Staff attitudes and services provided by community-based organizations for alcohol and other drug users in Cape Town,South Africa: Implications for training and education

Aims: The aims of this study were: (i) to describe the nature of and the extent to which community-based organizations (CBOs) in Cape Town provide services to people who have alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems; (ii) to examine the relationship between CBOs’ attitudes towards individuals with AOD problems and the types of services provided; and (iii) to compare CBOs’ attitudes towards alcohol- and drug-using clients. Method: A cross-sectional survey of 51 health and social welfare CBOs in Cape Town, South Africa. Results: A high proportion of clients served at CBOs have alcohol- and drug-related problems. Findings suggest that CBOs may be more accessible to poor black South Africans and women than traditional AOD treatment centres. CBOs that hold more positive attitudes towards AOD-using clients tend to provide more AOD-related services and serve more clients with AOD-related problems. Findings also indicate that CBOs’ attitudes are more positive towards alcohol users than towards drug users. Conclusions: This study highlights the important role that CBOs play in the delivery of services for people with AOD-related problems in South Africa. It also reveals the need to increase capacity among the agencies via training and education.     

Does rheumatic myocarditis really exists? Systematic study with echocardiography and cardiac troponin I blood levels.

AIMS: Revised guidelines for diagnosis of rheumatic fever indicate that rheumatic myocarditis may 'contribute' to the genesis of congestive heart failure. Our objective was to assess non-invasively the presence of non-clinical markers of myocardial involvement in acute rheumatic fever. METHODS: Echocardiography and assessment of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) blood levels were systematically performed in 95 consecutive patients with acute rheumatic fever, who were divided into three groups. Group 1: patients without carditis (n=22); group 2: patients with carditis and without congestive heart failure (n=59); group 3: patients with carditis and congestive heart failure (n=14). RESULTS: Left ventricular ejection fraction was normal in all patients and did not differ between groups (group 1: 0.72+/-0.08, group 2: 0.69+/-0.06, and group 3: 0.66+/-0.07, p=0.09). Left ventricular diameters tend to be larger in group 3, but all patients had severe mitral and/or aortic regurgitation. Mean cTnI was 0.077+/-0.017 ng/ml (normal <0.1 ng/ml), did not differ between groups (p=0.45), and only 13 patients (seven with pericardial effusion) had detectable levels (0.2-0.4 ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS: Our study neither detected cTnI elevations nor echocardiographic abnormalities suggesting significant myocardial involvement during rheumatic fever. Congestive heart failure was always associated to severe valve regurgitation.     

Molecular markers in prognosis of colorectal cancer and prediction of response to treatment

Colorectal cancer is the third most common human malignancy. Direct observation and biopsy sampling by colonoscopy have provided unique opportunities to study the natural history of the disease. As a consequence, advances in the understanding of colorectal cancer pathogenesis have evolved more rapidly than with most other solid tumours. Numerous molecular events arising during the development of colorectal cancer have been sorted out over the past two decades. Despite these advances, predicting outcome and response to therapy is still a major challenge in the management of patients with colorectal cancer. Molecular and biochemical markers of colorectal cancer are greatly needed for diagnosis and prognosis as well as for the selection and monitoring of treatments. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a critical assessment of the usefulness of markers in the prognosis and prediction of response to treatment in colorectal cancer.     

Acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis in children of French Polynesia: a 3-year retrospective study

The aim of this study was to define the current demographic, clinical and prognostic characteristics of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) in French Polynesia and to compare these features with those of other populations. Fifty children, all of whom were <15 years old and had been admitted to the Territorial Hospital of Papeete for APSGN between January 2005 and December 2007, were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Diagnostic criteria were microscopic or macroscopic haematuria, decreased C3 fraction of the complement and evidence of recent streptococcal infection. The annual incidence was 18 cases per 100,000 children <15 years of age in 2007. Most of the children (98%) enrolled in the study were of Polynesian ethnic origin, 27 were male (54%), and the average age at presentation was 6.7 years. Signs of previous respiratory infections were clearly evident in 40% of the children. Most of the patients presented during the rainy season, correlating with the relatively high incidence of skin infections at this time. The majority of patients had proteinuria (98%), with 25% having proteinuria in the nephrotic range (proteinuria/urinary creatinine >3 g/g). The presentation was severe in 22% of the children (congestive cardiac failure, severe hypertension and/or encephalopathy), and renal failure was an initial presenting symptom in 43.7%. The C3 fraction was lower in severe presentations, but the type of haematuria, level of proteinuria and inflammatory syndrome were not correlated with immediate severe forms or with initial renal failure. Haematuria resolved in a mean of 7.7 months and proteinuria in a mean of 3.9 months. None of the children had hypocomplementemia for more than 8 weeks. Acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis is endemic among French Polynesians, and they can be considered to be a high-risk population. Despite a high incidence of skin infections, however, the predominance of respiratory infections potentially indicates that French Polynesia is on the way to become a low-incidence area. Systematic detection and treatment of group A Streptococcus should be intensified.