Cervical collars and immobilisation: A South African best practice recommendation.

Introduction: The consequences of spinal injury as a result of trauma can be devastating. Spinal immobilisation using hard trauma boards and rigid cervical collars has traditionally been the standard response to suspected spinal injury patients even though the risk may be extremely low. Recently, adverse events due to the method of immobilisation have challenged the need for motion restriction in all trauma patients.

An analysis of patients transported by a private helicopter emergency medical service in South Africa.

Background: A helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) is a specialist flying emergency service where on-board medical personnel have both the knowledge and equipment to perform complicated medical procedures. The paucity of literature describing the types of patients flown by HEMS in South Africa (SA) and their clinical outcome poses a challenge for current aeromedical services, as there is no baseline information on which to base flight criteria, staffing and policy documents. This has the potential to hamper the advancement of HEMS in SA.

Influenza virus-induced caspase-dependent enlargement of nuclear pores promotes nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes.

Unlabelled: Influenza A viruses (IAV) replicate their segmented RNA genome in the nucleus of infected cells and utilize caspase-dependent nucleocytoplasmic export mechanisms to transport newly formed ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) to the site of infectious virion release at the plasma membrane. In this study, we obtained evidence that apoptotic caspase activation in IAV-infected cells is associated with the degradation of the nucleoporin Nup153, an integral subunit of the nuclear pore complex. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed a distinct enlargement of nuclear pores in IAV-infected cells.

Impact of social support, cynical hostility and anger expression on progression of coronary atherosclerosis.

Objectives: This prospective cohort study of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) sought to determine the impact of social support, anger expression and cynical hostility on progression of coronary atherosclerosis as shown by angiography.

Background: Low social support, high levels of expressed anger and cynical hostility are correlated to increased CAD morbidity and mortality. However, the impact of these factors, alone or together, on progression of human coronary atherosclerosis is unknown.