Outcomes Following Neonatal Cardiac Surgery in Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: Neonatal Cardiac Surgery has developed significantly since its advent, with improved outcomes, survival, and physiological repair. Limited programs offer neonatal cardiac surgery in emerging economies. We report our experience with neonates undergoing cardiac surgery in our cardiac surgery program.

How useful is post-graduate education in biochemistry for entry into the South African labour market?

Biochemistry encompasses a broad range of life science disciplines. Unlike more vocational disciplines such as pharmacy or medicine, the career path associated with biochemistry is less clearly defined. An important question is whether the skills set provided by post-graduate biochemistry education, defined as BSc (Hons.

Embracing Cultural Diversity - Leadership Perspectives on Championing Meaningful Engagement for Residents Living with Advanced Dementia.

Resource constraints and high staff turnover are perceived as substantial barriers to high quality residential aged care. Achieving relationship-focused, person-centered care (PCC) is an ongoing challenge. This paper reports on an international project that explored how residential care leadership understand meaningful engagement for residents with dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Eviscerated Corneas as Tissue Source for Ex Vivo Expansion of Limbal Epithelial Cells on Platelet-Rich Plasma Gels.

Unlabelled: Purpose/Aim of the study: To assess if corneal epithelium can be cultured ex vivo from corneas eviscerated due to irretrievable trauma, according to a cell culture method that made use of autologous platelet-rich plasma (A-PRP) as culture substrate. To compare corneal epithelium cultured ex vivo from corneas eviscerated following trauma using A-PRP combined with Dulbecco's modified Eagles medium (DMEM), versus DMEM alone.

Materials And Methods: This was a laboratory case-controlled study of human corneal cells cultured in a mixture of A-PRP and DMEM, versus DMEM alone from six eviscerated corneas.

Analysis of Prostate Cancer Susceptibility Variants in South African Men: Replicating Associations on Chromosomes 8q24 and 10q11.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosomes 2p15, 6q25, 7p15.2, 7q21, 8q24, 10q11, 10q26, 11q13, 17q12, 17q24, 19q13, and Xp11, with prostate cancer (PCa) susceptibility and/or tumour aggressiveness, in populations of African, European, and Asian ancestry. The objective of this study was to confirm these associations in South African Mixed Ancestry and White men.

The effect of a multidisciplinary physical activity intervention on the body composition and physical fitness of obese children.

Aim: The aim was to determine the effect of a physical activity, diet, and behaviour modification intervention of 13 weeks, 3x per week for 60 minutes on the body composition and physical fitness of overweight and obese children.

Methods: A convenience sample of 37 subjects with a mean age of 11 years (±0.99) was used, where 20 subjects (13 girls; seven boys) took part in the intervention and 17 (11 girls; six boys) formed part of the control group.

Veterinary extension on sampling techniques related to heartwater research.

Heartwater, a tick-borne disease caused by Ehrlichia ruminantium, is considered to be a significant cause of mortality amongst domestic and wild ruminants in South Africa. The main vector is Amblyomma hebraeum and although previous epidemiological studies have outlined endemic areas based on mortalities, these have been limited by diagnostic methods which relied mainly on positive brain smears. The indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA) has a low specificity for heartwater organisms as it cross-reacts with some other species.

Arthroscopic debridement and biological resurfacing of the glenoid in glenohumeral arthritis.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the intermediate-term results of an arthroscopic procedure to debride and resurface the arthritic glenoid, in a middle-aged population, using an acellular human dermal scaffold. Between 2003 and 2005, thirty-two consecutive patients underwent an arthroscopic debridement and biological glenoid resurfacing for glenohumeral arthritis. The diagnoses included primary osteoarthrosis (28 patients), arthritis after arthroscopic reconstruction for anterior instability (1 patient) and inflammatory arthritis (3 patients).

An in vitro evaluation of the cell toxicity of honey and silver dressings.

Objective: To establish whether honey and silver-impregnated dressings used by wound-healing practitioners are cytotoxic in vitro to human skin keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts.

Method: Human keratinocyte and fibroblast tissue cultures were established in vitro. Untreated cultures served as controls (group I).

The endovascular management of penetrating carotid artery injuries: long-term follow-up.

Objectives: To review a single-centre experience with stent-graft treatment of penetrating carotid artery injuries and long-term follow-up.

