South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug that has shown in vitro activity against COVID‑19. Clinical studies supporting ivermectin for COVID‑19 prevention and treatment are conflicting, with important limitations. Public support for ivermectin is significant, with extensive off-label use despite the conflicting views on its efficacy. Ivermectin tablets and injectable formulations are not registered in South Africa for human use by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. The National Department of Health does not currently recommend the use of ivermectin for COVID‑19. ⋯ Ivermectin-related exposure calls increased during study period 2, probably as a result of ivermectin being used as preventive and definitive therapy for COVID‑19 in the absence of robust evidence on efficacy, dosing recommendations or appropriate formulations.
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Cases of baby swapping in South Africa (SA) are very rare. In 1996 the first of these cases, Clinton-Parker v Administrator, Transvaal; Dawkins v Administrator, Transvaal, appeared before our courts. The parties in that instance decided to keep the babies who had been erroneously given to them, but the plaintiffs were awarded compensation for the emotional shock and injury they endured as the result of the defendant's negligence. ⋯ A number of questions are pertinent here, and will guide the discussion in this article. Is it as simple as both of the 'psychological' parents returning the babies to their natural parents? Do the parents have a claim against the hospital staff? Unfortunately there is not a wealth of legal precedent to assist the SA courts in this regard. The article explores the jurisprudence that speaks to baby swapping, in an attempt to provide clarity and assistance in resolving these difficult cases.
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Painful experiences are common in the paediatric inpatient population. Immaturity and cognitive impairment may preclude clear description of such experiences, and requests for analgesia when needed. Methods of pain assessment and guidelines for treatment in the paediatric population are well established, but are not widely used. Limited data suggest that the situation is similar in South Africa (SA). ⋯ Pain in the paediatric population at RMMCH was found to be common, but it was seldom assessed, and validated pain scores were rarely used. The result was inadequate pain management in all the four domains of assessment, intervention, reassessment and ongoing management.
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Antenatal substance use is a significant public health concern in South Africa (SA). Information on smoking, drinking and drug use during pregnancy was collected prospectively for the Safe Passage Study of the PASS (Prenatal Alcohol in Sudden infant death syndrome and Stillbirth) Network. ⋯ Substance use during pregnancy affects infant outcomes at birth and 1 year of age. The addictive properties of substance use make cessation difficult, so prevention strategies should be implemented long before pregnancy. Higher maternal education, associated with better infant outcomes at birth and 1 year and acting as a countermeasure to substance use, is of paramount importance.
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Editorial
A third-line antiretroviral therapy register to track patient clinical and virological outcomes.
In 2021, South Africa (SA) had an estimated 7.8 million people living with HIV, of whom 5.6 million were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART),[1] with 3.4 million on first-line ART, 145 000 on second-line ART (SLART) and >700 on third-line ART (TLART).