Characterisation of Clostridium difficile strains isolated from Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.

The C. difficile infection rate in South Africa is concerning. Many strains previously isolated from diarrhetic patients at Groote Schuur Hospital were ribotype 017.

A comparison of diagnostic methods for identification of local strains in a South African centre.

Accurate diagnosis of infection is essential for disease management. A clinical and molecular analysis of isolated from symptomatic patients at Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa, was conducted to establish the most suitable clinical test for the diagnosis and characterization of locally prevalent strains. was detected in stool samples using enzyme-based immunoassays (EIA) and nucleic acid amplification methods, and their performance was compared with that of isolation using direct selective culture combined with specific PCR to detect the gene, toxin A and B genes and binary toxin genes.

Bile duct basement membrane thickening in primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Aims: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is characterized histologically by portal inflammation, bile duct injury and regeneration and concentric periductal fibrosis. Although seen commonly in our experience, the significance of histological thickening of the bile duct basement membrane on periodic acid Schiff (PAS)-positive, diastase-resistant (DPAS) staining has never been analysed formally. In this paper we provide an evidence-based assessment of basement membrane thickening (BMT) reproducibility and diagnostic accuracy.

Prevalence of gastrointestinal pathogenic bacteria in patients with diarrhoea attending Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: Diarrhoea due to gastrointestinal infections is a significant problem facing the South African (SA) healthcare system. Infections can be acquired both from the community and from the hospital environment itself, the latter acting as a reservoir for potential pathogenic bacteria.

Objectives: To examine the prevalence of a panel of potential diarrhoea-causing bacteria in patients attending a tertiary healthcare facility in Cape Town, SA.

The Clostridium difficile problem: a South African tertiary institution's prospective perspective.

Background And Objectives: The aim of this study is to report the incidence of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in a tertiary-care hospital in South Africa and to identify risk factors, assess patient outcomes and determine the impact of the hypervirulent strain of the organism referred to as North American pulsed-field type 1 (NAP1).

Methods: Adults who presented with diarrhoea over a period of 15 months were prospectively evaluated for CDAD using stool toxin enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Positive specimens were evaluated by PCR.