South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Snake bite management is largely driven by expert opinion and consensus, however there are a few large retrospective studies and RCT's that have improved the quality of medical guidance currently available. South African snakes are different in the venomous potential and it behooves the hospital provider and the average medical practitioner to know the current best practice concepts concerning assessment, treatment and antivenom use. The recent SASS meeting in July 2022 provided an update and national consensus from which this Hospital Care document is derived.
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The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) monitors the safety of health products by collecting and evaluating adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports submitted by healthcare professionals, patients and pharmaceutical companies. The reports are shared with the World Health Organization (WHO) Programme for International Drug Monitoring. A demographic and clinical profile of ADR reports will improve our understanding of ADR reporting in South Africa to enhance training of reporters at all levels. ⋯ This was the first study that described ADR reports received by SAHPRA and improves our understanding of reporting in the country. The core clinical elements that are important in signal detection were often not included in reports. The findings demonstrated that patients were more active contributors to the national pharmacovigilance database than pharmacists. Reporters should be trained in pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting processes to increase the quantity and completeness of reports.
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Alcohol is a significant contributor to injury-related morbidity and mortality in South Africa (SA). During the COVID-19global pandemic, restrictions to movement and to legal access to alcohol (i.e. ethanol) were introduced in SA. ⋯ There was a clear decrease in injury-related deaths in the WC during the COVID-19-related lockdown periods, whichcoincided with the alcohol ban and restriction of movement, and an increase following relaxation of restrictions on alcohol sales andmovement. The data illustrate that mean BACs were similar between all periods of alcohol restriction compared with 2019, apart from hardlockdown in April - May 2020. This coincided with a smaller mortuary intake during the level 5 and 4 lockdown periods.
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Safe and effective termination of pregnancy (ToP) services have helped to resolve the uncertainty that surrounds unwantedpregnancies globally and in South Africa (SA). It is important to determine the demographic profile of women requesting ToP and to assessthe reasons for ToP and the beliefs and experiences of women seeking these services in order to improve service delivery. ⋯ Unemployment and financial dependency appeared to be common reasons for seeking ToP in our study population. Most ofthe women were single and many had not used any contraception prior to the pregnancy.
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African countries with limited healthcare capacity are particularly vulnerable to the novel coronavirus. The pandemic has left health systems short on resources to safely manage patients and protect health care workers. South Africa is still battling the epidemic of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis which have had their programme/services interrupted due to the effects of the pandemic. Lessons learned from the HIV/AIDS and TB programme have shown that South Africans delay seeking health services when a new disease presents itself. ⋯ Assessing demographic and clinical risk factors for COVID-19 mortality within 24-hours of admission aids in understanding and prioritising patients with severe COVID-19 and hypertension. Finally, this will provide guidelines for planning and optimising the use of LDoH healthcare resources and also aid in public awareness endeavours.