Exercise, illness and drug use: guiding principles for approaching a complex triad

Regular, low to moderate intensity exercise is considered beneficial to the human body, not only having ergogenic advantages, but also being anti-inflammatory, cardio- and neuroprotective.1 On the other hand, although high intensity training (HIT) is able to exaggerate cardiac conditions, e.g., hypertension2 as well as exacerbate inflammatory and oxidative stress responses,1,3 such exercise programs are becoming more popular as they too have shown demonstrable health benefits if performed appropriately. Indeed, various studies have reported on the superior beneficial cardiac and vascular effects of high intensity exercise programs over that of moderate intensity continuous training (MICT),4-7 contributing to the growing popularity of such time-efficient programs. As such, exercise can accurately be described as a double-edged sword ­ able to induce positive, beneficial physiological effects when performed chronically at lower intensities, but generating harmful effects when performed at high intensities without sufficient recovery periods. From a toxicological point of view, exercise mediates hormesis, i.e., the biphasic dose response to an environmental agent characterised by a low dose stimulation or beneficial effect and a high dose inhibitory or toxic effect.8

Experiences of Nurses Caring for Mental Health Care Users in an Acute Admission Unit at a Psychiatric Hospital in the Western Cape Province

Background: Caring for mental health care users (MHCUs) with mental illnesses is a major task that confronts nurses globally. It has been argued that caring for this group of patients is accompanied by unique challenges. Despite the available abundance of data about nursing patients suffering from mental illnesses; little is known about the lived experiences of nurses who care for MHCUs in acute admission units in the Western Cape province.Objectives: This study's aim is to explore and describe the lived experiences of nurses who care for MHCUs in an acute admission unit at a psychiatric hospital in the Western Cape province.Methods: A qualitative; descriptive; phenomenological study was conducted. A purposive sampling procedure was applied which resulted in a sample that comprised eight nurses. Indepth; individual; semi-structured interviews were conducted with these eight participants. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and the researcher utilised Collaizzi's method to analyse collected data.Results: Both positive and negative experiences were reported. Positive experiences werethe recovery of patients; teamwork; and passion for caring. Negative experiences were the feelings of being unappreciated and unsupported by authorities. Physical assault by MHCUs;shortage of staff; increased workload and burnout was also reported.Conclusions: In-service training about management of aggression needs to be provided; debriefing sessions to deal with burnout needs to be arranged; and research to quantify levelsof burnout should be conducted

Serological detection of brucellosis among febrile, malaria-negative children and domesticated dogs in an urban African setting

Background: Childhood brucellosis and malaria are co-endemic febrile illnesses in some sub-Saharan African countries. Malaria and brucellosis co-infection or brucellosis sole infections are often missed due to an over emphasis on malaria and the lack of appropriate diagnostic infrastructure. Brucellosis in dogs is usually overlooked and yet there is extensive contact between humans and their pets.Objective: This study investigated brucellosis in children and dogs using a confirmatory serological testing series that screens for three Brucella sp.Methods: Residual blood samples from malaria smear-negative febrile children were collected and tested for Brucella sp and malaria parasite. During the same period, residual blood samples presented to a veterinary microbiology laboratory in the same area were tested for brucellosis using the same approach.Results: A total of 105 human and 80 canine blood samples were tested for brucellosis antibodies. The seroprevalence of brucellosis was 22.86% (25/105) in children and 1.3% (1/80) in dogs using the Card, buffered acidified plate antigen, and standard plate agglutination tests but was 0% using the rivanol precipitation plate agglutination test.Conclusion: Given that brucellosis can be caused by both smooth and rough colony strains, there is a need to modify the current serological surveillance strategy (targeted at only Brucella abortus and other smooth colony Brucella strains) to figure out the relative contribution of rough colony Brucella strains (B. ovis and B. canis). Since Uganda is endemic for brucellosis there is a need to modify the brucellosis surveillance strategy