OBJECTIVE To evaluate adherence to the South African guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and to determine whether adherence reduced length of hospital stay and mortality in patients with severe CAP. SETTING King Edward VIII Hospital, Durban. METHODS Four hundred and thirty patients with CAP were recruited between June 2000 and October 2001. Severity assessmen...

BACKGROUND Community Health Centers (CHCs) are important settings for obesity prevention and control. However, few studies have explored the barriers that CHC clinicians perceive their patients face in maintaining a healthy weight. METHODS Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with thirty physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners recruited from four Community Heal...

Researchers investigated the effectiveness of a home based early intervention on children’s bodymass index (BMI) at age 2 years. A randomised controlled superiority trial was used. The intervention consisted of eight home visits from specially trained community nurses in the first 24 months after birth; this was in addition to the usual childhood nursing service from community health service nu...