Publications by authors named "L J B Erasmus"
Article Synopsis
- Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of death in low- and middle-income countries, worsened by rising antibiotic resistance affecting standard treatments.
- A study analyzed 136 episodes of early onset bloodstream infections (EO-BSI) in neonates from various hospitals in South Africa, revealing a significant prevalence among preterm and low birth weight infants.
- The research found that the overall effectiveness of the recommended antibiotic regimen was only moderate, and neonates with Gram-negative infections had a much higher risk of mortality if their treatment didn't align with the pathogens identified.
Article Synopsis
- * The study involved 23,748 neonates and found a HA-BSI rate of 2.0 per 1000 patient days, with the highest rates in very low birth weight infants and high mortality (31.8%) associated with infections, particularly in preterm and those with Gram-negative/fungal infections.
- * Empiric antibiotic coverage varied by hospital, averaging 66-92%, but concerns were raised about increasing carbapenem resistance, highlighting the need for regular updates to treatment protocols.
Background: Animal audiology utilizes brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAER) as a non-invasive tool to assess hearing in animals, including Holstein dairy cows. Understanding cows' auditory capabilities is critical for their welfare, especially given their exposure to farm noise.
Objectives: This study provides preliminary normative BAER data for Holstein cows by focusing on absolute and interpeak wave latencies.
The luminescent properties of europium (Eu) doped BaAlO phosphors were strongly influenced by post-annealing temperatures for blue-green persistent luminescence and latent fingerprints (LFPs). The X-ray powder diffraction patterns of the BaAlO: 1 mol% Eu nanophosphor, annealed between 1000 and 1300 °C, indicated a hexagonal ferroelectric phase. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the Ba atoms occupied two different sites in the BaAlO.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Short peripheral catheter (SPC)-associated complications occur frequently in hospitalised neonates. Few studies have reported the use of SPC care bundles in resource-limited neonatal units.
Objective: To evaluate the impact of a SPC care bundle on SPC associated complications (infiltration, dislodgement, phlebitis) and catheter dwell time.