Tropical Doctor 

About: Tropical Doctor is an academic journal published by SAGE Publishing. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 0049-4755. Over the lifetime, 4556 publications have been published receiving 33606 citations.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Abstract: 1.1. National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in South East Asia (SEANS) are auxiliaries to their governments1. All SEANS have Red Cross and Red Crescent laws or decrees and are recognized and appreciated by their Governments who are member states to ASEAN2 . SEANS are working together with National Disaster Management Organisations (NDMOs) and line Ministries. They are key providers of disaster risk management, health and water and sanitation and promote social inclusion, peace and stability. SEANS are working with communities, and multiply their impact with the support of volunteers and youth. The IFRC, the international organization in which SEANS, together with all other NS around the globe (altogether 190 member NS) are united, has established relationships with ASEAN bodies and organs. The IFRC has been engaging in disaster risk management training and research, participates together with the SEANS in simulation exercises, has an agreed work plan with the AHA Centre, supports ERAT trainings and is connecting to priority programmes of AADMER. The IFRC and SEANS also participate in and contribute to several priority areas of sectoral ASEAN strategies and in a number of working groups of ASEAN member states (youth, climate change, health, social inclusion, among others).

Vision 2020--the Right to Sight.

Abstract: The available data suggests that there were approximately 50 million blind people in the world in the year 2000. The majority live in Asia and Africa. Each year about 8 million people become blind and it is estimated that around 6 million people who are blind die each year. The result is a net increase of 1-2 million blind people per year partly due to an increasing and ageing population. Approximately 50% of all blindness is due to cataract, 15% due to trachoma, up to 10% due to uncorrected refractive errors, 4% due to blindness in children and 1% -due to onchocerciasis. These five conditions cause up to 80% of the world's blindness. The remaining 20% is caused by a variety of causes including glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy (Table I). Blindness is an increasing problem causing loss of quality oflife to the individual and is an economic burden to the individual, the family and to society in general.

Deaths associated with anaesthesia in Togo, West Africa

Abstract: This study attempts to determine the anaesthetic death rate, the causes of deaths and the avoidable mortality rate (AMR) in consecutive cases. The number of anaesthetics given was 1464: 30 cases died within 24 h. The incidence of 24-h perioperative deaths per 100 anaesthetics was 2.57. In all, 50% of deaths were observed in obstetric surgery; 47% of deaths were associated with cardiovascular management, 30% with respiratory management; 93% of deaths were identified as avoidable. The AMR was 1.5% (anaesthetic AMR: 0.75%, administrative AMR: 0.68%, surgical AMR: 0.07%). Insufficient or no blood available is the only factor for administrative AMR.

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: Experiences at King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban, South Africa and a Review of the Literature:

Abstract: The clinical profile of patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PP-CMO) seen in the patient population in Durban, South Africa, is documented. Parameters such as age, multiparity, time of presentation and the role of hypertension in PP-CMO were evaluated. The study comprised 97 patients seen over a 4 year period. Group 1 (n = 63), had a good outcome at follow-up and group II (n = 34), had an adverse outcome, namely: persistently severe symptoms New York Hospital Association, Class III/IV; major thromboembolic complications; or a fatal outcome. These results confirm that PP-CMO is more likely to occur in the older and multiparous female. Increasing age and multiparity did not adversely affect outcome. Eighteen per cent of the study group were primiparous, and a third of these had an adverse outcome. Late presentation of symptoms (after 1 month postpartum) tended to favour an adverse outcome (P = 0.06). Fifteen of the 19 patients with complete obstetric records had antenatal hypertension: in nine blood pre...

Scrub typhus: an unrecognized threat in South India - clinical profile and predictors of mortality.

Abstract: Scrub typhus is an important cause of acute undifferentiated febrile illnesses in the Indian subcontinent. Delay in diagnosis and in the initiation of appropriate treatment can result in severe complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), septic shock and multisystem organ failure culminating in death. We conducted a prospective, observational study to delineate the clinical profile and predictors of mortality in scrub typhus in adults admitted to the medical wards of a tertiary care, referral hospital in South India over a one-year period. The case fatality rate in this study was 12.2%. Metabolic acidosis (odds ratio [OR] 6.1), ARDS (OR 3.6), altered sensorium (OR 3.6) and shock (OR 3.1) were independent predictors of mortality. It appears that scrub typhus has four possible overlapping clinical presentations: mild disease; respiratory predominant disease; central nervous system predominant disease (meningoencephalitis); or sepsis syndrome. Given the telltale presence of an eschar (evident in 45.5%), the characteristic clinical profile and the dramatic therapeutic response to a cheap, yet effective, drug such as doxycycline, medical practitioners in the region should have ample opportunity to reach an early diagnosis and initiate treatment which could, potentially, reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with scrub typhus.