The causes of burn wounds among adult patients treated at Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital, Bloemfontein

Background: Burn injuries account for approximately 180 000 deaths per annum, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. Aim: This study sought to determine the causes of burn wounds among adults admitted to the Burn Wound Unit at Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in Bloemfontein for treatment.Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study. The target population consisted of adult patients, hospitalised for burn wounds at Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in Bloemfontein, between July 2016 and early January 2017. Relevant data was collected by means of a structured interview using a questionnaire. Results: A total of 49 patients were interviewed during the study period. Almost two-thirds of the patients were male (65.3%, n=32). The median age was 33 years (range 18 to 64 years). In most cases, the injury occurred at home (77.6%, n=38). Three quarters of the reported incidents (77.6%, n=38) were considered accidental of which 68.4% (n=26) were related to domestic activities. At the time of the accidental incident, 39.5% (n=15) patients had consumed alcohol. Eleven (22.4%) of the incidents were intentional with 63.6% (n=7) attributed to assault. The two main causes of burn injuries were flames including flaming liquids (59.2%, n=29) and hot liquids (22.5%, n=11). The most frequent area of injury was the left front thigh.Conclusion: The predominant cause of burn wounds was flames including flaming liquids, and injuries were mostly accidental in nature. Alcohol consumption and domestic activities were common in accidental burns

Helicobacter pylori as an occupational hazard in the endoscopy room.

BACKGROUND: It remains controversial whether or not healthcare workers on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy teams are at risk of Helicobacter pylori infection. An association between occupational exposure and an increased risk of infection has been shown in a number of studies, while such a risk was not confirmed in others. None of these studies were conducted in Africa. METHOD: We performed a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection in endoscopy personnel versus that in a control group of other healthcare workers. RESULTS: Ninety-two participants were included in the study. Thirty-two (55%) in the control group tested positive for H. pylori. Twenty participants (59%) in the combined endoscopy groups (34 in total) tested seropositive for H. pylori. The seropositive rate was highest in those more frequently involved with endoscopies in the endoscopy groups. None of these differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: An H. pylori infection rate, similar to the national prevalence rate, estimated to be 51-71%, was displayed in both the study and control groups. We were unable to confirm that endoscopy was a risk factor for endoscopy teams with regard to contracting H. pylori.

The acute AIDS abdomen--a prospective clinical and pathological study.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with AIDS who present with an acute abdomen pose a new challenge to surgeons. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and outcome of intra-abdominal catastrophes in AIDS patients. METHODS: A prospective clinical study was conducted on HIV-positive patients who presented with an acute abdomen. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were included. Average age was 36 years. Seven patients presented with advanced AIDS. In 10 the ileo-caecal region was affected by a chronic inflammatory process resulting in ulceration and necrosis. Intestinal tuberculosis was found in 7 patients. Despite optimal treatment more than half the study group died in hospital. CONCLUSION: The 'acute AIDS abdomen' proved to be different in nature and prognosis than has been described previously. Intestinal tuberculosis can reasonably be suspected. Operative mortality is unacceptably high. Other treatment options are being investigated.

The acute AIDS abdomen - a prospective clinical and pathological study

Objectives: Patients with AIDS who present with an acute abdomen pose a new challenge to surgeons. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and outcome of intra-abdominal catastrophes in AIDS patients. Methods: A prospective clinical study was conducted on HIV-positive patients who presented with an acute abdomen. Results: Thirteen patients were included. Average age was 36 years. Seven patients presented with advanced AIDS. In 10 the ileo-caecal region was affected by a chronic inflammatory process resulting in ulceration and necrosis. Intestinal tuberculosis was found in 7 patients. Despite optimal treatment more than half the study group died in hospital. Conclusion: The 'acute AIDS abdomen' proved to be different in nature and prognosis than has been described previously. Intestinal tuberculosis can reasonably be suspected. Operative mortality is unacceptably high. Other treatment options are being investigated

The acute AIDS abdomen - a prospective clinical and pathological study : short report

Objectives. Patients with AIDS who present with an acute abdomen pose a new challenge to surgeons. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and outcome of intra-abdominal catastrophes in AIDS patients. Methods. A prospective clinical study was conducted on HIV-positive patients who presented with an acute abdomen. Results. Thirteen patients were included. Average age was 36 years. Seven patients presented with advanced AIDS. In 10 the ileo-caecal region was affected by a chronic inflammatory process resulting in ulceration and necrosis. Intestinal tuberculosis was found in 7 patients. Despite optimal treatment more than half the study group died in hospital. Conclusion. The 'acute AIDS abdomen' proved to be different in nature and prognosis than has been described previously. Intestinal tuberculosis can reasonably be suspected. Operative mortality is unacceptably high. Other treatment options are being investigated

Telomerase activity and survival of late-stage South African esophageal carcinoma patients.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus is a cancer with a high incidence in South Africa. We have investigated the prognostic value of telomerase activity in tumors as well as nearby normal tissue. Biopsies from 98 patients (71 men and 27 women) were analyzed using an adaptation of the TRAP assay. We found all tumor biopsies to have moderate to high telomerase activity, while one third of biopsies from normal mucosa were negative. The telomerase activity level of the tumors had no prognostic value (P = 0.95) as determined by the log rank test. A P-value of 0.02 was found when the telomerase-negative and moderately positive normal biopsies were grouped together and compared to those with high activity. Our results show that telomerase activity of normal mucosa in the vicinity of the tumor can identify a population of patients with significantly worse prognosis, even in late stage patients.