Surgery for giant ovarian cysts in Guyana using single-port laparoscopy: a retrospective case series analysis.

Giant ovarian cysts (GOCs) have become less common in developed countries due to routine health screenings, but they remain prevalent in economically underdeveloped regions. Treatment options for GOCs depend on factors such as age, cyst characteristics, and pregnancy status. Minimally invasive single-port laparoscopic surgery has largely replaced traditional open surgery due to its aesthetic advantages and effectiveness.

Women's attitudes towards intimate partner violence in Guyana: a population-based study.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global health issue and a breach of human rights. However, the literature lacks understanding of how socioeconomic and geographic disparities influence women's attitudes toward IPV in Guyana over time. This study aimed to assess trends in women's attitudes about IPV in Guyana.

A phenomenological study of resident and faculty experiences with learner engagement in the normalization of workplace-based assessment.

Background: Workplace-based assessments (WPBA) have become integral to learner-centred medical education. As previous research has linked learner engagement to WPBA implementation, this study explores residents' and faculty members' experiences with learner engagement in the normalisation of WPBA practice.

Methods: Transcendental phenomenology was used as the qualitative approach, focusing on the participants' lived experiences.

Contribution of international cooperation in the management of the first documented case of Lonomia caterpillar envenoming (Lonomism) in Guyana.

Severe Lonomia caterpillar envenoming is an increasing hazard in South America. It can trigger severe coagulation disorders that can progress to systemic complications and death. We report the first documented case of severe Lonomia caterpillar envenoming in Guyana.

Attitudes of women towards intimate partner violence in Guyana: A cross-sectional analytical study.

Background: To assess the attitudes of women towards intimate partner violence (IPV) in Guyana.

Methods: We used national data from the publicly available Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted in Guyana in 2019 for women aged 15 to 49 years. The prevalence of women who agreed that a husband is justified in beating his wife was analyzed.

Readiness of primary care centres for a community-based intervention to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases in the Caribbean: A participatory, mixed-methods study.

Introduction: Epidemiological transition to NCDs is a challenge for fragile health systems in the Caribbean. The Congregations Taking Action against NCDs (CONTACT) Study intervention proposes that trained health advocates (HAs) from places of worship (PoWs), supervised by nurses at nearby primary healthcare centres (PHCs), could facilitate access to primary care among vulnerable communities. Drawing on participatory and systems thinking, we explored the capacity of local PHCs in three Caribbean countries to support this intervention.

Prevalence and impact of tobacco use disorder on in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalized with non-group 1 pulmonary hypertension: a nationwide propensity score-matched analysis, 2019.

Numerous studies indicated that patients with tobacco use disorder (TUD) are inversely associated with mortality in what is known as the smoker's paradox. However, limited studies have been conducted on the impact of TUD on the in-hospital mortality rates of patients with secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH, Non-Group 1 PH). Using the 2019 National Inpatient Sample, we identified PH and divided it into TUD and non-TUD to compare the comorbidities and in-hospital mortality between the two after 1:1 propensity-score matching.

Elevated serum FGF21 is an independent predictor for adverse events in hemodialysis patients from two large centers: a prospective cohort study.

We explored the relationship and the predictive value of serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) with all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and pneumonia in hemodialysis (HD) patients. A total of 388 Chinese HD patients from two HD centers were finally enrolled in this prospective cohort study (registration number: ChiCTR 1900028249) between January 2018 and December 2018. Serum FGF21 was detected.

Evaluation of an emergency medicine point-of-care ultrasound curriculum adapted for a resource-limited setting in Guyana.

Background: This is a cohort pilot study of senior emergency medicine residents and residency-trained emergency medicine registrars practicing in an urban tertiary academic hospital in Guyana in South America. The primary aim was to assess the effectiveness of the current adapted residency ultrasound training curriculum and guide future ultrasound-specific continuing medical education. Ultrasound image acquisition, interpretation, and integration of ultrasound findings into clinical medical decision-making competency were assessed in a multimodal fashion: a written assessment and a practical assessment.

Deploying Artificial Intelligence for Thoracic Imaging Around the World.

Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) thoracic imaging applications are increasingly being deployed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Radiologists have a critical gatekeeping role to ensure the effective and ethical implementation of AI solutions. RAD-AID International uses a three-pronged implementation strategy to overcome challenges pervasive in LMICs.

Methodological and Reporting Quality of Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trials Comparing Antiretroviral Therapies: A Systematic Review.

Background: It is unclear whether the reporting quality of antiretroviral (ARV) noninferiority (NI) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has improved since the CONSORT guideline release in 2006. The primary objective of this systematic review was assessing the methodological and reporting quality of ARV NI-RCTs. We also assessed reporting quality by funding source and publication year.

The Guyana Program to Advance Cardiac Care: A Model for Equitable Cardiovascular Care Delivery.

