Publications by authors named "Bukiwe Thwala"
Background: In high HIV prevalence settings, first-line antituberculosis drug (FLTD)-associated drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) poses therapeutic challenges. A sequential and additive drug challenge (SADC) of FLTDs best identifies offending drug(s), avoids unnecessary exclusions, and optimizes reinitiation of nonoffending drugs. However, SADC-associated reaction complexities limit its utility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and SJS/TEN overlap (SJS/TEN), collectively referred to SJS/TEN, form a spectrum of severe life-threatening adverse drug reactions whose pathomechanism is not fully understood. The article "Photodistributed Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis: A Systematic Review and Proposal for a New Diagnostic Classification" by McKinley et. al.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: The number of deaths of children younger than 5 years has been steadily decreasing worldwide, from more than 17 million annual deaths in the 1970s to an estimated 5.3 million in 2019 (with 2.8 million deaths occurring in those aged 1-59 months [53% of all deaths in children aged <5 years]).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEach year, 2.4 million children die within their first month of life. Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) established in 7 countries aims to generate accurate data on why such deaths occur and inform prevention strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The high burden of stillbirths and neonatal deaths is driving global initiatives to improve birth outcomes. Discerning stillbirths from neonatal deaths can be difficult in some settings, yet this distinction is critical for understanding causes of perinatal deaths and improving resuscitation practices for live born babies.
Methods: We evaluated data from the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network to compare the accuracy of determining stillbirths versus neonatal deaths from different data sources and to evaluate evidence of resuscitation at delivery in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
Article Synopsis
- The study compares the histopathological and microbiological features of deceased patients with respiratory symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2 versus other causes at a South African hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Out of the deceased adult patients, 75 had COVID-19, and 42 had non-COVID-related causes, with lower HIV and MTB infections found in the COVID+ group.
- Key findings showed significant differences in lung histopathology, especially in Type-II pneumocytes' conditions, but no significant correlation was found between HIV or MTB infections and COVID-related deaths.
Background: Globally, very few childhood deaths have been attributed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We evaluated clinical, microbiologic and postmortem histopathologic findings in childhood deaths in whom severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified antemortem or postmortem.
Methods: Surveillance of childhood deaths was ongoing during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa from April 14, 2020, to August 31, 2020.