Clinicopathological Features of Seborrheic-Like Dermatitis in HIV-Infected Adults: A Single Institutional Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Atypical and severe clinical presentations of seborrheic-like dermatitis (SLD) are associated with HIV infection, correlating with advanced disease or low CD4 counts. Previous studies documented histological findings characteristic of seborrheic dermatitis in HIV-positive patients.

Objective: To expand current knowledge of the clinicopathological characteristics of SLD in South African HIV-seropositive individuals.

Efficacy and patterns of use of antimicrobial prophylaxis for gunshot wounds in a South African hospital setting: an observational study using propensity score-based analyses.

Background: Limited evidence supports the efficacy of antimicrobial prophylaxis (AP) in prevention of gunshot woundrelated (GSW-related) infection in resource restricted areas. At Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa, it is standard care for GSW patients to receive one dose of broad-spectrum AP. For various reasons, this protocol is not consistently followed.

Pulmonary scarring and its relation to primary lung cancer.

Background: Lung scar carcinoma, so called 'scarcinoma', is a perceived entity that was originally described by Friedrich in 1939, in which a carcinoma originates from peripheral scarring of lung tissue. In a recent pilot study, there was a strong association between the geographic location of lung cancer and the presence of scarring of the lung.

Objectives: To investigate this relationship in the largest cohort to date.

Developing the ethical framework of end-stage kidney disease care: from practice to policy.

Ethical issues relating to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) care are increasingly being discussed by clinicians and ethicists but are still infrequently considered at a policy level or in the education and training of health care professionals. In most lower-income countries, access to kidney replacement therapies such as dialysis is not universal, leading to overt or implicit rationing of resources and potential exclusion from care of those who are unable to sustain out-of-pocket payments. These circumstances create significant inequities in access to ESKD care within and between countries and impose emotional and moral burdens on patients, families, and health care workers involved in decision-making and provision of care.

Considerations on equity in management of end-stage kidney disease in low- and middle-income countries.

Achievement of equity in health requires development of a health system in which everyone has a fair opportunity to attain their full health potential. The current, large country-level variation in the reported incidence and prevalence of treated end-stage kidney disease indicates the existence of system-level inequities. Equitable implementation of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) programs must address issues of availability, affordability, and acceptability.

Major obstetric haemorrhage in Metro East, Cape Town, South Africa: a population-based cohort study using the maternal near-miss approach.

Background: Major obstetric haemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal mortality and accounts for one-third of maternal deaths in of Africa. This study aimed to assess the population-based incidence, causes, management and outcomes of major obstetric haemorrhage and risk factors associated with poor maternal outcome.

Methods: Women with major obstetric haemorrhage who met the WHO maternal near-miss criteria or died in the Metro East region, Cape Town, South Africa, were evaluated from November 2014-November 2015.

Comparison of Hemoglobin Measurements by 3 Point-of-Care Devices With Standard Laboratory Values and Reliability Regarding Decisions for Blood Transfusion.

Background: We compared the accuracy of 3 point-of-care testing (POCT) devices with central laboratory measurements and the extent to which between-method disagreements could influence decisions to transfuse blood.

Methods: Hemoglobin concentrations [Hb] were measured in 58 adult patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery using 2 Ilex GEM Premier 3500 blood gas analyzers (BG_A and BG_B) and a HemoCue Hb-201 device (HemoCue). Measurements were compared with our central laboratory's Siemens Advia 2120 flow cytometry system (laboratory [Hb] [Lab[Hb]]), regarded as the gold standard.

Report of 2 Novel Presentations of Subcutaneous Fat Necrosis of the Newborn.

Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn (SCFNN) is a rare form of panniculitis classically affecting healthy full-term infants. There are a number of predisposing factors including perinatal asphyxia. The condition generally has a benign course with spontaneous resolution, but monitoring for metabolic complications, in particular the potentially life-threatening complication of hypercalcaemia, is critical.

The utility of PET-CT in the staging and management of advanced and recurrent malignant melanoma.

Background: Accurate pre-operative staging and correct surgical selection of patients with malignant melanoma reduces unnecessary morbidity and mortality, improves distant control and may improve survival. F-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (F-FDG PET-CT) has been shown to be useful in exclusion of metastatic sites and aids in surgical planning in stage III and potentially resectable stage IV disease. The primary objective of the study was to determine whether the use of PET-CT alters the initial staging and management of patients with advanced and recurrent melanoma.

The incidence of melanoma in South Africa: An exploratory analysis of National Cancer Registry data from 2005 to 2013 with a specific focus on melanoma in black Africans.

Background: Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer with poor survival when diagnosed late. There are important differences in clinical and histological features of melanoma and disease outcomes in people with darker skin types.

Methods: A retrospective review of data captured by the National Cancer Registry (NCR) of South Africa (SA) was performed for 2005 - 2013.

The utility of hand-held mobile spirometer technology in a resource-constrained setting.

Background: Mobile phone-linked spirometry technology has been designed specifically for evaluating lung function at primary care level. The Air-Smart Spirometer is the first mobile spirometer accepted in Europe for the screening of patients with chronic respiratory diseases.

Objectives: To prospectively assess the accuracy of the device in measuring forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) in a South African population, and to investigate the ability of the device to detect obstructive ventilatory impairment.

A district-wide population-based descriptive study of emergency peripartum hysterectomy in a middle-income country.

Objective: To determine incidence, risk indicators, and outcomes of emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH) in Metro East, Cape Town, South Africa.

Methods: A population-based district-wide prospective descriptive study of EPH in public hospitals from November 2014 to November 2015. Women were enrolled by using the WHO maternal near miss tool and followed until discharge.

Thymoma: A case report and update.

Thymomas are slow growing, evolve with metastasis and commonly present as ipsilateral pleural involvement along with the primary tumour of the mediastinum. Early-stage recognition and treatment with surgical resection and postoperative chemoradiotherapy may offer a better 10-year survival rate.

infection in a medical intensive care unit: The impact of strict infection control.

Background: is a waterborne organism that preferentially colonises aquatic environments. Infections usually involve organ systems that have a high fluid content. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) is recognised to be among the most difficult antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative bacilli to prevent and treat in the nosocomial setting.

Increasing access to integrated ESKD care as part of universal health coverage.

The global nephrology community recognizes the need for a cohesive strategy to address the growing problem of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). In March 2018, the International Society of Nephrology hosted a summit on integrated ESKD care, including 92 individuals from around the globe with diverse expertise and professional backgrounds. The attendees were from 41 countries, including 16 participants from 11 low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Evaluation of factors and patterns influencing the 30-day readmission rate at a tertiary-level hospital in a resource-constrained setting in Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: Factors contributing to and causes of hospital readmissions have been investigated worldwide, but very few studies have been performed in South Africa (SA) and none in the Western Cape Province.

Objectives: To investigate possible preventable and non-preventable factors contributing to readmissions to the Department of Internal Medicine at Tygerberg Hospital (TBH), Cape Town, within 30 days of hospital discharge. The researchers tested a risk-stratification tool (the LACE index) to evaluate the tool's performance in the TBH system.

In response to an argument against penile transplantation.

Moodley and Rennie's paper arguing against penile transplantation stated out of context arguments and wrongly quoted statements. The cost of penile transplantation is much less than portrayed. The burden of cases is much less than is communicated.