World netball cardiac screening guidelines.

Sudden cardiac adverse events remain an area of concern in sport. The precise risk for netball athletes is unknown but the annual incidence of sudden cardiac death in sports is reported at 0.5-2 cases in 100 000 young competitive athletes between the ages of 12-35 years. Cardiac screening in the sport and exercise medicine context aims at identifying pathologies associated with catastrophic events when combined with physical activity. There is an ongoing debate relating to the standardisation of the pre-participatory medical assessment (PPMA). World Netball (WN) commissioned a cardiac screening policy (13 March 2022). The minimum PPMA recommended by World Netball is a history, physical examination, and a resting 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). ECGs should be interpreted in accordance with athlete-specific ECG interpretation criteria. Expansion of sports cardiology experience and infrastructure, in combination with universal emergency response planning for sudden cardiac arrest, is intended to safeguard athlete health and player welfare in WN.

Investigation of the knowledge of South African high school rugby coaches on concussion and the return-to-play protocol.

Background: Coaches are pivotal in the management of concussed players. Assessing the knowledge of high school rugby coaches with regard to concussion management will enable relevant future education on this topic to be covered. Objectives: To investigate the knowledge of South African high school rugby coaches on concussion symptom recognition, knowledge and stepwise return-to-play (RTP) protocols. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study involving 143 first team, high school rugby coaches was completed via an electronic questionnaire. Independent variables included coach demographics, qualifications, experience, BokSmart accreditation, and school size. Dependent variables included knowledge scores on concussion symptoms, general concussion knowledge, stepwise RTP and Maddocks questions. Relationships between total scores for different demographic groupings were established using non-parametric techniques. Results: The coaches had high general, symptom and overall concussion knowledge scores (77% - 80%) in contrast with low RTP scores (62%) and very low Maddocks questions knowledge scores (26%). The 35-44-year age group received top scores for symptom recognition (p=0.034) and total concussion knowledge (p=0.041). Larger category school coaches (p=0.008) and BokSmart accredited coaches (p=0.041) outperformed all other coaches in general concussion knowledge and total knowledge, respectively. However, respondents were not familiar with emotional symptoms or the importance of cognitive rest after a concussion. Educational programmes were the most popular knowledge source for coaches. Conclusion: In general, coaches presented with good general concussion knowledge but lesser expertise on emotional symptoms, cognitive rest and RTP management. Modifiable predictors of knowledge included the expansion of BokSmart accreditation, focussing information sessions on smaller rugby size schools and the education of coaches younger than 35 years or older than 45 years of age.

Year of the face mask: do's and don'ts during exercise.

The COVID-19 pandemic causes widespread anxiety and uncertainty regarding disease transmission. In many countries people are obliged to wear a face mask in public spaces. Individuals involved in sports participation at any level need to make informed decisions on wearing a face mask during exercise. Currently there is no scientific evidence on what to advise regarding the safety of wearing a face mask during exercise, or what type of mask to use. This short report aims to answer these questions in a structured and practical way.

Implications of COVID-19 for resumption of sport in South Africa: A South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA) position statement - Part 1.

The significant impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has extended to sport with the cessation of nearly all professional and non-professional events globally. Recreational parks and fitness centres have also closed. A challenge remains to get athletes back to participation in the safest way, balancing the protection of their health while curbing the societal transmission of the virus. With this Position Statement, the South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA) aims to guide return-to-sport as safely as possible, in an evidence-based manner, given that COVID-19 is a new illness and new information from experts in various fields continues to emerge. Clinical considerations are briefly described, focusing on a return-to-sport strategy, including education, preparation of the environment, risk stratification of sports and participants, and the practical implementation of these guidelines. The management of the potentially exposed or infected athlete is further highlighted. It is important that persons charged with managing athletes' return-to-sport in any environment must be up-to-date with local and international trends, transmission rates, regulations and sport-specific rule changes that might develop as sport resumes. Additionally, such information should be applied in a sports-specific manner, considering individual athlete's and team needs and be consistent with national legislation.

