Helicobacter pylori is a highly prevalent curved gram-negative bacterium. Seropositivity rates in South-Africa range between 60% and 100%. It causes more than 90% of duodenal ulcers and up to 80% of gastric ulcers. Atrophic gastritis due to H. pylori can lead to gastric cancer.... Read more
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly infectious disease of the respiratory tract. Bordetella pertussis is classically regarded as the sole agent of pertussis. However, infection with other Bordetella species, such as B. parapertussis and B. holmesii, can cause a similar, though typically milder, clinical picture.... Read more
Clinicians are faced with a growing population of immuno-compromised patients who are at risk of systemic infections. The diagnosis of bacterial septicaemia is unfortunately not straightforward. Positive blood cultures remain the gold standard.... Read more
The frozen section technique has evolved and has improved immensely from 1818, when Dutch anatomist Pieter de Reimer utilised cold brine (salt water) to harden tissues, until 1895, when Thomas Cullen, MD, published the first written frozen section technique from Johns Hopkins.... Read more
The urine lipoarabinomannan test (U-lam) has been marketed as an adjunct diagnostic modality in HIV-infected patients with severe immunosuppression. The test detects a cell wall component of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium that is excreted in urine. The lateral flow test format of the test (Determine TM TB-LAM Ag test) is rapid and can be performed directly on urine.... Read more
Dr Tom Frieden, Director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, has called carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) “nightmare bacteria”. CRE emerged in South Africa in 2011 when the first cases of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) were described.... Read more
It is important that healthcare workers (HCWs) know the steps to follow when an accidental exposure to infectious bodily fluids occurs. Viruses that can be transmitted after occupational exposure to potentially infectious bodily fluids include HIV.... Read more
The majority of antibiotic prescriptions for systemic use are prescribed in the outpatient setting with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) being the most common indication, followed by urinary tract infections (UTIs). In fact, general practitioners (GPs) prescribe approximately 80% of all antibiotics,... Read more
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is defined as abnormalities of kidney structure or function, present for longer than three months, with implications for health.... Read more
The repertoire of laboratory tests related to COVID-19 has expanded since the first appearance of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019. This guide provides an update on the latest Ampath COVID-19 tests (as of March 2021), including the appropriate indications for use.... Read more
Diagnostic testing plays a critical role in the strategy to prevent COVID-19. While nucleic acid amplification tests such as the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the gold standard reference method to detect SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), these assays are generally expensive and usually require laboratory facilities, mostly with longer turnaround times. There is an ever-growing need for faster and more cost effective diagnosis tests that can be performed near the individual being tested.... Read more
Several developments have occurred since the authorisation and introduction of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) antibody tests in South Africa in August 2020. This AmpathChat provides an update on the latest COVID-19 antibody tests available at Ampath as of November 2021 in order to guide testing.... Read more