Publications by authors named "Leon Du Toit"
Introduction: Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling is a minimally invasive method for specimen collection with potential multifaceted uses, particularly for serosurveillance of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, we assessed DBS as a potential specimen type for assessing IgG and total (including IgG and IgM) antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated and naturally infected patients.
Methods: Six candidate buffers were assessed for eluting blood from DBS cards.
Background: There is an unmet need for essential surgical services in Africa. Limited anesthesia services are a contributing factor. Nonphysician anesthesia providers are utilized to assist with providing anesthesia and procedural sedation to make essential surgeries available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The African Surgical OutcomeS-2 (ASOS-2) trial tested an enhanced postoperative surveillance intervention to reduce postoperative mortality in Africa. We undertook a concurrent evaluation to understand the process of intervention delivery.
Methods: Mixed-methods process evaluation, including field notes, interviews, and post-trial questionnaire responses.
Article Synopsis
- A study comparing locally advanced borderline resectable (LA-BR) and locally advanced unresectable (LA-UR) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) aimed to determine if their overall survival rates are equivalent.* -
- The analysis included data from 39 studies with over 14,000 patients, finding that LA-BR patients had better overall survival rates after surgery compared to LA-UR patients, especially when neoadjuvant therapy was used.* -
- The conclusion indicates that while LA-BR and LA-UR can help in predicting outcomes, they aren't particularly helpful for treatment decisions; the study advocates for the use of neoadjuvant therapy for all patients, regardless of initial disease
Background: Perioperative hypothermia may affect maternal and neonatal outcomes after obstetric spinal anesthesia. Core temperature is often poorly monitored during spinal anesthesia, due to the lack of an accurate noninvasive core temperature monitor. The aim of this study was to describe core temperature changes and temperature recovery during spinal anesthesia for elective cesarean delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Meta-analyses of the implementation of a surgical safety checklist (SSC) in observational studies have shown a significant decrease in mortality and surgical complications.
Objective: To determine the efficacy of the SSC using data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
Methods: This meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42015017546).