FOCUS: THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Supreme Court judgment important for covering doctors
October 10th, 2018 The ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal ordering a Durban gynaecologist Dr and Life Healthcare Group to pay R20m for medical negligence, contains a number of 'salutary lessons' for covering doctors. The crux issue is at what moment the 'duty of...
It’s now your right to smoke marijuana — but don’t bluff yourself that it cures anything
October 10th, 2018 It's not for the state to decide what individuals put into their bodies in their own homes, writes Digital Clubbing columnist Alastair McAlpine. But no one should be under any illusion that the evidence for medical benefit from marijuana is both...
World-first SA liver transplant results support a review of ethics policies
October 10th, 2018 The successful, world-first liver transplant between an HIV-positive woman and her HIV-negative infant, undertaken in South Africa has delivered results, reported in the academic journal AIDS, that support a review of transplant ethics policies and...WEEKLY ROUNDUP
NICD confirms cholera in traveller returning from Zimbabwe
The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed the diagnosis of cholera in a returning traveller from Zimbabwe. The patient... October 10th, 2018Attack on Red Cross workers treating DRC's Ebola victims
The international community has sounded the alarm over a “heightened sense of fear and distrust” after three Red Cross workers fighting to... October 10th, 2018Japanese mosquito-repellent paint to help fight malaria in Zambia
A Japanese paint producer has launched the world's first mosquito-repellent paint in Zambia to help it reach a target to eliminate malaria by 2021,... October 10th, 2018Frere Hospital's turnaround recognised with international accolade
Frere Hospital in East London will be among six hospitals in the world to receive a prestigious international accolade at the 42nd World Hospital... October 10th, 2018Nearly 400 tonnes of counterfeit medicines seized by Ivory Coast
Nearly 400 tonnes of fake medicines have been seized over two years in Ivory Coast, whose main city Abidjan is a West African haven for counterfeit... October 10th, 2018Tips on whistleblowing for healthcare workers
In broken healthcare systems, whistleblowing becomes an integral part of reporting on failures to deliver to the needs of the sick and... October 10th, 201826,000 NHS diabetic medication errors due to lack of specialist staff
Diabetic patients in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in the UK are being put at risk of serious harm or death as a lack of specialist staff... October 10th, 2018Gilead reduces price of amphotericin B for cryptococcal meningitis
Gilead Sciences have expanded their access initiative for AmBisome (a liposomal preparation of amphotericin B) to include cryptococcal meningitis,... October 10th, 2018HSF submits comments on the NHI and Medical Schemes Amendment Bills
Charles Simkins, head of research at the Helen Suzman Foundation writes in a brief that has accompanied the foundation’s submission to the National... October 10th, 2018Solidarity submits comments on NHI Bill
Trade union Solidarity has submitted thousands of comments on the National Health Insurance Bill (NHI) on behalf of everyone who expressed their... October 10th, 2018CARDIOLOGY
One-off DNA test could predict heart attack risk in childhood
People at high risk of a heart attack in adulthood could be spotted much earlier in life with a reasonably inexpensive, one-off DNA test, according to research funded, among others, by the British and Australian heart foundations.
research...
October 10th, 2018
HIV/AIDS
HIV risk behaviour research challenges stereotypical 'sugar daddy' image
The male partners of adolescent girls and young women in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and South Africa report substantial HIV risk behaviours, but the data also challenge the stereotypical image of a ‘sugar daddy’, say researchers at the... October 10th, 2018Efavirenz could increase neurological risk for unborn child
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a vital treatment that helps prevent a pregnant woman from passing HIV to her baby, but one type of ART medication may increase the risk that the child will develop a neurological condition, according to new research... October 10th, 2018Biktarvy is effective and safe for new HIV patients through to 96 weeks
A US study has underscored the role of Biktarvy as a first-line treatment option for appropriate adults living with HIV who are new to therapy. Biktarvy (bictegravir 50mg, emtricitabine 200mg, tenofovir alafenamide 25mg) was found to be... October 10th, 2018NEUROLOGY
Anti-epileptics linked to higher risk of stroke in Alzheimer's disease patients
Anti-epileptic drug use is associated with an increased risk of stroke among persons with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study from the University of Eastern Finland. The risk did not differ between old and new antiepileptic drugs. The... October 10th, 2018NUTRITION
Vitamin D supplements 'do nothing' to improve bone health
Vitamin D supplements do nothing for bone health and the UK government should ditch its advice that everyone should take them throughout the winter months, according to the authors of the biggest ever review of the evidence.
The findings...
October 10th, 2018
Mediterranean diet reduces stroke risk by 20% in women
Eating a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of stroke by more than 20% in women aged 40 or older, but it appears to have no significant impact on men’s risk, found a large UK analysis. Ancel and Margaret Keys, an American husband-and-wife... October 10th, 2018OPTHALMOLOGY
Mediterranean diet linked to 41% reduced risk of late-stage AMD
Data from two large studies shows that higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 41% reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Evidence is mounting that a poor diet plays an important role in the development...
October 10th, 2018
ORTHOPAEDIC
Following elective hip surgery, patients report new health problems
Up to two years following elective, arthroscopic hip surgery, a substantial proportion of US military patients reported troubling new health issues ranging from sleep problems, to arthritis to cardiovascular disease, found a Duke study. While such...
October 10th, 2018
PAEDIATRICS
Limiting children's screen time linked to better cognition
Children aged eight to 11 who used screens for fun for less than two hours a day performed better in tests of mental ability, a study found. Combining this with nine to 11 hours of sleep a night was found to be best for performance. Researchers... October 10th, 2018PUBLIC HEALTH
Vaccination and screening set to eliminate cervical cancer in Australia
Australia will become the first country to effectively eliminate cervical cancer if vaccination and screening rates are maintained, BBC News reports researchers say. The disease could be eradicated as a public health issue nationally within 20...
October 10th, 2018
Daily drinking associated with increased mortality risk
The minimum risk of low-level drinking frequency for all-cause mortality appears to be approximately three occasions weekly, according to a US analysis of two large data sets. The a study. Dr Sarah M. Hartz, from Washington University in St... October 10th, 2018REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Higher levels of stress in women lowers conception odds
A large North American analysis finds that higher levels of stress are associated with lower odds of conception for women, but not for men. In North America, 20% to 25% of women and 18% to 21% of men of reproductive age report daily... October 10th, 2018