South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Historical Article
A historical overview of paediatric surgery at Wits University: From embryo to adult.
History provides wonderful insights into how society develops, providing innumerable lessons that can be used as individuals and institutions move into the future. The history of medicine provides particular value, yet it is so often overlooked by the present, society taking for granted what has often been a tremendous struggle to achieve. This overview of the history of paediatric surgery at the University of the Witwatersrand provides amazing insights into what has been achieved in a period spanning three centuries.
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Observational Study
Compliance with hygiene practices among healthcare workers in the intensive care unit.
Intensive care unit (ICU)-related healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are two to three times higher in lower-income countries than in higher-income ones. Hand cleansing and other hygiene measures have been documented as one of the most effective measures in combating the transmission of HCAIs. There is a paucity of data pertaining to hygiene practices in the ICU in developing countries. ⋯ Overall compliance with hygiene measures among healthcare workers in the ICU was suboptimal in this study, but in keeping with general international trends. Regular retraining of staff, frequent reminders, peer oversight and regular audits may improve compliance.
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Spinal deformities are common in people with cerebral palsy (CP), and there is a concern of an increase during the adult ageing period. There is especially a worry about the increase of scoliosis, thoracic hyperkyphosis, lumbar hyperlordosis, spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis incidence, though supporting literature is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this narrative review is to provide a scientific overview of how spinal curvatures should be measured, what the norm values are and the incidence in people with CP, as well as a description of the risk factors and the treatment regimens for these spinal abnormalities. This review can be used as a guideline relevant for a range of clinicians, including orthopaedic and neurosurgeons, radiologists, physiotherapists, and biokineticists, as well as academics.
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The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines state that patients with dyspepsia as well as alarm symptoms, or those that are 55 years and older with new onset dyspepsia, urgently require an upper endoscopy within two weeks. The 'Be Clear on Cancer Campaign' launched by Public Health England estimated that 9% of deaths due to gastric and oesophageal cancers could have been avoided if the diagnosis was made at an earlier stage. Worcester Provincial Hospital (WPH) is a regional hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa, that due to resource constraints was unable to comply with these guidelines. An electronic endoscopy booking system was implemented in June 2014 to assist referring clinicians. ⋯ The volume of patients requiring urgent gastroscopy at WPH outstrips the available resources. The introduction of the online algorithm-based booking system was effective in prioritising patients. The use of this system facilitated a malignancy diagnosis rate which compares favourably with similar fast track endoscopy services in more developed countries.