Knowledge of outcome of pregnancy and labour among rural pregnant teenagers, in Limpopo province, South Africa

Teenage pregnancy has been associated with poor health and poverty for the teen mother and the child; and has serious consequences for society. The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge of outcomes of pregnancies and labour among rural pregnant teenagers in Limpopo; South Africa. This cross-sectional study involved 966 randomly selected pregnant teenagers and teen mothers still within 6 weeks of their postnatal period in two hospitals. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demography; prenatal care; complications of pregnancy and delivery; mode of delivery and outcome of pregnancy. The findings of the study revealed that 40.0teens mothers reported low birth weight and premature babies; and by caesarean 27.2. The risk of cephalopelvic disproportion was the commonest indication for caesarean section amongst all primigravidae. The perinatal mortality rate among the teenagers (58.2/1 000) was slightly high. The findings of this study revealed that majority of teen mothers did not book for antenatal care during the first trimester; which is an ideal period for a pregnant mother as advised by Regulation R2488 of 1990. This is worrisome as late antenatal clinic attendance provides little or no time for appropriate screening and management of risk factors. Support should be provided for teenagers who; by accident or choice; have become pregnant; so that they can have the optimal care and outcome

Household contact investigation of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in a high HIV prevalence setting.

SETTING: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) are now a nationwide epidemic in South Africa. Epidemiological data suggest nosocomial transmission as the primary route of spread; however, transmission among household contacts has not yet been investigated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence rates of MDR- and XDR-TB among household contacts of MDR- and XDR-TB index cases diagnosed between January 2005 and September 2008 in a high human immunodeficiency virus prevalence setting. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study evaluating adult household contacts for active TB by culture and drug susceptibility testing at index case diagnosis and again 1 year later. Outcomes were incidence and time to diagnosis of MDR- and XDR-TB. RESULTS: A total of 1766 contacts of 221 MDR-TB and 287 XDR-TB index cases were screened. Of 793 contacts of MDR-TB index cases, 14 (1.8%) were diagnosed with MDR-TB (incidence 1765/100 000); 19 (2.0%) of 973 XDR-TB contacts had XDR-TB (incidence 1952/100 000). Median time to diagnosis of household cases was 70 days (interquartile range 57-89). CONCLUSION: Incidence rates of MDR- and XDR-TB among household contacts were extremely high, with most secondary cases occurring shortly after the diagnosis of the index case. Active case finding of drug-resistant TB is a high-yield public health activity and must be a priority, as early diagnosis may stem further disease spread and improve survival.

The antimicrobial mechanism of electrochemically activated water against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli as determined by SDS-PAGE analysis.

AIMS: To expose bacteria to anolyte and subsequently investigate the effect of anolyte on the protein profiles of treated bacteria. METHODS AND RESULTS: Proteins were extracted from bacteria treated with different concentrations of anolyte and analysed using SDS-PAGE. Fewer and more faint protein bands were observed for concentrated halide anolyte treated bacteria when compared to untreated bacteria while extra protein bands were observed for bacteria exposed to dilute concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The undiluted and the 10(-1) dilution of halide derived anolyte was effective in killing the test bacteria. Anolyte caused bacterial death by complete destruction of proteins or by causing oxidative stress which resulted in protein fragmentation. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The results of this study provide information on the antimicrobial mechanism of anolyte on other bacteria for which the information is currently unavailable.