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Hello

Welcome to my space where I share my journey in clinical research, the projects I am involved in and the work I am passionate about. I am Christella Alphonsus, an anaesthesiologist and clinical researcher living in Cape Town, South Africa.

I received my Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town in 2023. My thesis explores the utility of cardiac biomarkers in perioperative risk stratification and optimisation in noncardiac surgical patients. I lead the Perioperative Cardiovascular Research Group whose mission is to advance surgical outcomes and quality of life through improved perioperative cardiovascular care. I am also a member of the Global Surgery Division, University of Cape Town and the Sub-Saharan African Patient Blood Management Group.

Proudly, I have received the emerging researcher award from the University of Cape Town and research grants from the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists and South African Medical Association.

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PhD: PREOPERATIVE TESTING AND MEDICAL THERAPY INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE PERIOPERATIVE OUTCOMES IN NONCARDIAC SURGICAL PATIENTS

Publications

  1. Natriuretic peptide-directed medical therapy: a systematic review. CS. Alphonsus, P Govender, RN Rodseth, BM Biccard.  Perioperative Medicine. 2020 9:5.doi: 10.1186/s13741-019-0134-y.

  2. A prospective observational study of preoperative natriuretic peptide testing in adult non-cardiac surgical patients in Western Cape hospitals. CS Alphonsus et.al. S Afr Med J 2021;111(4):338-342.

  3. Towards the quantification of perioperative cardiovascular risk in the African context, a sub-analysis of the SASOS and ASOS studies. CS Alphonsus et.al. S Afr Med J 2021;111(11):1065-1069.

  4. South African cardiovascular risk stratification guideline for non-cardiac surgery. CS Alphonsus et.al. S Afr Med J. 2021 Oct;111(10b)

  5. Perioperative Outcomes and Cardiovascular Research on the African Continent. CS Alphonsus, J Swanevelder, BM Biccard. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2022  Jun;36(6):1522-1525.

  6. Bleeding and Tranexamic Acid in Patients Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery. CS Alphonsus, J Swanevelder, BM Biccard. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2022; 36: 3727-9

  7. Blood transfusion related to procedure in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. South Afr J Anaesth Analg. 2020. 26(2):91-98

  8. Development of a Clinical Prediction Model for In-hospital Mortality from the South African Cohort of the African Surgical Outcomes Study. World J Surg. 2020 Oct 30.

  9. Innovation in low-cost videolaryngoscopy: Intubator V1-Indirect compared with Storz C-Mac in a simulated difficult airway. Hofmeyr R, Alphonsus C, de Villiers C, Eave D. Abstracts/Trends in Anaesthesia and Critical Care 2020;30: e1-192.

  10. Restrictive versus liberal transfusion in patients with diabetes undergoing cardiac surgery: An open-label, randomized, blinded outcome evaluation trial. Mistry N, Shehata N, Carmona P, Bolliger D, Hu R, Carrier FM, Alphonsus CS, Tseng EE, Royse AG, Royse C, Filipescu D, Mehta C, Saha T, Villar JC, Gregory AJ, Wijeysundera DN, Thorpe KE, Jüni P, Hare GMT, Ko DT, Verma S, Mazer CD; TRICS Investigators. Diabetes Obes Metab.2021 Nov 7. doi: 10.1111/dom.14591.

  11. An Evaluation of Severe Anesthetic-Related Critical Incidents and Risks From the South African Paediatric Surgical Outcomes Study: A 14-Day Prospective, Observational Cohort Study of Pediatric Surgical Patients. Cronjé L, Torborg AM, Meyer HM, Bhettay AZ, Diedericks JBJS, Cilliers C, Kluyts HL, Mrara B, Kalipa MN, Cloete E, Burke A, Mogane PN, Alphonsus CS, Mbeki M, Thomas J, Rodseth RN, Biccard BM; South African Paediatric Surgical Outcomes Study Investigators. Anesth Analg. 2021 Dec 20. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000005796.

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Co-Author in book chapter:

  1. Cardiac Surgery Capacity Development in Emerging Countries. Maswime S., Alphonsus C., Da Silva N. (2022) In: Kpodonu J. (eds) Global Cardiac Surgery Capacity Development in Low and Middle Income Countries. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83864-5_28

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