Background. Office spirometry remains an integral part of a comprehensive respiratory evaluation and is used to categorise the nature, severity and progression of respiratory diseases and to measure response to treatment. These updated guidelines are aimed at improving the quality, standardisation and usefulness of office spirometry in South Africa.

Objectives. To report our experience with intracardiac potassium chloride (KCl) injection as a method of feticide for severe congenital abnormalities beyond 24 weeks' gestation.

Background. HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (HAM), or tropical spastic paraparesis, is caused by a retrovirus, the human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV). Although patients with HAM and HIV infection have been described, to our knowledge no direct comparison has been made between patients who are HIV positive and suffering from HAM (HHAM) ...

Background. Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) in the Eastern Cape (EC) has the highest susceptibility to deliberate self-harm (DSH) of any South African city. The EC also has a shortage of critical care beds.

Background. A screening programme for cervical cancer has been implemented in South Africa (SA) with intervals of 10 years after a normal cytological result. There are no studies that evaluate repeat screening at a shorter interval in SA.

Background. Since 1970, the incidence of lymphoma, a potentially curable disease, has risen by 80% in the general population and in HIV-positive patients. Given its clinical similarities to tuberculosis (TB), lymphoma may be misdiagnosed and patients treated unnecessarily with potentially harmful TB medication.

Background. Despite the challenges facing healthcare in South Africa, empirical insights into the performance of healthcare services over time are scarce.

Background. Despite the clear prohibition against sexual relations with one's patients, complaints of a sexual nature against practitioners registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) have been increasing. The HPCSA does not provide ethical guidelines regarding the use of a chaperone during intimate examinations.

Medical management is a recognised specialty in many developing and developed countries, including Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In South Africa it was recognised as a sub-specialty in the 1990s, but this is no longer the case. The South African Society of Medical Managers, in close collaboration ...

The causes of the poor health status of the South African population are probably multifactorial, but to be socially accountable we must ensure that the education and training of health professionals continue to be aligned with the population's health needs.

Created from adult rather than embryonic cells, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells represent a breakthrough in stem cell science, and their pioneers have been recognised with the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine. These cells offer new hope in the treatment of pathogenetic diseases, but there is still a way to ...

Objective. There has been a recent increase in interest in antenatal depression, which is associated with adverse obstetric, neonatal and maternal outcomes and has been overlooked and underdiagnosed. Local data on prevalence and risk factors are lacking.

Background. Delivery of integrated care for patients with HIV-associated TB is challenging. We assessed the uptake and timing of antiretroviral treatment (ART) among eligible patients attending a primary care service with co-located ART and TB clinics.

Background. HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB) is common in South Africa. The optimal time for initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in co-infected patients is a clinical challenge.

Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy of Ringer's lactate, isotonic saline and hypertonic saline on the clinical and biochemical recovery of athletes with exercise-associated hyponatraemic encephalopathy caused by fluid overload.

Sirolimus, a potent inhibitor of B- and T-cell activation, is a commonly used immunosuppressant after renal transplantation. Withdrawal of sirolimus from the immunosuppression regimen may reduce B-cell surveillance. We present a case of rapidly progressive central nervous system (CNS) polymorphic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder following the withdrawal of ...

Background. Implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) commenced recently. With the promise of addressing drastic inequalities in the health sector, NHI has the potential to positively transform the health system. In particular, NHI could have a significant positive impact on females, who are disadvantaged under the current system, with higher ...

Despite widespread use, few empirical data on the efficacy of traditional medicine are available. We conducted systematic reviews of eight widely used African medicines and identified only one plant, Pelargonium sidoides, which has been extensively studied (including in a Cochrane systematic review). To address the need for rigorous science to ...

The quest for enhancement has been part of human culture for thousands of years. Progress in scientific developments and especially in medical science has enabled previously unimaginable advances to be employed in endeavours to improve human functioning in its various forms. Previously enhancement focused on aspects such as prolonging life, ...