South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a disorder of glucose intolerance first encountered during pregnancy, has far-reaching implications for both mother and child. Insulin therapy remains the 'gold standard' of care, with oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHAs) increasingly being viewed as potential alternatives. ⋯ This study contributes to the paucity of data on the safety of OHAs in GDM pregnancy in terms of maternal and neonatal outcomes. OHAs were shown to be an effective alternative to insulin for women with GDM in whom lifestyle measures fail, particularly in a resource-poor setting.
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Tacrolimus forms the cornerstone for immunosuppression in solid-organ transplantation. It has a narrow therapeutic window with wide inter- and intra-patient variability (IPV). Cytochrome P-450 3A5 (CYP3A5) is the main enzyme involved in tacrolimus metabolism, and rs776746A>G is the most frequently studied polymorphism in the CYP3A5 gene. The rs776746A>G (i.e. CYP3A5*3) single-nucleotide polymorphism in CYP3A5 alters tacrolimus predose trough concentration (C0) and may also affect IPV, which may lead to immune- and/or drug-mediated allograft injury. CYP3A5*3 may result in absent (*3/*3), partial (*1/*3) or normal (*1/*1) CYP3A5 expression. The effect of CYP3A5*3 on tacrolimus exposure and variability has not been examined in South African (SA) transplant recipients. ⋯ Compared with global transplant populations, SA renal transplant recipients demonstrated a very high rate of CYP3A5 expression, with a significant impact on tacrolimus pharmacokinetics. Genetic variation in CYP3A5 expression affects tacrolimus dosing requirements, and knowing the CYP3A5 genotype of transplant patients may allow better dose prediction compared with current standard dosing recommendations in a multi-ethnic population. Overall, black African patients required higher doses of tacrolimus than their white counterparts. While further prospective studies are needed to better evaluate dosing algorithms, it would appear that the starting dose of tacrolimus should be higher in black and mixed-race patients.
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South Africa (SA) is experiencing an epidemiological transition as a result of sociodemographic and lifestyle changes. This process is leading to an increase in non-communicable diseases, which in turn may result in an upswing of stroke cases. Stroke is among the top 10 leading causes of disability in SA, and accounts for ~25 000 deaths annually and 95 000 years lived with disability (YLD). This huge burden of stroke hampers socioeconomic development as a result of YLD. ⋯ The increasing trend of stroke in SA should be arrested urgently, taking into account both the associated risk factors and seasonality.
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Comparative Study
The impact of diagnostic methods on the diagnosis of Clostridiodes difficile infection.
Clostridiodes difficile is a common cause of healthcare-associated diarrhoea. Laboratory testing for C. difficile infection (CDI) remains an area of confusion, as there is not a single accepted reference standard or a single best test. ⋯ The choice of laboratory testing method has a major impact on the diagnosis of CDI, and therefore on reported rates of CDI. Standardisation of laboratory testing and incidence rate reporting is required in order to obtain robust and reliable data.
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Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Surgical site infection (SSI) rates are reported to range from 2.5% to 41%. HAI increases the risk of death by 2 - 11%, and three-quarters of these deaths are directly attributable to SSIs. ⋯ A combination of measures is required to prevent trauma-related infections. By determining the incidence of nosocomial infections in our trauma patients, uniform policies to reduce infection rates further could be determined. Our low incidence of infection may be explained by established preventive care bundles already in place.