A pandemic within a pandemic? Admission to COVID-19 wards in hospitals is associated with increased prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in two African settings.

Background: Patients who develop severe illness due to COVID-19 are more likely to be admitted to hospital and acquire bacterial co-infections, therefore the WHO recommends empiric treatment with antibiotics. Few reports have addressed the impact of COVID-19 management on emergence of nosocomial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in resource constrained settings. This study aimed to ascertain whether being admitted to a COVID-19 ward (with COVID-19 infection) compared to a non-COVID-19 ward (as a COVID-19 negative patient) was associated with a change in the prevalence of bacterial hospital acquired infection (HAI) species or resistance patterns, and whether there were differences in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards.

Detection and characterization of carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacilli isolates recovered from hospitalized patients at Soba University Hospital, Sudan.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a complex threat to global health security and universal health coverage. Recently, nosocomial infections with carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) is increasing worldwide. We report the molecular characterization and detection of genes associated with carbapenemase producing Gram negative bacteria isolated from hospitalized patients at Soba University Hospital (SUH) in Khartoum State, Sudan.

Midthoracic Pain, Sentinel Arterial Haemorrhage and Exsanguination after a Symptom-Free Interval (Chiari's Triad) is Diagnostic of Arterio-Oesophageal Fistula: A Life-Threatening Cause of Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Introduction: Arterio-oesophageal fistulae are a very uncommon cause of severe gastrointestinal bleeding, and mostly result from an aberrant right subclavian artery and mediastinal surgery or prolonged endotracheal/nasogastric intubation.

Material And Methods: We present the case of a patient with an oesophageal adenocarcinoma and haematemesis due to a subclavian arterio-oesophageal fistula after mediastinal radiotherapy.

Conclusion: We discuss the rare, life-threatening condition of acute erosion of the left subclavian artery caused by an oesophageal tumour and presenting with Chiari's triad.

In transition: current health challenges and priorities in Sudan.

A recent symposium and workshop in Khartoum, the capital of the Republic of Sudan, brought together broad expertise from three universities to address the current burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases facing the Sudanese healthcare system. These meetings identified common challenges that impact the burden of diseases in the country, most notably gaps in data and infrastructure which are essential to inform and deliver effective interventions. Non-communicable diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, renal disease and cancer are increasing dramatically, contributing to multimorbidity.