Guy A. Richards
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View article: Pulmonary manifestations of long COVID in Johannesburg, South Africa
Pulmonary manifestations of long COVID in Johannesburg, South Africa Open
Background: There are few studies of long coronavirus disease (COVID) in low- and middle-income countries. Objectives: This study investigated long-term pulmonary manifestations of long COVID among adults in Johannesburg, South Africa. Met…
View article: Effects of Anti-Pseudomonal Agents, Individually and in Combination, With or Without Clarithromycin, on Growth and Biofilm Formation by Antibiotic-Susceptible and -Resistant Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the Impact of Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Condensate
Effects of Anti-Pseudomonal Agents, Individually and in Combination, With or Without Clarithromycin, on Growth and Biofilm Formation by Antibiotic-Susceptible and -Resistant Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the Impact of Exposure to Cigarette Smoke Condensate Open
Background/Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Psa) can circumvent antimicrobial chemotherapy, an ability enhanced by cigarette smoking (CS). This study probed potential benefits of combinations of anti-pseudomonal agents, and potential au…
View article: Erratum: Allergic rhinitis: Review of the diagnosis and management: South African Allergic Rhinitis Working Group
Erratum: Allergic rhinitis: Review of the diagnosis and management: South African Allergic Rhinitis Working Group Open
No abstract available.
View article: Muscle ultrasound: a reliable bedside tool for dietitians to monitor muscle mass
Muscle ultrasound: a reliable bedside tool for dietitians to monitor muscle mass Open
Objectives: Monitoring muscle mass (cross-sectional area [CSA]) and quality (echogenicity) using ultrasound may help optimise nutrition support in the critically ill. However, to date, ultrasound imaging has not been included in the underg…
View article: Limitations of life-sustaining therapies in South Africa
Limitations of life-sustaining therapies in South Africa Open
Withholding was more common than withdrawing treatment both in SA and worldwide, although both were significantly less frequent in SA compared with the world average.
View article: Diagnostic yield and complications of flexible bronchoscopy performed at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg academic hospital: A 5 year restrospective study
Diagnostic yield and complications of flexible bronchoscopy performed at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg academic hospital: A 5 year restrospective study Open
Objectives: There is a high incidence of lung diseases but very little data in South Africa relating to bronchoscopy practice. The objectives of the study are to determine the diagnostic yield, indications, and complications as well as det…
View article: The Incidence of Fungal Infections in Patients Treated with Tocilizumab for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia Requiring High Care or ICU Admission: A Retrospective Cohort Study
The Incidence of Fungal Infections in Patients Treated with Tocilizumab for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia Requiring High Care or ICU Admission: A Retrospective Cohort Study Open
Background: Critically ill COVID-19 patients often experience immune dysregulation, leading to cytokine release syndrome and an increased susceptibility to nosocomial infections, including invasive fungal infections. Early detection and tr…
View article: Core competencies in critical care for general medical practitioners in South Africa: A Delphi study
Core competencies in critical care for general medical practitioners in South Africa: A Delphi study Open
Background. Despite a high burden of disease that requires critical care services, there are a limited number of intensivists in South Africa (SA). Medical practitioners at district and regional public sector hospitals frequently manage cr…
View article: Allergic rhinitis: Review of the diagnosis and management: South African Allergic Rhinitis Working Group
Allergic rhinitis: Review of the diagnosis and management: South African Allergic Rhinitis Working Group Open
Allergic rhinitis causes significant, often unappreciated, morbidity. It is a complex disease related to an inflammatory response to environmental allergens. Therapy involves education, evaluation of allergen sensitisation, pharmacological…
View article: Peri-operative pharmacokinetics of cefazolin prophylaxis during valve replacement surgery
Peri-operative pharmacokinetics of cefazolin prophylaxis during valve replacement surgery Open
Objective There is little prospective data to guide effective dosing for antibiotic prophylaxis during surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We aim to describe the effects of CPB on the population pharmacokinetics (PK) of total a…
View article: Comparison of the effects of electronic cigarette vapours and tobacco smoke extracts on human neutrophils<i>in vitro</i>
Comparison of the effects of electronic cigarette vapours and tobacco smoke extracts on human neutrophils<i>in vitro</i> Open
Background Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are electronic aerosol delivery systems composed of nicotine and various chemicals, which are widely used to facilitate smoking cessation. Although ECs are considered safer than cigarettes, they do, h…
View article: Best practices: Appropriate use of the new β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftolozane-tazobactam in South Africa
Best practices: Appropriate use of the new β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, ceftazidime-avibactam and ceftolozane-tazobactam in South Africa Open
Antibiotic stewardship of hospital-acquired infections because of difficult-to-treat resistant (DTR) Gram-negative bacteria is a global challenge. Their increasing prevalence in South Africa has required a shift in prescribing in recent ye…
View article: The optimal management of the patient with COVID‐19 pneumonia: HFNC, NIV/CPAP or mechanical ventilation?
