythmias.
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In South Africa, there are no national guidelines for the conduct or quality assessment of colonoscopy, the gold standard for investigation and diagnosis of bowel pathology. ⋯ The WDGMC OEU performed reasonably well against the international guidelines, despite some inadequacy in bowel preparation and lower than recommended median withdrawal times on negative-result colonoscopy. Annual auditing of clinical practice and availability of these data in the public domain will become standard of care, making this audit a baseline for longitudinal observation, assessing the impact of interventions, and contributing to the development of local guidelines.