Lophomonas spp. as an Emerging Infectious Disease in the Caribbean.

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing number of case reports of bronchopulmonary infection due to Lophomonas spp. The Caribbean has not been included in any reports. We describe two cases of bronchopulmonary infection due to spp.

Frequency of Clinically Significant Findings in the Surgical Pathology Specimen Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy and Concordance with Preoperative Endoscopy: Insights from a Large Single-Center Experience.

Introduction: Endoscopy prior to bariatric surgery is not always performed, and in sleeve gastrectomy (SG), the surgical specimen is not always sent for pathological examination. There is limited data on the frequency of clinically significant findings in SG specimens or correlation with preoperative endoscopy.

Methods: We reviewed 426 consecutive SG patients to determine the concordance of preoperative endoscopy findings in patients with clinically significant postoperative pathology.

Staff appraisal.

As a nurse and supervisor of an acute surgical ward, I found the CPD article interesting because it identified ways to monitor staff performance continually. The approach to staff appraisal described was suitable for addressing poor performance and acknowledging good performance among nurses.

Evaluation of asthma control using patient based measures and peak expiratory flow rate.

Objective: Asthma control has not been formally evaluated in the Caribbean. This study evaluated disease control on The Asthma Control Test (ACT), The Royal College of Physicians "Three questions" for Assessing Asthma Control (RCP), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and patients' self-assessment of control.

Subjects And Methods: Asthma control was examined in a cross-section of 205 asthmatics above 16 years of age using the ACT, RCP and on the PEFR % predicted.

Association of troponin T and altered lipid profile in patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction.

Objective: To determine whether elevated levels of troponin T are associated with altered lipid profile.

Methods: Data were collected from 205 patients each of whom presented elevated troponin T levels.

Results: 195 patients presented with suspected myocardial infarction, 10 patients did not.