South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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This guideline describes the recognition and management of unstable angina (UA) and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). These are two of the three components of the acute coronary syndrome (ACS). These forms of ACS most often arise from erosion or rupture of coronary atherosclerotic plaque and subsequent thrombus formation causing incomplete coronary occlusion. ⋯ All patients with ACS should receive secondary preventive treatment. It is imperative that they stop smoking. Dietary modification, physical rehabilitation, long-term low-dose aspirin use, b-blockade for those diagnosed with myocardial infarction, tight control of blood pressure, cholesterol lowering with a statin, and treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor should be prescribed.
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Early stage prostate cancer does not cause symptoms, and even metastatic disease may exist for years without causing symptoms or signs. Whereas early stage prostate cancer can be cured with radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy, the prognosis of patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancer is significantly poorer. ⋯ Our prostate cancer detection rate of 3.5% is slightly lower than that reported in larger studies (4.7%), which may be due to the fact that prostate biopsy was performed in only 71% of those who had an indication for biopsy. In the men diagnosed with clinically localised prostate cancer, potentially curative treatment was given in only 37.5% of cases. This compares unfavourably with the historical cohort of men seen at our oncology clinic, where 53% received potentially curative treatment, and a large European study where potentially curative treatment was given in 89% of cases. Our finding that black men had a higher percentage of clinically abnormal DRE, PSA > 4.0 ng/ml and biopsies showing malignancy and a higher overall detection rate of prostate cancer should be interpreted with caution, since black men comprised only 4.5% of our overall study cohort.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Occupational lung diseases among former goldminers in two labour sending areas.
To compare and contrast the prevalence of pneumoconiosis in two groups of former migrant mineworkers in southern Africa, and to examine the effectiveness of the South African compensation system for occupational lung diseases. ⋯ There was a high prevalence of pneumoconiosis in both study groups. Many men were eligible for compensation but were previously uncompensated. The higher rate of compensable disease in the Libode group may relate to the higher prevalence of TB, as well as more active follow-up by the study group, including a large number of appeals. Socio-political changes in South Africa between 1994 and 1996 may also have influenced compensation results.