The accuracy of white cell count and C-reactive protein in diagnosing acute appendicitis at a tertiary hospital.

Background: Diagnostic accuracy in acute appendicitis (AA) may be improved by using inflammatory markers. This study assessed the reliability of inflammatory markers in diagnosing AA in our patient population.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at King Edward Hospital (KEH) from January 2020 to June 2021.

Management of vascular injuries on ICU patients: KZN experience.

Background: Vascular injury management remains an extremely challenging task. The fundamental principles of management are bleeding arrest and flow restoration, to avoid death and amputation. With advances in medicine, there has been a shift from ligation to primary repair which has resulted in a fall in amputation rate from 50 % in World War II to less than 2 % in civilian injuries.

An audit of traumatic haemothoraces in a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Background: Haemothorax occurs in approximately 60% of all thoracic and polytrauma cases and is responsible for 15-30% of all trauma mortalities. Penetrating injuries to the thorax are a common presentation in South African hospitals. This study aims to audit the traumatic haemothoraces and their outcomes in regional hospitals in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The vagaries of diagnosis and management of traumatic lumbar artery pseudoaneurysm.

This report details a patient who sustained a posterior stab to a lumbar artery. The diagnosis was challenging and could have been easily missed if a high index of suspicion were not maintained. In a trauma context, this injury is missed due to focus on other concomitant injuries.

Diagnostic Approaches to Vascular Injury in Polytrauma-A Literature Review.

Background: Polytrauma is understood as significant injuries, occurring at the same time, to two or more anatomical regions (the ISS regions) or organ systems, with at least one of the injuries considered as posing a threat to life. Trauma is the main cause of unexpected demise in individuals below the age of 44 years and represents a huge burden on society. Vascular injury is highly morbid; it can lead to rapid exsanguination and death, posing a threat to both life and the limb.

An audit of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy performed on patients at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

Background: Resource constraints have resulted in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) being deferred where possible. However, delayed investigation is costly and leads to disease progression. This study audits the UGE done at a single institution.