Healthcare workers' views on type 2 diabetes mellitus management at selected clinics in Mthatha.

Background:  Diabetes is a non-communicable disease of global public health importance. Healthcare workers play a vital role in the management of this disease.

Aim:  This study aimed to explore healthcare workers' views on managing patients with type 2 diabetes at primary health care facilities.

The exceptional potential in extending primary care exposure for South African medical interns.

No abstract available.

An approach to the management of acute poisoning in emergency settings.

The impact of poisoning can differ significantly depending on the specific substance consumed. Identifying toxic substances in a patient is crucial to obtaining a thorough medical history. Frontline healthcare providers in the emergency department often handle patients presenting with poisoning.

Mastering your fellowship: Part 1, 2024.

The series, 'Mastering your Fellowship', provides examples of the question formats encountered in the written and clinical examinations, Part A of the Fellowship of the College of Family Physicians (South Africa) (FCFP [SA]) examination. The series is aimed at helping family medicine registrars (and their supervisors) in preparing for this examination.

Myriad untold stories unfolding daily: South Africa's pursuit of quality primary health care.

No abstract available.

Guiding the emerging primary care researcher: A report of research capacity-building workshop.

There is an escalating interest in research capacity building across the globe. Research is an integral part of the continuous improvement process, clinical decision making and health system strengthening and should be embedded into the health system. The South African Family Practice Journal editorial team held a workshop on 19 August 2022 at the 24th National Family Practitioners Congress in Cape Town, with the aim of supporting primary care clinicians in their development from early-career researchers to established clinician-scientists.

Primary health care providers' views on managing substance use among people living with HIV.

Background: The growing culture of substance use among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) is a serious threat to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic. As the gatekeepers of comprehensive care, primary care providers are responsible for screening, assessing, and managing individuals who use substances.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate primary care providers' views and approaches to substance use management among PLWH who attend primary care services in Mthatha.

Prevalence of hepatitis-B virus co-infection among people living with HIV in Mthatha region of South Africa.

Background: Hepatitis-B virus (HBV) co-infection among people living with HIV (PLWH) is highly endemic in South Africa. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine for the last four decades, chronic HBV infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among PLWH. Although the incidence of most opportunistic infections has been reduced in individuals with HIV since the implementation of the universal test and treat program in South Africa, HBV co-infection among PLWH is still accounting for high morbidity and mortality.

A review of published research in the South African Family Practice - A clarion call to action.

No abstract available.

The effect of substance uses on antiretroviral treatment adherence in primary health care.

Background: Adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) is the primary factor determining how an individual responds to their treatment. Unfortunately, individuals who use substances experience suboptimal adherence to their treatment, but little is known about the exact effects of their use on ART adherence in primary health care settings.

Methods: The authors used a prospective cohort study to evaluate substance use's effects on ART adherence among people living with HIV (PLWH) who attend primary health care services in the Mthatha region of South Africa.

Do not lose your patient in translation: Using interpreters effectively in primary care.

South Africa is a multicultural society characterised by a rich diversity of languages. As a result, many healthcare providers and their patients often do not speak the same language, which makes communication challenging. The language barriers, when present, require an interpreter to ensure accurate and effective communication between the parties.

One World, One Health: A growing need for an integrated global health approach.

No abstract available.

Acute kidney injury among hospitalised patients who died due to COVID-19 in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) commonly occurs in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who have been hospitalised and is associated with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to determine the incidence of AKI among COVID-19 patients who died in a regional hospital in South Africa.

Methods: This retrospective record review was conducted at the Mthatha Regional Hospital in South Africa's Eastern Cape province.

The outbreak of monkeypox: A clinical overview.

The development of new zoonotic diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and monkeypox that can cause epidemics and high mortality rates have significantly threatened global health security. However, the increasing number of people with no immunity to poxvirus because of the end of the smallpox vaccination programme has created a vulnerable population for the monkeypox outbreak. On 23 July 2022, it was announced that the World Health Organization's director-general has determined that the multicountry outbreak of monkeypox constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Artificial intelligence: A strategic opportunity for enhancing primary care in South Africa.

No abstract available.

Epidemiology of interpersonal violence at a regional hospital emergency unit in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Background: This study describes the profile, mechanism and pattern of injuries, and highlights important gaps in clinicians' consultations with patients who experienced interpersonal violence (IPV) in the predominantly black South African township of Mdantsane, Eastern Cape.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Cecilia Makiwane Regional Hospital, Mdantsane. Medical records of patients who received emergency care for trauma between 01 December 2017 and 31 March 2018 were reviewed.

Vaccine Breakthrough Infections of SARS-Cov-2: A Case Report.

Background: Novel mRNA vaccines provide a high degree of protection against COVID-19 infection, hospitalisation, and death. However, no vaccine claimed 100% effectiveness and it is expected that a small proportion of vaccinated individuals may develop a breakthrough infection. There is a concern relating to the ability of variants to evade vaccine-induced immunity that leads to asymptomatic infection or occasionally progress to disease.

Erratum: Malnutrition in children under the age of 5 years in a primary health care setting.

No abstract available.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare service access for the victims of sexual assault.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted the provision or exacerbated the existing gap of access to essential healthcare services. An unanticipated effect on access to healthcare services emerged with the introduction of COVID-19 lockdown regulations. Violence against women is prevalent with varying degrees of severity in all spheres of society.

Malnutrition in children under the age of 5 years in a primary health care setting.

In this study, we outlined the types of malnutrition amongst children, the causes of malnutrition intervention at the primary health care level and some recommendations to alleviate childhood malnutrition in South Africa.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on accessing HIV care: A case report.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an enormous impact on the provision of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services amongst people living with HIV. Many people have adopted different health-seeking behaviour in alignment with the lockdown provisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. These lockdown regulations have had a huge impact on healthcare access for people on chronic medication.

Clinical outcomes of hospitalised COVID-19 patients at Mthatha Regional Hospital, Eastern Cape, South Africa: A retrospective study.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health crisis that threatens the current health system. The sudden expansion in the need for inpatient and intensive care facilities raised concerns about optimal clinical management and resource allocation. Despite the pressing need for evidence to make context-specific decisions on COVID-19 management, evidence from South Africa remained limited.

Primary healthcare approach to substance abuse management.

Substance abuse is common amongst patients attending primary healthcare settings. Despite the substantial impact on one's health, substance abuse is often underdiagnosed by primary care providers owing to a lack of training and time for screening. Self-reported screening tools are easy to administer and efficient to make a substance abuse diagnosis in primary care settings.

Barriers to access second-trimester abortion: A case report.

Despite the implementation of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy (CTOP) Act, many women continue to procure illegal abortions in South Africa. A lack of knowledge of the CTOP Act and poor access to legal abortion in public health facilities is a big challenge. In the scope of the CTOP Act, the termination of pregnancy is a time-restricted health service, and women presented to a health care facility in the second trimester have encounter more obstacles to access the services.