Professional Nursing Today - Volume 14, Issue 2, March 2010

It seems that a large proportion of our population has taken leave of its collective sense as they fall ill with an emerging disease that is sweeping the nation. World Cup Fever, of which the South African variant is particularly virulent. Epidemiologists pinpoint the ground zero of the epidemic to Zurich, Switzerland in May 2004 when the successful South African bid was announced. Yes, you have got it right. It is an international disease and even the Americans have succumbed. Incubation varies but is thought to be four to six years. It lies dormant and when least expected it is triggered by a vuvuzela blasting in your ears which is followed by partial deafness and an insane desire either to get away from the noise or to contribute to it. You know you are beyond saving when you actually try to blow one. I was lost in February when I blew my first vuvuzela. My flip from hating (because of the ear-splitting noise and hearing impairment) to euphoria was as complete as it was swift. I have even been known to blow it in the middle of the night to celebrate the most mundane event like when the garbage was finally collected by the formerly striking municipal workers in the middle of the night. They acknowledged by tooting back much to the annoyance of the neighbours. That is just what I mean by the insanity.

We are delighted to report that the 2010 Forum for Professional Nurse Leaders Conference was a resounding success! The evaluation forms and comments received from exhibitors, speakers and delegates certainly say so.The programme had something for each of us and for the creative, and perhaps bored, the Lego blocks on the tables provided ample opportunity for us to keep busy.

Patients suffering from colds and flu may experience a number of different symptoms. As no single active ingredient is likely to address all the symptoms, multi-ingredient preparations are frequently used. On the other hand, the patient may not need all the different ingredients in a multi-ingredient product. So, how should the most appropriate product be selected?

Many childhood illnesses present with fever and a rash. In most cases the cause is infectious, but rheumatological diseases and drug reactions may also present with fever and a rash. With some clinical experience and core knowledge of the incubation period, symptoms and signs of the common childhood infectious diseases, it is possible to differentiate between most of the skin rashes associated with these and life threatening conditions.

Many conditions within the oral cavity require the use of a mouthwash. This can vary from breath fresheners to treatment of life threatening secondary infections such as oral mucositis in patients undergoing bone marrow transplant therapy. The use of mouthwashes requires a correct diagnosis of the oral condition and a thorough knowledge of the product in question to achieve effective treatment. It is the objective of this review to help health care workers in South Africa make the correct choice of treatment when dealing with diverse conditions of the oral cavity.

Wound management has many challenges and these challenges are certainly becoming more and more complex. There is also an increasing acknowledgement that pain is a major issue for patients suffering from many different wound types. The role of pain has only been acknowledged recently through the publication of International documents from the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) and the World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS).

Hospitalisation, infection prevention and control measures add up the financial costs to the consumer, and the risk of nosocomial or health care acquired infection for the facility. By applying aseptic infection control principles and developing procedures from them, the overall cost-to-benefit ratio can be improved for all.

The objectives of the study were to determine men's attitude and knowledge of contraceptives and to identify their willingness to share responsibility for contraception with their partners. The setting was a rural community in South Africa with access to contraceptives. The study was qualitative, using focus group discussions with adult men as participants. Findings showed that men were aware of both modern and indigenous contraceptive methods but had a negative attitude towards the use of modern methods. Some participants indicated a preference for indigenous methods which they regarded as natural over modern methods which involved the use of pharmaceutical substances. Some participants were found to be unwilling to share responsibilities for contraception with their partners although a few showed a willingness to involve them in the decisions. The findings point out challenges and opportunities facing reproductive health services providers in involving men as equal partners in reproductive health matters.

Breastmilk is the "gold standard" in infant feeding, both in composition and in the physiologic effects closely tied to its composition. It is established as a perfect food for term infants and is confirmed as the sole source of nutrition for the vast majority of infants for approximately the first 6 months of life.

Chronic constipation continues to be one of the most frequent complaints in paediatric practices. Despite ongoing research, chronic constipation remains a challenging affliction for infants and children, their families and healthcare providers and is associated with significant emotional and economic burden for both the children and the caregivers.

Tuesday 11 May 2010. Medicine has come a long way since the Hippocratic Oath was created in the fourth century BC. Yet despite the many medical discoveries and changes, there is one aspect of medicine that has always remained constant - the dedicated, compassionate care of the nurse.

Johannesburg, Thursday, 27 May 2010 - It has been 21 years since Netcare Garden City Hospital's Maternity Ward first started delivering babies, and its doctors and nurses have seen many a generation born there.

With winter imminent, colds and flu will once again become a regular problem as every year, millions of people world-wide suffer from flu (influenza) and colds. Mostly fever, exhaustion, and aches and pains of flu can be debilitating for a week or two, but for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems flu can be far more serious and even life threatening.

Based on the success of their Second Food Tastes of Africa jarred range aimed at babies from 7 months, Purity, The Baby Feeding Experts, are now extending this range by bringing out new Third Food variants that cater for older babies from 8 months.

We are pleased to announce the launch of Pre-Natal SR.