ABSTRACT
Indiscriminatory in its spread, COVID-19 has engulfed communities from all social backgrounds throughout the world. While healthcare professionals work tirelessly testing for the virus and caring for patients, they too have become casualties of the pandemic. Currently the best way to attempt to curb the spread of the virus, echoed by almost all nation leaders, is to distance ourselves from one another socially or physically. However ideal this may seem, social distancing is not always practical in densely populated lower-income countries with many citizens below the breadline. With the majority of South Africans living in poverty, communities in overcrowded households are unable to distance themselves from one another appropriately. In addition, as a nation we struggle with high HIV and tuberculosis rates, malnutrition and an already overburdened healthcare system, emphasising the extreme vulnerability of our people. These factors, coupled with the fact that many of our healthcare professionals lack the necessary personal protective equipment to prevent them from contracting the virus themselves, highlight the gravity of the damaging repercussions that we may face in the coming months, after the complete national lockdown in force at the time of writing is lifted and we move towards a partial lockdown state. Nationally, there needs to be a shift in mindset towards exploring alternative technology-based preventive measures that may empower the healthcare sector in the long term and enhance social distancing
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Artificial Intelligence , Biomedical Enhancement , Health Care Sector , Pandemics , Social Isolation , South AfricaABSTRACT
The demand for human tissue in the medical context has increased rapidly since the early 1980s, when the use of human bone in allografts in orthopaedic surgery became the norm. During the 1990s, the demand for human tissue turned towards tissue-engineered products in the field of regenerative medicine. Tissue engineering, as an established and growing interdisciplinary field comprising different specialties, such as medicine, materials science, cell biology, genomics and chemical engineering, aims to develop biological substitutes to restore, maintain or improve tissue function, thus offering patients the chance to regain normal functionality in their bodies. The purpose of this article is to explore some of the gaps that exist in the current regulatory framework that governs tissue banks in South Africa (SA), and to make certain recommendations aimed at closing these gaps. The discrepancies and gaps cause confusion and may lead to undesired and unforeseen consequences regarding the use of human tissue, as well as prejudice the welfare of patients in SA
Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care , South Africa , Tissue BanksABSTRACT
RESUMEN Introducción En los países en desarrollo la problemática de cuerpos extraños (CE) en los Servicios de Otorrinolaringología está mal estudiada, la literatura sobre el tema es escasa. El estudio fue realizado para caracterizar el perfil epidemiológico en pacientes atendidos con CE en el Servicio de ORL/Hospital Central de Maputo (HCM) (período de 1983 a 2009). Objetivo El estudio fue realizado para caracterizar el perfil epidemiológico en pacientes atendidos con cuerpos extraños en el Servicio de ORL del Hospital Central de Maputo (HCM) en el período de 1983 a 2009. Material y Método Se realizó un estudio transversal utilizando datos retrospectivos de pacientes con cuerpos extraños atendidos en el HCM. Se recogieron datos demográficos, sobre CE, ubicación anatómica, tratamientos efectuados y complicaciones clínicas. Los datos se procesaron utilizando el SPSS-v15. Los resultados descriptivos se muestran en tablas y gráficos. Resultados Se incluyeron un total de 4.826 pacientes. Se observó predominio del sexo masculino y la mayoría pertenecía a la edad pediátrica. Los CE predominantes fueron los metales y la espina de pescado. La región anatómica más afectada fue el canal auditivo externo. Conclusión Este estudio presenta una compilación única que abarca un período de 26 años constituyendo una importante fuente de información al respecto. Demuestra la magnitud del problema en la edad pediátrica y presenta las características de los CE involucrados y las respectivas localizaciones anatómicas.
ABSTRACT Introduction In developing countries, the problem of foreign bodies (FB) in ENT Services is poorly studied and the literature related to the subject is rare. This study was performed to characterize the epidemiological profile in patients treated with FB in ENT Department/Maputo Central Hospital (MCH) (1983-2009 period). Aim This study was performed to characterize the epidemiological profile in patients treated with foreign bodies in ENT Department of Maputo Central Hospital (MCH) in the 1983-2009 period. Material and Method A cross-sectional study was performed using the retrospective data from patients with FB treated at MCH. Demographic data were collected on FB, their anatomical location, any treatment, clinical complications among others. The data were processed using the SPSS-v15. Descriptive results were presented in tables and graphs. Results We included a total of 4826 patients. The most affected population groups were males and children under 14 years. The most frequent FB were metals. The most common anatomical locations of FB was the external ear canal. Conclusions This study presents a unique collection covering a period of 26 years, constituting, therefore, an important source of information on the subject. This study demonstrates the magnitude of the problem in the pediatric age and presents the characteristics of the FB involved and their anatomical locations. The evidence of this study are important to inform clinical prevention and training strategies to deal with this issue at the level of primary health care. This study is important to inform about strategies to prevent it, but also useful in the formation of clinics to better deal with this type of patients at the level of primary health care.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , Adolescent , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Young Adult , Otolaryngology , Foreign Bodies/epidemiology , Primary Health Care , Cross-Sectional Studies , Mozambique/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Artificial intelligence (AI) is usually associated with high-tech robotics, automation and science fiction, and can seem daunting to some.However, AI in general has grown considerably over the past 50 years, and is the current driving force behind the Fourth Industrial Revolution.While it proposes improvements to almost every field that it touches, including the medical sciences, ethical, social and legal challenges associated with its implementation arise. One may question whether AI, which can replace the human element by nature of its operation,has a place in South African and African communities, in certain instances. AI systems can potentially become discriminatory and lead to stigmatisation, if the systems are not properly tailored to reflect the specific characteristics of a population group. Over-reliance on the use of technology, without fully understanding the effects and consequences of the systems, could also prove to be problematic
Subject(s)
Artificial Intelligence , Delivery of Health Care , Industry , Legal Services , Morals , Social Desirability , South AfricaABSTRACT
Background: South Africa has one of the highest burdens of tuberculosis globally. Transmission of tuberculosis in health-care settings is common and healthcare workers face an increasing threat of becoming infected. Objective: The aim of this study was to calculate the incidence of tuberculosis reported among healthcare workers in public sector hospitals and clinics within eThekwini Health District in KwaZulu-Natal; South Africa; from 2006 to 2010. Methods: A retrospective review of tuberculosis registers at occupational health clinics was conducted in 11 hospitals andfour community health centres in the District. All healthcare workers who were diagnosed and treated for tuberculosis at these facilities were included in the study.Results: Six hundred and eighteen healthcare workers were diagnosed with tuberculosis during the study period; a total of 67 562 healthcare workers were employed. The mean incidence of tuberculosis over the study period was 908 cases per 100 000 (95% CI 771 - 1 046). The incidence of tuberculosis in healthcare workers was higher than that in the general population but lower than in the provincial and district populations. Conclusion: Tuberculosis among healthcare workers remains an important occupational health issue. The high burden of tuberculosis in KwaZulu-Natal; and under-reporting of tuberculosis among healthcare workers are likely to have masked the high incidence among healthcare workers