The optimal management of the patient with COVID‐19 pneumonia: HFNC, NIV/CPAP or mechanical ventilation? Open
The recent pandemic has seen unprecedented demand for respiratory support of patients with COVID‐19 pneumonia, stretching services and clinicians. Yet despite the global numbers of patients treated, guidance is not clear on the correct cho…
View article: Antimicrobial Stewardship: Leveraging the “Butterfly Effect” of Hand Hygiene
Antimicrobial Stewardship: Leveraging the “Butterfly Effect” of Hand Hygiene Open
It is vital that there are coordinated, collaborative efforts to address the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to prevent and control the spread of hospital-onset infections, particularly those due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) p…
View article: A comprehensive overview of pneumococcal vaccination recommendations for adults in South Africa, 2022
A comprehensive overview of pneumococcal vaccination recommendations for adults in South Africa, 2022 Open
Pneumococcal infections remain a common global cause of significant morbidity and mortality. The first recommendations for adult pneumococcal vaccination, published in South Africa in 1999, contained information only on the 23-valent polys…
View article: Nutritional support practices at an intensive care unit in Johannesburg, South Africa
Nutritional support practices at an intensive care unit in Johannesburg, South Africa Open
Objectives: Nutritional support is a fundamental component of holistic patient care in the intensive care unit (ICU). There is a paucity of local data pertaining to nutritional support practices at ICUs in South Africa. The aim of this stu…
View article: POS-035 RISK FACTORS AND OUTCOMES OF SEPSIS ASSOCIATED ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS IN SOUTH AFRICA
POS-035 RISK FACTORS AND OUTCOMES OF SEPSIS ASSOCIATED ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS IN SOUTH AFRICA Open
Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) has been shown to cause a high burden of morbidity and mortality in both children and adults with severe illness globally. This study investigated associated risk factors of SA-AKI and predict…
View article: Hearing the voices of COVID-19 survivors
Hearing the voices of COVID-19 survivors Open
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View article: A position statement and practical guide to the use of particulate filtering facepiece respirators (N95, FFP2, or equivalent) for South African health workers exposed to respiratory pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2
A position statement and practical guide to the use of particulate filtering facepiece respirators (N95, FFP2, or equivalent) for South African health workers exposed to respiratory pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2 Open
Summary Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is transmitted mainly by aerosol in particles <10 µm that can remain suspended for hours before being inhaled. Because particulate filtering facepiece respirators (‘respi…
View article: Medication Errors at a Tertiary Hospital Intensive Care Unit
Medication Errors at a Tertiary Hospital Intensive Care Unit Open
Background The intensive care unit (ICU) generates more medication prescriptions per patient day than any other unit in the hospital. The dynamics of the ICU environment, coupled with the complexity of patient pathology, increases the risk…
View article: Epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile in South Africa
Epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile in South Africa Open
Background Clostridioides difficile (CD) is the most common healthcare-associated enteric infection. There is currently limited epidemiological evidence on CD incidence in South Africa. Aim To estimate the burden of CD infection (CDI) in t…
View article: A position statement and practical guide to the use of particulate filtering facepiece respirators (N95, FFP2, or equivalent) for South African health workers exposed to respiratory pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2
A position statement and practical guide to the use of particulate filtering facepiece respirators (N95, FFP2, or equivalent) for South African health workers exposed to respiratory pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2 Open
Sustained improvements in infection prevention and control (IPC) require reorganisation of systems to prioritise HW and patient safety. While this will take time, it is unacceptable to leave HWs exposed until such changes are made. We prop…
View article: The impact of routine pulse oximetry use on outcomes in COVID-19-infected patients at increased risk of severe disease: A retrospective cohort analysis
The impact of routine pulse oximetry use on outcomes in COVID-19-infected patients at increased risk of severe disease: A retrospective cohort analysis Open
The phenomenon of silent hypoxaemia has been described in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, which is characterised by low oxygen saturation levels of <90% in those who appear clinically well and do not show signs of significant respiratory…
View article: A position statement and practical guide to the use of particulate filtering facepiece (N95, FFP2, or equivalent) respirators for South African health care workers exposed to respiratory pathogens including M. tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2
A position statement and practical guide to the use of particulate filtering facepiece (N95, FFP2, or equivalent) respirators for South African health care workers exposed to respiratory pathogens including M. tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2 Open
Executive summaryInitial recommendations for protecting health care workers (HCWs) against COVID-19 were based on an early and incomplete understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission; namely, t…
View article: Is there a role for melatonin in the intensive care unit?
Is there a role for melatonin in the intensive care unit? Open
This review examines and discusses the role of melatonin in the intensive care unit in terms of sleep, delirium and sepsis, both the physiology and as a therapy.
View article: Antiretroviral therapy non-adherence among HIV-positive patients presenting to an emergency department in Johannesburg, South Africa: Associations and reasons
Antiretroviral therapy non-adherence among HIV-positive patients presenting to an emergency department in Johannesburg, South Africa: Associations and reasons Open
Of HIV-positive patients presenting to the ED, a high proportion were either not yet initiated on ART or ART non-adherent. HIV programmes should focus on HIV-positive ED attendees with the aim of identifying high-risk patients and providin…
View article: Lymphopenia and IgG2 subclass deficiency in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia
Lymphopenia and IgG2 subclass deficiency in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia Open
These findings suggest that lymphopenia, low IgG2 concentrations or the combination of both may be used to identify patients with severe COVID-19 that are at increased risk for MV. This may facilitate earlier identification of patients at …