The management of adults and children with moderate severity asthma

Moderate severity asthma occurs in approximately 10 to 15% of patients with chronic reversible airway obstruction and is defined by more than four daytime symptoms per week, more than four night time symptoms per month and peak expiratory flow rates of between 60 and 80% of predicted values. Currently recommended first line chronic maintenance treatment for children and adults for moderate severity asthma is the use of combination therapy of inhaled corticosteroids and long acting beta-2 agonists. Other agents such as leukotriene receptor antagonist, theophyllines and soluble TNF alpha-receptor blockers could be considered in special circumstances when adequate control is not obtained. South African Family Practice Vol. 49 (4) 2007: pp. 28-3

Paediatric spirometry guideline of the South African Thoracic Society: Part 1

Spirometry forms an important component in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary diseases in children. In the paediatric setting, there are different challenges in terms of performance and interpretation of good quality and reliable tests. An awareness of the physiological and developmental aspects that exist in children is necessary to improve the quality and reliability of spirometry. We reviewed the recommendations on the technical aspects of performing spirometry in children, from the available guidelines and clinical trials. The focus was on the indications, methods and the interpretation of lung function tests in children <12 years of age. Reliable lung function testing can be performed in children, but an awareness of the limitations, the use of incentives and a dedicated lung function technologist are necessary

Empowering the Visually Impaired: Arduino Mega Enhanced Accessibility Device

People with vision impairments find their life to be so difficult that they must rely on others even for the most basic tasks. When a user is in trouble, the developed system may identify obstacles and persons, play an audio message, and notify the carer. It delivers auditory output in order to help blind individuals recognise persons and text using Open CV and face recognition. Real-time image processing requirements are met by using a small amount of memory and extremely little processing time. The suggested system delivers a very competitive performance that matches the advantages of portability and ease of use, according to the performance comparison

Iatrogenic medication errors in a paediatric intensive care unit in Durban, South Africa

Background. Iatrogenic medication errors due to calculation errors are an under-reported concern in children.Objective. To determine the incidence and source of iatrogenic medication errors in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).Methods. A prospective study was conducted in the PICU at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital, Durban, South Africa, over a 3-month period in 2014. Medication-related calculation skills of medical practitioners and nurses were assessed through the voluntary anonymous completion of a questionnaire. Medication errors were recorded either spontaneously or by review of all electronic records of admissions. Errors were classified as delays in the decision to prescribe, prescribing mistakes, dispensing errors and administration issues.Results. Of 25 staff members sampled, only 6 (24.0%) were able to complete all medication calculations accurately, while 44.0% (n=11) were unable to answer three or more questions correctly. Errors most frequently encountered included failure to calculate rates of infusion and the conversion of mL to mEq or mL to mg for potassium, phenobarbitone and digoxin. Of the 117 children admitted, 111 (94.9%) were exposed to at least one medication error. Two or more medication errors occurred in 34.1% of cases. Of the errors, 73.8% were detected on chart review and 26.2% by spontaneous reporting. Overall, 89.2% of errors occurred during prescribing, with 10.0% having a ≥10-fold increase or decrease in dosage calculations. Only 2.7% of medication errors were reported as resulting in adverse events.Conclusion. Therapeutic skills of healthcare professionals working in the PICU need to be improved to decrease iatrogenic medication errors

Effect of Students Engagement and Moderating Effect of Class & Web-based Tools on Students Performance

This study aims to bring out the engagement level of university students during this pandemic. The research is to study the levels of engagement such as affective, behavioural, and cognitive engagement on the dependent variable of students' performances. As in this pandemic, most classes are online, and students need different classes and web-based tools to interact in the classroom. The biggest challenge to the educational sector is the transformation, and by 2030 there could be a change in the educational sector. For this purpose, the primary data are collected from 979 students of the Kingdom of Bahrain. PLS-SEM was utilised to analyse the measurement and structural models through SmartPLS 3.3.2 software to prove the construct's hypothesis. Therefore, the study utilised the combinative PLS method that fulfils the characteristics of the model. The study results show that affective engagement, behavioural engagement, and cognitive engagement positively affect the students' performance. The moderating effect of class &amp; web-based tools between behavioural engagements and student performance negatively reflects the SEM Model. The education sector is at the centre of revolution from the traditional learning system to more technological-based learning

HIV-Associated Tuberculosis in the Newborn and Young Infant

Each year, approximately 250 000 women die during pregnancy, delivery, or postpartum. Maternal mortality rates due to tuberculosis (TB) and HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa now supersede obstetric-related causes of mortality. The majority of cases occur in population-dense regions of Africa and Asia where TB is endemic. The vertical transmission rate of tuberculosis is 15%, the overall vertical transmission rate of HIV in resource-limited settings with mono- or dual-ARV therapy varies from 1.9% to 10.7%. If the millennium development goals are to be achieved, both HIV and TB must be prevented. The essential aspect of TB prevention and detection in the newborn is the maternal history and a positive HIV status in the mother. Perinatal outcomes are guarded even with treatment of both diseases. Exclusive breast feeding is recommended. The community and social impact are crippling. The social issues aggravate the prognosis of these two diseases

Paediatric spirometry guideline of the South African Thoracic Society: Part 1

Spirometry forms an important component in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary diseases in children. In the paediatric setting, there are different challenges in terms of performance and interpretation of good quality and reliable tests. An awareness of the physiological and developmental aspects that exist in children is necessary to improve the quality and reliability of spirometry. We reviewed the recommendations on the technical aspects of performing spirometry in children, from the available guidelines and clinical trials. The focus was on the indications, methods and the interpretation of lung function tests in children &lt;12 years of age. Reliable lung function testing can be performed in children, but an awareness of the limitations, the use of incentives and a dedicated lung function technologist are necessary.

Guideline for the management of acute asthma in children: 2013 update

Background. Acute asthma exacerbations remain a common cause of hospitalisation and healthcare utilisation in South African children. Aim. To update the South African paediatric acute asthma guidelines according to current evidence, and produce separate recommendations for children above and below 2 years of age. Methods. A working group of the South African Childhood Asthma Group was established to review the published literature on acute asthma in children from 2000 to 2012, and to revise the South African guidelines accordingly. Recommendations. Short-acting inhaled bronchodilators remain the first-line treatment of acute asthma. A metered-dose inhaler with spacer is preferable to nebulisation for bronchodilator therapy to treat mild to moderate asthma. Two to four puffs of a short-acting bronchodilator given every 20 - 30 minutes, depending on clinical response, should be given for mild attacks; up to 10 puffs may be needed for more severe asthma. Children with severe asthma or oxygen saturation (SpO2