Partner notification and treatment for sexually transmitted infections among pregnant women in Gaborone, Botswana.

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) are sexually transmitted infections (STIs) associated with adverse birth outcomes. Untreated partners contribute to high rates of STI reinfection; thus, partner notification and treatment remain important components of STI care and control. A prospective cohort study was conducted among 300 pregnant women presenting to the antenatal clinic at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana who enrolled in an STI screening study.

Cavernous sinus thrombosis in a 14-year old boy.

Mokgacha K, Maruza MP, Sesay SO, Rwegerera GM. Cavernous sinus thrombosis in a 14-year old boy. Turk J Pediatr 2017; 59: 719-723.

American Brachytherapy Society: Brachytherapy treatment recommendations for locally advanced cervix cancer for low-income and middle-income countries.

Purpose: Most cervix cancer cases occur in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC), and outcomes are suboptimal, even for early stage disease. Brachytherapy plays a central role in the treatment paradigm, improving both local control and overall survival. The American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) aims to provide guidelines for brachytherapy delivery in resource-limited settings.

Prevalence of asthma among school children in Gaborone, Botswana.

Background: Asthma prevalence is high (>10%) in developed countries and although data is still missing for most of Africa, rates are increasing in developing regions as they become more westernized. We investigated the prevalence of asthma in school children in Gaborone, Botswana.

Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study.

Presentation and mortality of patients hospitalised with acute heart failure in Botswana.

Introduction: Heart failure is a common cause of hospitalisation and therefore contributes to in-hospital outcomes such as mortality. In this study we describe patient characteristics and outcomes of acute heart failure (AHF) in Botswana.

Methods: Socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected from 193 consecutive patients admitted with AHF at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone between February 2014 and February 2015.

HIV Infection and Survival Among Women With Cervical Cancer.

Purpose Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among the 20 million women with HIV worldwide. We sought to determine whether HIV infection affected survival in women with invasive cervical cancer. Patients and Methods We enrolled sequential patients with cervical cancer in Botswana from 2010 to 2015.

High Treatment Success Rates Among HIV-Infected Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients After Expansion of Antiretroviral Therapy in Botswana, 2006-2013.

Background: Few studies have examined multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcomes among HIV-infected persons after widespread expansion of antiretroviral therapy (ART). We describe MDR-TB treatment outcomes among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients in Botswana after ART expansion.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data from patients who started MDR-TB therapy in Botswana during 2006-2013.

Afri-Can Forum 2 : Johannesburg, South Africa. 16-18 February 2015.

A1 Introduction to the 2nd synchronicity forum of GHRI/CHVI-funded Canadian and African HIV prevention and vaccine teams O1 Voluntary medical male circumcision for prevention of heterosexual transmission of HIV in adult males in Soweto: What do indicators and incidence rate show? Hillary Mukudu, Neil Martinson, Benn Sartorius O2 Developing a peer-led community mobilization program for sex workers in Soweto: HIV risk and demographics Jenny Coetzee, Janan Dietrich, Kgaugelo Mokgatswana, Rachel Jewkes, Glenda E. Gray O3 Salient beliefs about adherence: A qualitative survey conducted as part of the demonstration study on "treatment as prevention" (TasP) and "pre-exposure prophylaxis" (PrEP) among female sex workers (FSWS) in Cotonou, Benin Marylène Dugas, Luc Béhanzin, Fernand A. Guédou, Marie-Pierre Gagnon, Michel Alary O4 Relative perception of risk as a driver of unsafe sexual practices among key populations: Cases of fisherfolk and women and their partners involved in multiple sexual partnerships in Uganda Rwamahe Rutakumwa, Martin Mbonye, Thadeus Kiwanuka, Sarah Nakamanya, Richard Muhumuza, Winfred Nalukenge, Janet Seeley O5 Exploring the acceptability of new biomedical HIV prevention technologies among MSM, adolescents and heterosexual adults in South Africa Millicent Atujuna, Melissa Wallace, Ben Brown, Linda Gail Bekker, Peter A.

Acceptability and Feasibility of Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing and Treatment among Pregnant Women in Gaborone, Botswana, 2015.

Introduction: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) are curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that can cause adverse maternal and birth outcomes. Most countries do not conduct routine testing during antenatal care. We present data on the acceptability and feasibility of testing and treating pregnant women for STIs in an antenatal clinic in Gaborone, Botswana.

Effectiveness of Monovalent Rotavirus Vaccine After Programmatic Implementation in Botswana: A Multisite Prospective Case-Control Study.

Background: Botswana introduced monovalent G1P rotavirus vaccine (RV1) in July 2012, providing one of the first opportunities to assess the effectiveness of routine RV1 vaccination in a high-burden setting in Africa. We sought to determine the effectiveness of RV1 against rotavirus diarrhea hospitalization using a case-control evaluation.

Methods: Vaccine age-eligible children <5 years of age admitted with diarrhea at 4 hospitals in Botswana were enrolled from June 2013 to April 2015.