Methods: All stable patients with carotid artery injuries presenting between August 1998 and February 2009 were considered for endovascular treatment. Patients were selected based on clinical and radiological criteria and data were prospectively collected.

Surgical and endovascular management of penetrating innominate artery injuries.

Objective: To review our management of penetrating innominate artery injuries by open and endovascular techniques.

Methods: Data regarding patient demography, clinical presentation, investigations, associated injuries, pathology, management, complications and mortality, were collected on patients treated at a single centre over 18 years.

Results: 39 innominate artery injuries were treated.

The sensory branch distribution of the suprascapular nerve: an anatomic study.

The suprascapular nerve is responsible for most of the sensory innervation to the shoulder joint and is potentially at risk during surgery. In this study, 31 shoulders in 22 cadavers were dissected to investigate the sensory innervation of the shoulder joint by the suprascapular nerve, with special reference to its sensory branches. In 27 shoulders (87.

Long-term results of stent graft treatment of subclavian artery injuries: management of choice for stable patients?

Background: The management of penetrating subclavian artery injuries poses a formidable surgical challenge. The feasibility of stent graft repair is already established. General use of this modality is not widely accepted due to concerns regarding the long-term outcome in a generally young patient population.

Development of an analytical method for the evaluation of N,N-dimethylformamide in dosage form design.

N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) is a well-known chemical entity that is extensively used for pharmaceutical, biomedical and chemical applications. Previous research identified the need for the development of an effective dosage form for the systemic delivery of DMF due to its unique antiviral properties. For purposes of quality control and evaluation during pharmaceutical product development, development of an analytical method was required.

Coracoid process anatomy: implications in radiographic imaging and surgery.

The coracoid process forms an important part of scapular-glenoid construct and is involved in many surgical procedures on the glenohumeral joint. The unique three-dimensional orientation of each coracoid pillar makes radiographic imaging difficult. Congenital variations and minimal traumatic/iatrogenic changes in this orientation can predispose to subcoracoid impingement.

Isokinetic neck strength profile of senior elite rugby union players.

To delineate and compare the isokinetic neck strength profile of senior elite rugby players. One hundred and eighty-nine rugby players (mean; 95% confidence intervals: 24.31; 23.

The "bench-presser's shoulder": an overuse insertional tendinopathy of the pectoralis minor muscle.

Background: Tendinopathies of the rotator cuff muscles, biceps tendon and pectoralis major muscle are common causes of shoulder pain in athletes. Overuse insertional tendinopathy of pectoralis minor is a previously undescribed cause of shoulder pain in weightlifters/sportsmen.

Objectives: To describe the clinical features, diagnostic tests and results of an overuse insertional tendinopathy of the pectoralis minor muscle.

L-methionine as immune supportive supplement: a clinical evaluation.

The objective of the study was to test L-methioinine as a possible immune supportive supplement in HIV infected patients by means of a clinical study. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was designed. The patients (n = 253) from four different trial centres were randomly divided into two groups, active and placebo, and regularly assessed by clinical and safety parameters.

Arthroscopic suprascapular nerve decompression at the suprascapular notch.

The suprascapular notch is a common location for entrapment of the suprascapular nerve. Open surgical procedures for excision of the transverse scapular ligament are associated with pain relief and functional improvement. Arthroscopic procedures have been described for decompressing ganglion cysts, which compress the nerve at the spinoglenoid notch.

Surgical treatment of comminuted, displaced fractures of the greater tuberosity of the proximal humerus: a new technique of double-row suture-anchor fixation and long-term results.

Conventional techniques of internal fixation of displaced fractures of the greater tuberosity may be insufficient in presence of comminution. A new surgical technique of internal fixation using a double-row of suture-anchors is described. Long-term results of this technique are evaluated in 21 patients with an isolated, displaced and comminuted greater tuberosity fracture at an average of 3.

Arthroscopic technique of interposition arthroplasty of the glenohumeral joint.

Arthroscopic glenohumeral interposition arthroplasty is performed with the patient placed in the lateral decubitus position. Standard posterior, anterior, and anterosuperior portals are created, a routine diagnostic arthroscopy is performed, and the joint is débrided with the use of an arthroscopic shaver. An arthroscopic burr is used to resect prominent osteophytes, to alter the version of the glenoid if necessary, and to create microfractures on the glenoid surface.