Performance comparison of three commercial multiplex molecular panels for respiratory viruses at a South African academic hospital.

Background: Respiratory infections are a major contributor to hospital admissions. Identification of respiratory pathogens by means of conventional culture and serology methods remains challenging. Multiplex molecular assays are an appealing alternative that endeavours to be rapid, more accurate and less arduous.

Fosfomycin susceptibility testing and resistance mechanisms in Enterobacterales in South Africa.

Background: Fosfomycin treatment of urinary tract infections is increasingly attractive due to escalating antibiotic resistance rates among urinary pathogens. Standard antibiotic susceptibility testing methods perform poorly for fosfomycin as there is poor correlation between susceptibility results and clinical outcomes in urinary pathogens other than .

Objective: We evaluated the performance of fosfomycin susceptibility testing in and to determine whether fosfomycin susceptibility is associated with molecular resistance mechanisms.

Comparison of commercial assays and two-step approach to detect in South Africa.

Background: is the number one cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea. Accurate diagnosis of is of utmost importance as it guides patient management and infection control practices. Studies evaluating the performance of commercially available nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) versus algorithms are lacking in resource-limited settings.

Fosfomycin resistance in community-acquired urinary pathogens from Western Cape, South Africa.

Oral fosfomycin is commonly used to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) and whilst resistance has been reported in many healthcare facilities in South Africa, the current prevalence remains unknown. This study investigated the prevalence and mechanisms of fosfomycin resistance amongst urinary pathogens in the Western Cape, South Africa. Of the 200 isolates collected during the study period (2019-2020), seven (3.

Something Lost, Something Gained: Experiences of Psychological Therapists Bereaved of a Parent in Childhood.

Situated in the context of existing literature on wounded healers and the use of self in therapy, the aim of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of psychological therapists who experienced the death of a parent in childhood. Seven psychological therapists from a range of professions and therapeutic modalities participated in semi-structured interviews exploring how this experience impacted them personally and professionally, in their therapeutic work. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, three master themes emerged: 'A loss beyond words'; 'Navigating in a strange landscape'; and 'Something lost, something gained'.

Paediatric pulmonary echinococcosis: A neglected disease.

Echinococcosis is a worldwide public health problem causing considerable paediatric morbidity and mortality in endemic areas. The presentation of cystic echinococcosis (CE) varies by age. Unlike adults, where hepatic involvement is common, pulmonary CE is the dominant site in the paediatric population.

Re-decontamination of liquid mycobacterial cultures: Additional yield in the era of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in Cape Town, South Africa.

A retrospective review of liquid mycobacterial cultures was performed at a laboratory in South Africa from 01 January 2018 to 31 December 2018 to assess the increased yield in detecting complex following sample re-decontamination. Only 9 of 99 (9%) re-decontaminated samples were culture positive for complex. Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra, concurrently performed on 7 of the 9 samples, detected complex in all but 1 sample.

Tracing TB: Are there predictors for active TB disease in patients with Xpert Ultra trace results?

Objectives: The Xpert MTB/Rif Ultra (Xpert Ultra; Cepheid, USA) has increased sensitivity compared with its predecessor (Gene Xpert), due to the addition of multicopy amplification targets and a novel trace call. The World Health Organization suggests that tuberculosis (TB) treatment should be initiated in HIV, paediatric, and extra-pulmonary TB patients with trace results. However, other factors such as previous TB disease may complicate the interpretation of trace results in high-burden TB settings.

Paediatric pulmonary actinomycosis: A forgotten disease.

Actinomycosis is a rare, indolent and invasive infection caused by Actinomyces species. Actinomycosis develops when there is disruption of the mucosal barrier, and invasion and systemic spread of the organism, which can lead to endogenous infection affecting numerous organs. It is known to spread in tissue through fascial planes and most often involves the cervicofacial (55%), abdominopelvic (20%) and thoracic (15%) soft tissue.

Endobronchial actinomycosis in a child.

Actinomycosis is a rare, indolent and invasive infection caused by Actinomyces species. Pulmonary actinomycosis is very rarely seen in the paediatric population. The classic radiological presentation of thoracic involvement of actinomycosis includes lower lobe consolidation, empyema and periostitis of the ribs.

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonisation in adult inpatients: A point prevalence study.

Background: Infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) have been increasing worldwide in recent years, but data regarding the prevalence and clinical significance of CPE colonisation in South Africa is not well documented. Local private hospital groups have implemented routine screening programmes for selected high-risk patients as endorsed by the South African Society for Clinical Microbiology. This practice is not routinely performed in the public sector.

Experiences of causing an accidental death: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Accidentally killing or feeling responsible for another person's death constitutes an event that is different from many typical traumatic stressors in that the responsibility for causing the trauma is located in the person themselves, rather than another person or persons. Research exploring the perspective of those who have accidentally caused a death is extremely sparse. This study aimed to gain an insight into the lived experiences of people who have caused an accidental death.

How did we learn best? A retrospective survey of clinical psychology training in the United Kingdom.

Objectives: This U.K.-based study aimed to investigate qualified clinical psychologists' perceptions of the value and usefulness of the learning activities experienced during their training in clinical psychology.

Shared antenatal care for indigenous patients in a rural and remote community.

Background: An increase in perinatal mortality prompted a review of services to pregnant women in remote northern and western Queensland, Australia. In order to address the needs of the indigenous population in particular, a range of service changes was implemented to improve outcomes.

Objective: This article aims to highlight the changes made in the delivery of local and regional antenatal services.