Predictors of Timely Access of Oncology Services and Advanced-Stage Cancer in an HIV-Endemic Setting.

Background: Three-quarters of cancer deaths occur in resource-limited countries, and delayed presentation contributes to poor outcome. In Botswana, where more than half of cancers arise in HIV-infected individuals, we sought to explore predictors of timely oncology care and evaluate the hypothesis that engagement in longitudinal HIV care improves access.

Methods: Consenting patients presenting for oncology care from October 2010 to September 2014 were interviewed and their records were reviewed.

Is the emergency department management of ENT foreign bodies successful? A tertiary care hospital experience in Australia.

We evaluated the role of the emergency department (ED) in the management of ear, nose, and throat foreign bodies in an Australian tertiary care hospital. We retrospectively reviewed all cases of ENT foreign-body presentations in the ED over a 2-year period. We identified 168 such cases, a large proportion of which involved pediatric patients.

Free Open Access Medical Education resource knowledge and utilisation amongst Emergency Medicine trainees: A survey in four countries.

Introduction Free Open Access Medical Education encompasses a broad array of free online resources and discussion fora. The aim of this paper was to describe whether Emergency Medicine trainees in different contexts know about Free Open Access Medical Education, whether or not they know about its different platforms, which ones they use, and what the major barriers to regular usage are. Methods A convenience sample was surveyed on awareness and use of Free Open Access Medical Education blogs, podcasts, websites and Twitter at three institutions (in Australia, Botswana and Papua New Guinea) and one deanery (United Kingdom) between June 2013 and June 2014 using an online survey tool or via hand-distributed survey.

Phlegmasia cerulea dolens in a long distance driver.

Phlegmasia cerulea dolens (PCDs) is a rare and serious complication of massive deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremities, which has a high mortality rate. It is characterized by the sudden onset of severe leg pain, massive edema, cyanosis, venous gangrene, compartment syndrome and arterial compromise, often followed by pulmonary embolism and death. We report one case of a long distance driver who presented with PCDs, complicated by fatal pulmonary embolism.

A case report of an asymptomatic late term abdominal pregnancy with a live birth at 41 weeks of gestation.

Background: Despite advances in diagnostic imaging and focused antenatal care, cases of undiagnosed abdominal pregnancies at term are still reported in obstetric practice. It is atypical and very rare for a patient to be asymptomatic late in pregnancy and for the pregnancy to result in a live birth with no evidence of intrauterine growth restriction despite the unfavourable implantation site. This late term asymptomatic presentation despite routine antenatal care demonstrates a diagnostic challenge.

Collision of Three Pandemics: The Coexistence of Cervical Cancer, HIV Infection, and Prior Tuberculosis in the Sub-Saharan Country of Botswana.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the developing world, where HIV and (TB) infection are also endemic. HIV infection is independently associated with increased morbidity and mortality among women with cervical cancer. TB is believed to increase the risk of malignancies and could cause chronic inflammation in the gynecologic tract.

An International Surgical Rotation as a Systems-Based Elective: The Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Surgical Experience.

Objective: There is a growing need to address the global burden of surgical disease along with increasing interest in international surgical practice, necessitating an understanding of the challenges and issues that arise on a systems level when practicing abroad.

Design: This elective is a month-long rotation in which senior surgical residents participate in patient care as part of a surgical team in the main tertiary and teaching hospital in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana. Clinical experience is combined with formal readings and educational sessions, with the attending surgeon supervising the program to develop a systems-based curriculum that contextualizes the clinical experience.

Cervical Cancer in Botswana: Current State and Future Steps for Screening and Treatment Programs.

Botswana has a high burden of cervical cancer due to a limited screening program and high HIV prevalence. About 60% of the cervical cancer patients are HIV positive; most present with advanced cervical disease. Through initiatives by the Botswana Ministry of Health and various strategic partnerships, strides have been made in treatment of pre-invasive and invasive cancer.

Evaluating the potential impact of a mobile telemedicine system on coordination of specialty care for patients with complicated oral lesions in Botswana.

Mobile telemedicine involves the use of mobile device (e.g., cell phones, tablets) technology to exchange information to assist in the provision of patient care.

Time of mineralization of permanent teeth in children and adolescents in Gaborone, Botswana.

The mineralization sequence of permanent dentition can be used to assess the stage of development and age of individuals. The most commonly used methods are based on the assessment of developmental stages of target groups of teeth on one side of the lower jaw. When compared with the rest of the world, fewer studies have been done on dental age in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the region of Southern Africa.

The triad of Iron deficiency anemia, hepatosplenomegaly and growth retardation with normal serum zinc levels in a 14-year-old boy.

A triad of iron deficiency anemia, hepatosplenomegaly and growth retardation occurring in tandem with zinc deficiency has been reported in the past as components of either Prasad's syndrome or hypopituitarism. There are no documented cases of such triad occurring in the presence of normal serum zinc levels. We report a case of a 14-year-old boy who presented with iron deficiency anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, geophagia and growth retardation with pubertal delay.