Routine prophylactic antibiotic use in the management of snakebite

BACKGROUND: Routine antibiotic prophylaxis following snakebite is not recommended but evidence suggests that it may be common practice in Zimbabwe. This study set out to determine and describe the extent of this practice at Parirenyatwa Hospital, a large teaching hospital in Zimbabwe METHODS: A retrospective case review (1996 to 1999 inclusive) of all cases of snakebite was undertaken at Parirenyatwa Hospital. Cases with a diagnosis of snakebite, presenting within 24 hours of the bite and with no complications or concurrent illness were defined as "routine prophylactic antibiotic use". RESULTS: From 78 cases which satisfied the inclusion criteria, 69 (88.5%) received antibiotics. Ten different antibiotics from 6 different classes were used with penicillins the most commonly prescribed (benzylpenicillin in 29% of cases, alone or in combination). Over 40% of antibiotics were given parenterally although all patients were conscious on admission. The total cost of antibiotics used was estimated at US$522.98. CONCLUSION: Routine prophylactic use of antibiotics in snakebite at Parirenyatwa Hospital is common practice. This may highlight the lack of a clearly defined policy leading to wasteful inappropriate antibiotic use which is costly and may promote bacterial antibiotic resistance. Further work is required to investigate the reasons for this practice and to design appropriate interventions to counter it

Evaluating Patterns of a White-Band Disease (WBD) Outbreak in Acropora palmata Using Spatial Analysis: A Comparison of Transect and Colony Clustering

. Likewise, there is little known about the spatiality of outbreaks. We examined the spatial patterns of WBD during a 2004 outbreak at Buck Island Reef National Monument in the US Virgin Islands. colonies with and without WBD.As the search for causation continues, surveillance and proper documentation of the spatial patterns may inform etiology, and at the same time assist reef managers in allocating resources to tracking the disease. Our results indicate that the spatial scale of data collected can drastically affect the calculation of prevalence and spatial distribution of WBD outbreaks. Specifically, we illustrate that higher resolution sampling resulted in more realistic disease estimates. This should assist in selecting appropriate sampling designs for future outbreak investigations. The spatial techniques used here can be used to facilitate other coral disease studies, as well as, improve reef conservation and management

The effects of concert dress and physical appearance on perceptions of female solo performers

  This study investigates the importance of visual information in performance, focusing on the influence of dress on the musical evaluation of female classical soloists. In this study, four female violinists were filmed playing in four states of dress: jeans, a nightclubbing dress, black concert dress and point-light condition (body movement is apparent but not physical appearance). Each clip was recorded in two conditions: both as the performer's own version and with a mastertrack dubbed over the top. The dubbed versions therefore had a constant musical soundtrack. Fifteen male and 15 female musicians (age range 17-66 years) were asked to rate clips on six point scales in terms of technical proficiency, musicality, appropriateness of dress and attractiveness of performer. Significant effects were found of condition, dress and performer, and an interaction of performer and dress was observed on participant perceptions. Implications of these perceptions of female performers suggest that observers have a strong concept of what constitutes appropriate dress for a female recitalist, as the concert dress was overwhelmingly favoured above the nightclubbing dress and jeans. There is evidence that the historical dominance of mental attributes over physical attributes continues, as performer 3 is rated high for technical proficiency and musicality, but lower for appropriateness of dress.