All posts by : Felistas

Giving a P2Y12 inhibitor anti-clotting drug to patients with coronary artery disease is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke compared with traditional aspirin, with no increased risk of major bleeding, finds a study published by The BMJ.

A baby’s makeup of gut bacteria—their microbiome—which starts to form as soon as they are born, could help protect against viral infections later in childhood, a new study suggests.

The sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor drug dapagliflozin, widely used to treat type 2 diabetes, also shows improvements for patients with progressive liver disease, finds a clinical trial from China published by The BMJ.

THE Catholic Church in Mansa has rejected President Hakainde Hichilema’s K800, 000 donation as well as 200 bags of 25Kg of mealie meal from Peter Kapala, the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries on grounds that the gifts were imbued with partisan political overtones. Mansa Diocese Vicar General Fr Felix Chifumbe has disclosed that President Hichilema […]

MUKWIMA CHILALA A MEETING between Resident Doctors and the Ministry of Health yesterday ended in a deadlock after both parties failed to agree over the demands of the unemployed doctors, who have been volunteering their services in saving people’s lives. And the Resident Doctors Association of Zambia (RDAZ) has maintained its decision to withdraw volunteering […]

The largest diphtheria outbreak to strike Western Europe in 70 years has been affecting vulnerable people such as migrants and the homeless since 2022, new research said Wednesday.

New research from medical students and faculty members associated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado State University finds that college football players experience higher rates of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) than the general population.

This fall, researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington will launch an ambitious study to explore how teens’ everyday experiences on social media may shape their mental health and potential substance use.

GRACE CHAILE

A FORENSIC ballistic expert has ruled out the possibility that former Zambia Air Force Commander, Lieutenant General Ronald Shikapwasha, shot himself.

Testifying before the Lusaka High Court, Inspector Isaac Kalimanshila said ballistic and forensic evidence strongly indicated that the fatal shot came from another person and not self-inflicted.

Shikapwasha was allegedly shot on January 14, 2024, between 17:00 hours and 18:00 hours at his Ibex Hill residence using a Spanish-made double-barrel shotgun, serial number 168462. He sustained a gunshot wound to the left side of the abdomen and died the following day at Maina Soko Military Hospital.

Inspector Kalimanshila stated that based on the entry wound and damage to the victim’s clothing, the shot was fired from a distance of 5 to 30 centimeters,a range classified as “close contact,” where the muzzle is not touching the skin but is in very close proximity.

“No gunshot residue or stippling was observed on the victim’s clothing or skin, which rules out a contact shot,” he testified. “The angle and nature of the wound, combined with bullet trajectory analysis, make it implausible that the deceased could have pulled the trigger on himself.”

The expert said a torn white T-shirt worn by the deceased had a triangular hole consistent with a shot fired from left to right. Gunshot residue fluoresced around the hole under ultraviolet light, further supporting the trajectory analysis.

Kalimanshila said 21 lead pellets were retrieved eight during surgery and 13 during the postmortem. These matched the calibre and characteristics of the double-barrel firearm, which he confirmed was in perfect working condition.

He explained that the gun, designed to discharge 18.5mm cartridges, has two triggers for each barrel. Test firings confirmed that the spent cartridge casing from the scene had matching firing pin marks with the right barrel of the exhibit firearm.

“No fingerprints or gunshot residue were recovered from the firearm or garments due to possible contamination or environmental exposure,” he said.

He concluded that the fatal wound was caused by a single shot from the right barrel of the shotgun fired at close range, and that the weapon is classified as a dangerous and restricted firearm under Zambian law..

At the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine (CARSM), at Montreal’s Sacré-Coeur Hospital, Université de Montréal medical professor Shady Rahayel sees many patients with RBD.