Unlabelled: Guyana is one of the poorest countries in South America, with the highest rate of cardiovascular mortality on the continent. As is the case in many low- and middle-income countries, cardiovascular care is available through the private sector but is not accessible to much of the urban and rural poor. We present the 10-year experience of the Guyana Program to Advance Cardiac Care (GPACC), an academic partnership aiming to provide high-quality, equitable cardiovascular care in Georgetown's only public hospital.

Training and implementation of handheld ultrasound technology at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in Guyana: a virtual learning cohort study.

A virtual point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education program was initiated to introduce handheld ultrasound technology to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in Guyana, a low-resource setting. We studied ultrasound competency and participant satisfaction in a cohort of 20 physicians-in-training through the urology clinic. The program consisted of a training phase, where they learned how to use the Butterfly iQ ultrasound, and a mentored implementation phase, where they applied their skills in the clinic.

Implementation of a Level III neonatal intensive care unit was associated with reduced NICU mortality in a resource limited public tertiary care hospital in Guyana, South America.

Neonatal mortality is a significant contributor to child mortality, and there is increasing interest in low resource settings to implement neonatal intensive care practices to lower neonatal mortality. In Guyana, South America neonatal mortality remains relatively high. At Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the only tertiary referral hospital in Guyana, a Level III NICU was developed starting in January, 2012 with full implementation in September, 2015.

Takotsubo Syndrome in Orthotopic Liver Transplant: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis of Published Studies and Case Reports.

Background: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) has been reported in solid-organ transplant recipients. However, the pooled data regarding TTS after liver transplant remain limited.

Methods: A systematic review was performed through February 2022 using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar to review case reports/series and original studies on liver transplant-associated TTS.

An audit of the carbon footprint of travel for the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society International Education Foundation partnerships.

Purpose: International partnerships have an important role in capacity building in global health, but frequently involve travel and its associated carbon footprint. The environmental impact of global health partnerships has not previously been quantified.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective internal audit of the environmental impact of air travel for the international education programs of the Canadian Anesthesiology Society's International Education Fund (CASIEF).

Addressing Barriers to Health Care Access of Congenital Heart Disease Patients in Guyana.

In order to mitigate the late presentation and resulting poor outcomes of children with advanced cardiac disease, the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in Guyana has expressed interest in identifying ways to improve access to health care for these children. The goal of this study was to identify barriers faced by CHD patients and their families in accessing pediatric cardiology services in Guyana, and to identify limitations to the diagnosis and referral of CHD patients by health care professionals. Two surveys were used to gain insight into the experiences of practicing health care professionals and the parent(s) or guardian(s) of children with CHD.

Ultrasound diagnosis of dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysms: procedure with a handheld device and a video-illustrated case.

Acute thoracic aortic dissection is an uncommon, although not rare, life-threatening condition. With protean signs and symptoms that often suggest more common cardiac or pulmonary conditions, it can be difficult to diagnose. Ultrasound has proven useful in making the correct diagnosis.

Systematic Sonography Looking for Occult Wounds: accuracy of an abdominal ultrasound adjunct in penetrating trauma.

Background: Systematic Sonography Looking for Occult Wounds (SSLOW) in trauma is a novel technique for the evaluation of intra-abdominal wounds in penetrating trauma. No data exist regarding the effectiveness. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the SSLOW exam.

Fostering global primary care research: a capacity-building approach.

The Alma Ata and Astana Declarations reaffirm the importance of high-quality primary healthcare (PHC), yet the capacity to undertake PHC research-a core element of high-quality PHC-in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC) is limited. Our aim is to explore the current risks or barriers to primary care research capacity building, identify the ongoing tensions that need to be resolved and offer some solutions, focusing on emerging contexts. This paper arose from a workshop held at the 2019 North American Primary Care Research Group Annual Meeting addressing research capacity building in LMICs.

Preoperative Patient Education Class During an Orthopedic Mission Trip: Effects on Knowledge, Anxiety, and Informed Consent.

Background: Patient knowledge about arthritis and risks, benefits, and outcomes of joint arthroplasty in developing countries is unknown. We evaluated the effectiveness of a preoperative class on improving knowledge and decreasing anxiety during a surgical mission trip offering total joint arthroplasty.

Methods: A team of US health care providers taught a preoperative class to 41 patients selected for total joint arthroplasty during a surgical mission trip to Guyana.

Observational descriptive study of ultrasound use and its impact on clinical decisions in the accident and emergency department at Georgetown public hospital corporation.

Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is physician-performed at the bedside, and it is a powerful diagnostic tool, especially in resource-limited emergency medicine healthcare settings. This study aims to quantify both the use of ultrasound and its impact on patient care at the Accident and Emergency Department at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational descriptive analysis of data collected for quality assessment in the GPHC Accident and Emergency Department.