South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Namaqualand hip dysplasia (NHD) is a mild form of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia in which progressive arthropathy of the hip joint is a major manifestation. The disorder was documented in a multigenerational South African (SA) family with antecedents from Namaqualand, a region in the north-west of the country. Linkage analysis revealed a locus that includes the collagen type II gene, COL2A1. ⋯ It is now possible to provide a molecular diagnosis of NHD before hip problems present. The large, clinically well-characterised NHD family is a valuable resource that could provide more insight into the mechanisms responsible for the variable expression observed in individuals with this variant.
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In response to the coronavirus pandemic, lockdown restrictions and a ban on alcohol sales were introduced in South Africa. Objectives. To investigate the impact of lockdown measures on the number of patients who visited a tertiary urban trauma centre. Methods. The period of investigation was from 1 February to 30 June 2020 and was segmented into three intervals: pre-lockdown (February and March 2020), hard lockdown (April and May 2020) and immediately post lockdown (June 2020). ⋯ The mean total number of patients who visited the trauma unit returned to pre-lockdown levels in June. Conclusions. There was an overall trend of reduced number of patients who visited the trauma unit during the hard lockdown period; however, these numbers returned to pre-lockdown levels during the immediate post-lockdown period. The number of road traffic injury admissions remained reduced during all three phases of lockdown, while the number of gunshot victims increased substantially during the post-lockdown period.
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Whether COVID-19 patients in need of extended care in an intensive care unit qualify for 'emergency medical treatment' is answered by considering the Constitution, the meaning of emergency medical treatment, and whether such patients are in an incurable chronic condition. Considering ethical guidelines for the withholding and withdrawal of treatment may assist a court in determining whether a healthcare practitioner has acted with the degree of skill and care required of a reasonably competent practitioner in his or her branch of the profession.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the implementation of restrictive policies on theatre procedures, with profound impacts on service delivery and theatre output. ⋯ The resulting theatre case deficit was 1 260 cases. It will take 315 days to clear this deficit if four additional surgeries are performed per day.