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Biomedical subjects

K Naidoo

Publications and source records attributed to K Naidoo.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Granuloma inguinale (donovanosis): an unusual cause of otitis media and mastoiditis in children.

Granuloma inguinale (donovanosis) is seen predominantly in adults (it rarely occurs in children) and mainly affects genital skin and mucosa. Infection occurs at other skin and mucosal sites, and hematogenous dissemination to bone also has been described. The infection responds dramatically to appropriate antibiotic treatment. We present two cases of granuloma inguinale occurring in children (8 months and 5 months of age) causing mastoiditis and external ear discharges. A temporal lobe abscess also developed in the 8-month-old child. Subsequent computed tomography scans showed marked improvement in the brain lesion after treatment. The second child had a polypoid mass in the middle ear that on biopsy showed the features of granuloma inguinale. The mother of this child had biopsy-proven granuloma inguinale of the uterine cervix. These cases indicate that granuloma inguinale can be transmitted during vaginal delivery, and careful cleansing of neonates born to infected mothers is recommended.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1997

Levels of health care at academic and regional hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the levels of health care based on hospital bed utilisation at seven academic and regional hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal. DESIGN: A prospective study. The registrar in charge of patients documented the level of care needed for each patient over 7 consecutive days. Independent assessment by consultants was used to validate the results. SETTING: All wards in public sector regional and tertiary hospitals with acute general beds in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, except intensive care, coronary care and respiratory units. PARTICIPANTS: All inpatients present in the wards. The response rate of wards participating in the study varied between hospitals from 32% to 75%. Data on 14,858 patient days were analysed. OUTCOME MEASURES: Inpatients were classified according to levels of care based on patient days. RESULTS: The proportion of patients in the tertiary (King Edward) and regional hospitals requiring levels of care below that for which the hospital was designated ranged from 54% to 72% of the patient days. Wentworth Hospital, which is a tertiary referral centre, had 30% of its patient days judged to be below the designated level. Patient days below the designated level of care for that hospital were significantly higher in tertiary than in regional hospitals (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: All seven hospitals admitted patients at levels of care below that for which the hospital was designated. These findings have important implications for the efficient utilisation and planning of health and hospital services, and for their evaluation and management.

Bed Occupancy↗
PubMed1987

Renal function in urinary schistosomiasis in the Natal Province of South Africa.

Renal function was assessed in 101 schoolchildren with active urinary schistosomiasis by measuring serum creatinine, urate, urea, and B2-microglobulin, urinary B2 microglobulin, and the glomerular filtration rate. Glomerular function in all subjects was normal as were serum creatinine, urate, and urea levels. Serum B2-microglobulin was elevated in only 8% of subjects while urinary B2-microglobulin only was raised in 7% of subjects, indicating proximal tubular dysfunction, a previously unreported feature in urinary schistosomiasis. Urinary tract abnormalities were found in 43% of subjects consenting to an excretory urogram but no correlation with biochemical parameters of renal function was noted. Serum angiotensin converting enzyme level measured in 70 subjects was elevated in 11% of subjects and was regarded as a possible measure of increased granulomatous activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Markers of hepatitis B in nurses and domestic staff in an area of high endemicity.

Results obtained in two sero-epidemiologic surveys of hospital personnel in Durban were collated to yield information on 423 nurses and 141 domestic staff. The prevalence of antibodies to HBV was 14.9 per cent in 101 white nurses, 52.5 per cent in 322 African nurses and 51.8 per cent in 141 African domestics. This represents a greater than eight times increase for white nurses and a 50 per cent increase for African nurses and domestics over that seen in the equivalent blood donor groups (P less than 0.001 in each case). Antibody prevalence increased with age for all three staff groups, as did the number of individuals exhibiting a marker pattern (HBcAb greater than HBsAb) suggestive of persisting infection. No white nurses but 14 (4.3 per cent) African nurses and 17 (12.1 per cent) African domestics were HBsAg positive, the antigenaemia in domestics representing a significant increase (P less than 0.001) over the 4.0 per cent seen in female African blood donors. Six of the nurses and two of the domestics were also HBeAg positive. African nurses in adult medical wards showed greatest exposure (57 per cent) closely followed by nurses working in outpatient departments (54 per cent) and as theatre staff (52 per cent). Lower exposure rates (40 per cent) were seen in paediatric and renal unit nurses. This contrasts with results obtained for doctors in the two surveys which indicated that while Indian and white doctors are at significantly higher risk in the African hospital, African doctors are not, and that doctors working in surgical and renal departments are at higher risk than doctors on adult medical wards.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Biochemical changes in black and Indian hypertensive patients on diuretic therapy.

Thirty-seven patients (19 Blacks and 18 Indians) suffering from mild hypertension were given each of five diuretics separately for 4 weeks after a 'washout' period on placebo of the same duration. The diuretics used were hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg/d (Dichlotride; Frosst MSD), hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg plus triamterene 50 mg (Dyazide; SKF) 1 tablet per day, amiloride hydrochloride 5 mg plus hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg (Moduretic; MSD) 1 tablet per day, chlorthalidone (Hygroton; Geigy) 50 mg/d and indapamide (Natrilix; Servier) 2.5 mg/d. The study showed that during the acute phase of diuretic therapy for the treatment of hypertension plasma potassium levels were decreased by thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics and increased by potassium-sparing diuretics. However, despite the decrease in plasma potassium levels produced by thiazide diuretics and indapamide these levels did not fall to 3.0 mmol/l or less. All the diuretics were effective in lowering the standing mean arterial pressure when compared with placebo values. In the absence of significant hypokalaemia, the choice of a diuretic for the Black hypertensive patient should therefore be determined by its cost.

Adult↗