Time for a culture change? Suboptimal compliance with blood culture standards at a district hospital in Cape Town.

Background: The benchmark for contaminated blood cultures (BCs) is 3%. The South African (SA) guideline aims to optimise BC yield and reduce contamination. Data on BC collection practices in SA since the publication of the 2010 SA guideline are lacking.

The changing profile of pediatric meningitis at a referral centre in Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: Pediatric meningitis remains a common cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Knowledge of the causative organisms in a region is of importance in guiding empiric antibiotic regimes and immunization schedules assisting decisions on primary health-care interventions.

Methods: This retrospective review of 557 meningitis cases represents a third pediatric survey conducted over a 3-year period (January 2007 to December 2009) at the same institution and after an interval of 14 years.