In Case You Missed It
Explore a curated roundup of this week's articles, offering deep insights into the latest medical and healthcare advancements.
General
Measles cases surge worldwide, infecting 10.3 million people in 2023
14 November 2024 | Atlanta / Geneva – Worldwide, there were an estimated 10.3 million cases of measles in 2023, a 20% increase from 2022, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Inadequate immunization coverage globally is driving the surge in cases.
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Climate change, extreme heat and heat waves
Climate change has resulted in sub-Saharan Africa being subjected to frequent and intense extremes in climate over the past few decades. Temperatures are expected to rise faster over southern Africa. Areas of the southwestern region, especially in South Africa (SA) and parts of Namibia and Botswana, are expected to experience the greatest temperature increases.
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Pharmacy
Dry eye disease: a comprehensive overview for pharmacists
The tear film, which provides moisture and protection to the eyes with each blink, can be compromised by various conditions, leading to ocular discomfort such as dry eyes. Individuals presenting with symptoms of dry eyes in a pharmacy setting, are often recommended lubricating eye drops as a first-line treatment. However, incorporating nutritional interventions may offer additional support and complement the effectiveness of standard therapies.
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An update on vitamin and mineral supplementation: is it essential
Multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplements are among the most popular dietary supplements worldwide, often marketed as a simple solution to enhance overall health, fill nutritional gaps in the diet and prevent deficiencies. With a staggering variety of options available, one might wonder: Are MVMs really essential for everyone?
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Stepping up: a pharmacist’s role in managing diabetes and foot ulcers
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a significant global health problem, with over 537 million adults affected in 2021. A crucial complication of DM is diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), which result from nerve damage and impaired circulation, leading to loss of function and high medical costs. The role of pharmacists in managing diabetes and DFUs has evolved from strictly dispensing medication to being healthcare providers that are actively involved in patient education on glycaemic control, wound care strategies, and promotion of medication adherence. Treatment of DFUs is mainly focused on maintaining a moist wound environment, preventing infection and pressure offloading. This article highlights the essential role of pharmacists in a multidisciplinary healthcare team to enhance patient outcomes by applying their expertise to reduce diabetes-related complications such as DFUs.
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General Medicine
Management of Cough: a practical approach
On a regular day, healthcare providers will be contacted by one or more health seekers presenting with cough as a symptom. Cough has been considered an important physiological reflex that protects the airways from aspiration of foreign materials. Cough is one of the most common symptoms for which people seek medical attention from their healthcare practitioners. The common classifications for cough include acute, subacute and chronic cough. Such classification is time dependant. Acute cough is generally self-limiting, while subacute and chronic coughs have various different causes. There are many different causes of cough, and the common causes of persistent coughs include: upper airway cough syndrome, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and even pharmacological therapy. There are other important causes of chronic cough especially in the Southern African region that include: pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), environmental diseases, and others, which will not be covered by this article. Management of subacute and chronic coughs should be individualised according to their cause. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest acute coughs need to be treated. Moreover, there is poor evidence to recommend the use of over the counter (OTC) cough syrups in the management of acute coughs.
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Dentistry
Topical silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for preventing and managing dental caries in children and adults
Dental caries is the world's most prevalent disease. Untreated caries can cause pain and negatively impact psychosocial health, functioning, and nutrition. It is important to identify cost‐effective, easy‐to‐use agents, which can prevent or arrest caries. This review evaluates silver diamine fluoride (SDF).
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