Publications by authors named "Thandi Wessels"
Article Synopsis
- Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of death in low- and middle-income countries, worsened by rising antibiotic resistance affecting standard treatments.
- A study analyzed 136 episodes of early onset bloodstream infections (EO-BSI) in neonates from various hospitals in South Africa, revealing a significant prevalence among preterm and low birth weight infants.
- The research found that the overall effectiveness of the recommended antibiotic regimen was only moderate, and neonates with Gram-negative infections had a much higher risk of mortality if their treatment didn't align with the pathogens identified.
Article Synopsis
- * The study involved 23,748 neonates and found a HA-BSI rate of 2.0 per 1000 patient days, with the highest rates in very low birth weight infants and high mortality (31.8%) associated with infections, particularly in preterm and those with Gram-negative/fungal infections.
- * Empiric antibiotic coverage varied by hospital, averaging 66-92%, but concerns were raised about increasing carbapenem resistance, highlighting the need for regular updates to treatment protocols.
Background: COVID-19 pandemic measures resulted in the de-escalation of non-COVID-19 healthcare provision.
Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study of routinely collected data was done to investigate the effect of COVID-19 policies on the healthcare utilization and mortality of children younger than 5 years in Eastern Cape Town, South Africa. We compared visits to primary and urgent care facilities, hospitalization, in-hospital deaths, and vaccine uptake from 1 January to 31 December 2020 to similar periods in 2018 and 2019.