Implications of COVID-19 for resumption of sport in South Africa: A South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA) position statement - Part 2.

The lockdown regulations due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) that broke out towards the end of 2019 and continued to spread throughout most countries in the world had a negative effect on the sporting community. The South African government eased the lockdown rules to Level 1 from 21 September 2020. In Part 2 of this Position Statement of the South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA), the authors address the position regarding the safe return to sports for athletes who were infected by the virus. An update on clinical manifestations and multi-organ involvement, testing for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), prolonged positive real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the role of quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in informing return to sports, grading of disease severity, individualised management of infected athletes and graduated return to play guidelines (GRTP) is provided. The authors also share thoughts on athletes with disabilities, immunisation, the using of masks during exercise and utilising biologically safe environments (BSE). Finally the SASMA Guidelines for Safe RTP in Level 1 lockdown during SARS-Cov-2 are introduced.

Acute obturator internus muscle strain in a rugby player: a case report.

A 28-year-old male rugby player presented with severe onset of right hip pain when he fell awkward after a ruck during an international match. A rare case of an acute strain of the obturator internus muscle, a deep muscle of the hip joint, is reported, which resolved completely after a period of rest and intense active physical therapy.

Revisiting the Importance of Childhood Activity

Formalised exercise programmes for children and adolescents are becoming increasingly important. There has been a drastic increase in documented childhood morbidity and mortality relating to poor nutrition and low activity levels in recent years. Regular physical activity decreases the risk of chronic disease and is also a fundamental component in the management of illnesses. Recommendations for the paediatric population remain insufficient and ill-defined. This article revisits the risks of physical inactivity in childhood and provides the latest recommendations for exercise prescription in the paediatric population. Inactive children have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases; such as obesity; type 2 diabetes; high blood cholesterol and hypertension. Other undesirable consequences include orthopaedic problems; cardiovascular disease and various psychological complications. Both aerobic and resistance training should be incorporated into paediatric exercise programmes. The recommended guidelines for childhood activity are 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day of the week. This article highlights the importance of formalised paediatric exercise programmes in disease prevention and health promotion. A healthy and happy adolescent population ultimately contributes to an adult population with a low risk of ill health

The suitability of a rolled BHK21 monolayer system for the production of vaccines against the SAT types of foot-and-mouth disease virus. I. Adaptation of virus isolates to the system, immunogen yields achieved and assessment of subtype cross reactivity.

In an examination of 34 southern African SAT-type foot-and-mouth disease viruses, all but 1 attained satisfactory levels of infectivity within 6 passages in rolled BHK21 monolayer cell cultures. However, there were marked differences between adapted viruses with respect to the mass of immunogen (146S material) produced. Several isolates which consistently produced levels greater than or equal to 2 micrograms/ml were identified. In cross neutralization tests using post-vaccinal sera, SAT-1 and SAT-2 isolates showed considerable diversity and none of the viruses tested would be expected to produce a broad-spectrum response if incorporated into a vaccine. On the other hand, when 2 of the SAT-2 isolates were incorporated into the same vaccine a distinctly broader response resulted.

Short-term effects of two fusarium toxins, diacetoxyscirpenol and neosolaniol monoacetate, in male Wistar rats.

This study compared the pathological and haematological effects of neosolaniol monoacetate in male Wistar rats with those of diacetoxyscirpenol, a highly toxic trichothecene mycotoxin. Both toxins caused statistically significant decreases in erythrocyte counts and increased the proportion of larger platelets compared to controls when dosed at 1 mg/kg body weight three times/wk for up to 5 wk. Lesions caused by treatment with either toxin at this dosage level were mild and were seen--mainly after 2-4 wk--in the actively dividing cells of the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes and bone marrow. Reduced severity or disappearance of the lesions was noted towards the end of the treatment period. The type and severity of the toxic effects of neosolaniol monoacetate appeared to be similar to those of diacetoxyscirpenol.