Background: Effusive-constrictive pericarditis (ECP) is traditionally diagnosed by using the expensive and invasive technique of direct pressure measurements in the pericardial space and the right atrium. The aim of this ...

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) can be defined as more than two to three consecutive miscarriages before 24 weeks’ gestation. A literature review was done to provide an evidence-based approach to RPL, identifying the risk ...

Objectives. To determine the changes in stillbirth rates in singleton pregnancies in a stable population over a period of 50 years. Methods. Stillbirth rates for singleton pregnancies where the fetus weighed 1 000 g or ...

Background. Serum lipase and amylase are biochemical analyses used to establish the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis (AP). Despite lipase having been shown internationally to be a more sensitive and specific test, amylase ...

Tuberculous pericarditis (TBP) continues to wreak havoc across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite more than 5 decades of treatment and research into TBP, we are not much closer to alleviating the suffering and mortality ...

A persistant left superior vena cava (PLSVC) draining to the coronary sinus (CS) is the most common venous anomaly of the thorax, affecting approximately 0.5% - 2% of the general population, and is present in up to 10% of ...

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are on the increase and remain important causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The different classes of hypertension carry different risks but severe hypertension in ...

Background: Cardiac disease is the most important medical cause of maternal mortality in South Africa. Management of women with cardiac disease in pregnancy is highly specialised and they should ideally be evaluated early ...

Aortic stenosis in pregnancy is most commonly related to congenital or bicuspid aortic stenosis, which is associated with an aortopathy and ascending aortic dilatation. The management of AS in pregnancy is based on a few ...

Image in Cardiology: Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia.

During the last four decades we have seen an exponential growth in interventions (both medical and invasive) to diagnose and treat adult cardiac disorders. Coronary stents are in their fourth generation and the developments ...

This focussed review describes important problems experienced in the world of echocardiographic screening for asymptomatic rheumatic heart disease (RHD). It offers a critical appraisal of the screening criteria and their ...

Abstract not available

Introduction: The demand for advanced cardiac care and specialised interventions is on the increase and this results in bottlenecks and increased waiting times for patients who require advanced cardiac care. By decentralising ...

ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background: In this article constructions of identity, occupation and performance are explored with a particular focus on the interrelatedness of these concepts. Insights were derived from a study in which ...

Introduction The most common cause for HIV infection in children in developing countries is the vertical transmission of HIV from mother to child. Without any intervention the vertical transmission rate from mother to ...

Background Sub-Saharan Africa has been hard hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic with an estimated 22.9 million adults infected in 2010. The advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has seen significant reduction in mortality from ...

ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Introduction Oxytocin is widely used as a uterotonic agent for preventing post partum haemorrhage. In the setting of caesarean section (CS) the dose and mode of administration of oxytocin differs ...

ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Background Reduction of stillbirth rates is one of the major concerns of the government of Namibia because of the social and economic implications of stillbirth. Access to quality antenatal care, ...

ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Background: A significant number of children appear to experience anxiety in the preoperative period, which may lead to maladaptive postsurgical behaviour. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey ...

ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Background Pyrexia is a significant sign of neonatal sepsis which in turn is associated with child mortality, especially in Africa. Temperature monitoring is an important element of every neonatal ...

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus makes a significant contribution to the burden of disease in South Africa. Monitoring of glycaemic control with HbA1c is imperative in the management of diabetes. Presently, there are no ...

ENGLISH ABSTRACT : BACKGROUND Adherence is the ability to take the prescribed treatment within the period of persistence with the treatment. In the context of medical treatment, one may not be able to predict treatment ...

ENGLISH ABSTRACT : INTRODUCTION Education, motivation and support are seen as key components in the care for people with diabetes and the use of a structured education programme is part of the recommended standard care ...

ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Background HbA1c testing helps to reduce the risk of complications associated with diabetes mellitus and is accepted to be an accurate measure of long-term glycaemic control. Immediacy of results through ...

ABSTRACT Introduction: According to the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada’s National Rural Health Strategy, 21% of Canadian residents are rural but only 9.4% of Canadian physicians live in rural areas.1,2 Aim: To ...

ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background: Information on the patient provider encounter, in terms of the most prevalent reasons for encounter and diagnoses at the primary care level, may help not only to improve the quality and ...