Incidence of Salmonellae In Some Meat Products

Fresh pork sausage, biltong, beef mince and chicken carcasses available to the consumer in Pretoria, were examined for salmonellae using standard enrichment, plating and biochemical techniques. The incidence of salmonellae in pork sausage was 40% and in beef mince 64%. The frequent occurrence of salmonellae in biltong (16% of the samples) makes consumption a serious health hazard, since it is eaten raw. Salmonellae were found in 20% of the chicken carcasses, but contamination seemed to be associated mainly with one processor. Where data could be compared with previous local surveys (beef mince and biltong), it appears that the incidence of salmonellae is increasing. The most frequently isolated serotypes of salmonellae in this study were Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella thompson. The results indicate the need for greater 'microbiological control in the meat industry

The incidence of hospital fungal infections yeast fungaemia

In order to determine the incidence and the causative agents of fungaemia, a survey was undertaken of blood culture specimens received from the Bloemfontein academic hospitals. Over a period of 1 year, 5017 successive blood cultures were examined; 1 030 (20,5%) had growth of which 106 (2,1%) yielded yeasts. Candida albicans (42%), C. tropicalis (26%) and C. parapsilosis (20%) were the species most frequently isolated. Fungaemia occurred most often after broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy and abdominal disorders

An interesting cause of syncope

Patient with a history of repeated episodes of syncope over the preceding week

Vinnige identifikasiemetodes van giste tydens fungemie

A wet preparation method, modified serum test and a modified disc diffusion method were evaluated in order to identify yeasts more rapidly during fungaemia. A total of 2932 blood cultures were processed, of which 54 (1,8%) yielded yeasts. By using these methods, Candida albicans was identified within 3 hours, after yeast growth in the blood culture was confirmed by Gram stain. The wet preparation examinations were accurate in 60% of cases and the serum test in 95% of cases. After growth was detected, yeast species other than C. albicans were identified within 24 hours using the modified disc diffusion method. C. albicans (50%), C. tropicalis (22%) and C. parapsilosis (22%) were the species most frequently isolated. Fungaemia occurred ,most often after antimicrobial therapy and abdominal conditions

Short thermal treatment of carbon felts for copper-based redox flow batteries

Carbon felts are often used as electrode materials for various redox flow batteries (RFBs), and for optimal performance it is often required for them to be subjected to extended thermal treatment processes (25–30 h). However, the Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox couple employed in the copper RFB, at the positive electrode is significantly different when compared to the vanadium alternative. For this reason, the effect and duration of thermal treatment of the carbon felt on the performance of the copper-based RFB has to be determined. Both polyacrylonitrile and rayon carbon felts were subjected to thermal treatment for 6 and 25 h at 400 °C. The treated carbon felts were subsequently analysed using thermogravimetric analysis, resistivity determination, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Additionally, the effect of the thermal treatment was also determined using electrochemical testing and in a redox flow cell

Widening the scope for early cancer detection: identification of alarm symptoms by community pharmacies

Background Cancers are one of the leading causes of death in the world and, due to the aging population, incidence rates are set to rise. As such, considerable effort has been placed on initiatives that aid the early detection of cancer, as this may improve patient survival outcome. One such initiative is the development of guidelines that explain how and when patient reported alarm symptoms suggestive of an underlying malignancy should be referred to a specialist. However, despite being conveniently placed to deliver interventions to promote the early detection of cancer, it is not clear what role community pharmacists could have in the development and implementation of these guidelines. Objective To: (1) assess the frequency and mean of patient reported alarm symptoms in a community pharmacy setting; (2) determine the demographics of patients presenting with the alarm symptom; and (3) explore the relationship between deprivation index of the community pharmacy and average frequency of alarm symptoms per pharmacy. Setting Thirty-three community pharmacies in the North of England. Method A prospective study from September 2013 to February 2014. Each community pharmacy team was provided training in relation to alarm symptoms to ensure there was consistency in reporting. Deprivation tertiles for each community pharmacy were calculated using the IMD 2010 deprivation index. The data were analysed using a Kruskal-Wallis test in order to determine whether there were any statistically significant associations between average frequency of alarm symptoms presented per pharmacy and the deprivation tertile. Main outcome measure Frequency of patient reported alarm symptoms

Processes in widening access to undergraduate allied health sciences education in South Africa

The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the processes followed in initiating and managing widening access to allied health sciences education at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. In response to national higher education policy imperatives in South Africa and in anticipation of the first cohort of Outcome Based Education (OBE) school leavers entering tertiary education, the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the university launched an extensive intra- and cross-programme transformation project in 2004. The project afforded four undergraduate professional programmes, namely audiology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech therapy, an opportunity to address common educational and contextual drivers. These included, among others, the need for increased access and throughput of historically under-represented students in higher education. An advisory task team, named the curriculum review management team (CRMT), was engaged in envisaging, navigating and containing a complex socio-political process involving many stakeholders with disparate ideas, practice approaches, and focal concerns. The use of the Gale and Grant model of change management, augmented by the Community of Practice conceptual framework, to assist with these processes is described

Risk factors for coronary heart disease in the black population of the Cape Peninsula The BRISK study

A cross-sectional study of risk factors for ischaemic heart disease (IHO) in a random sample of 986 black people aged 15 - 64 years living in the Cape Peninsula revealed a population at lower risk for IHO than other South Africans. Blood pressures of 140/95 mmHg or above were found in 14,4% of males and 13,7% of females. Fifty-two per cent of males and 8,4% of females smoked, while 16,5% of males and 25,8% of females had a total cholesterol (TC) level imparting risk for developing IHO. In this population the TC level is not a good surrogate measure for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol because of the high level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HOLC) found in this population. A protective HOLC/TC ratio of 20% was found in 96% of males and 96,1% of females. When considering the three major reversible IHO risk factors at a high level of risk, 30,8% of males and 12,5% of females had at least one such a risk factor. The population was frequently exposed to the media, with 80% listening to the radio every day and 55% watching television at least once a week. This suggests that a healthy lifestyle could be promoted successfully by means of these media. In addition, schools should promote a healthy lifestyle and the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases should be incorporated into the evolving primary health care services in South Africa

Prevalence and determinants of stunting and overweight in 3-year-old black South African children residing in the Central Region of Limpopo Province, South Africa

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of stunting, wasting and overweight and their determinants in 3-year-old children in the Central Region of Limpopo Province, South Africa. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Rural villages in the Central Region of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. SUBJECTS: One hundred and sixty-two children who were followed from birth were included in the study. Anthropometric measurements and sociodemographic characteristics of the children were recorded. RESULTS: Height-for-age Z-scores were low, with a high prevalence of stunting (48%). The children also exhibited a high prevalence of overweight (22%) and obesity (24%). Thirty-one (19%) children were both stunted and overweight. Gaining more weight within the first year of life increased the risk of being overweight at 3 years by 2.39 times (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.96-4.18) while having a greater length at 1 year was protective against stunting (odds ratio (OR) 0.41; 95% CI 0.17-0.97). Having a mother as a student increased the risk for stunting at 3 years by 18.21 times (95% CI 9.46-34.74) while having a working mother increased the risk for overweight by 17.87 times (95% CI 8.24-38.78). All these factors also appeared as risks or as being protective in children who were both overweight and stunted, as did living in a household having nine or more persons (OR 5.72; 95% CI 2.7-12.10). CONCLUSION: The results of this study highlight the importance of evaluating anthropometric status in terms of both stunting and overweight. Furthermore, it is important to realise the importance of normal length and weight being attained at 1 year of age, since these in turn predict nutritional status at 3 years of age