Data for population-based health analytics: the Cohorts Consortium of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Objective: We describe the daily operations of the Cohorts Consortium of Latin America and the Caribbean (CC-LAC), detailing the resources required and offering tips to Caribbean researchers so this guide can be used to start a data pooling project.

Methods: The CC-LAC began by developing a steering committee - that is, a team of regional experts who guided the project's set up and operations. The Consortium invites investigators who agree to share individual-level data about topics of interest to become members and they then have input into the project's goals and operations; they are also invited to coauthor papers.

Computer vision syndrome and associated factors among urban and rural bankers in Trinidad and Tobago.

Background: Modern workplace requirements in the banking sector require bankers to work on screens for more than 6 h a day, putting much stress and strain on their eyes, which leads to computer vision syndrome. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of computer vision syndrome and associated factors among urban and rural bankers in Trinidad and Tobago.

Methods And Materials: A cross-sectional design was applied to collect data from 399 bankers between April and June 2023.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine in America and Overseas: A Narrative Review.

This narrative review examines the role of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in global tuberculosis (TB) control efforts, with particular emphasis on the differences in vaccination policies between countries, such as the US, where routine BCG administration is not practiced. A significant complication of the BCG vaccine is false positive results in the tuberculin skin test (TST), often leading to misdiagnoses and unnecessary treatments. To address these issues, interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) have emerged as a more specific diagnostic tool that reduces false positives associated with prior BCG vaccination.

Page kidney in a solid-organ transplant recipient with acute renal failure and arterial hypertension.

Page kidney (Page phenomenon) is a rare and treatable cause of hypertension which can occur if a haematoma, leading to extrinsic compression, occurs after renal transplant biopsy. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is activated leading to hypertension. This case report is that of a male in his 70s who had a renal transplant biopsy of his transplanted kidney and subsequently developed Page phenomenon as a result of an expanding haematoma.

Impact of team experience on robot-assisted surgery for rectal cancer: A comparative study.

Introduction: The robotic surgical team in the operating room plays an important role in determining the outcome of a robotic approach. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of 2 hospitals with different levels of expertise in robot-assisted rectal cancer surgery.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 195 patients who underwent robot-assisted rectal resection at 2 referral centers for the treatment of rectal cancer between March 2018 and December 2021.

The Use of Methadone and Ketamine for Intraoperative Pain Management in Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: To evaluate whether the addition of ketamine to intraoperative methadone is associated with superior postoperative pain management and decreased opioid consumption compared with methadone alone in cardiac surgery patients.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: A large academic medical system comprising four sites.

A Global Survey to Assess Urologists' Attitudes Towards Suction Technology in Endourology by the European Association of Urology Section of Endourology and Progressive Endourological Association for Research and Leading Solutions.

Objective: To assess urologists' perceptions and current practices of using suction-based techniques and technologies in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) for kidney stones.

Materials And Methods: A customized web-based 28-item questionnaire was created. All participation was voluntary.

Five year follow -up of a university initiated national voluntary non remunerated blood donation programme in a developing country.

International bodies continue to recommend blood services based on voluntary non remunerated blood donation as an essential prerequisite for blood safety and adequacy. Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, high income developing country with a long history of family replacement and remunerated blood donation. Delivery of blood services is fragmented across five autonomous Regional Health Authorities and policy is established by the National Blood Transfusion Service in the Ministry of Health.

Consecutive Evaluation of Systematic Community-Based COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Testing in Three Different Populations in Jamaica during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The rise in COVID-19 cases in late 2021 posed a grave threat to the public health system and the economy of Jamaica. A key pillar of controlling COVID-19 includes rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals and their contacts. Hence, we evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of weekly deployment of antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) by conducting three 6-week studies within high-risk populations in Jamaica.

Results of the proficiency test for the Ka CMC of the SSDL-ININ Mexico, for diagnostic radiology IEC 61267:2005 and radiation protection ISO 4037:2019 X-ray beam qualities.

The present work describes the results for the bilateral comparison between the Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories of the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (SSDL-ININ), Mexico, and the pilot laboratory, the Centro de Protección e Higiene de las Radiaciones (SSDL-CPHR), Cuba, for the realization of the air kerma (${\boldsymbol{K}}_{\boldsymbol{a}}$) quantity to: (i) diagnostic X-ray (DXR) IEC 61267:2005 beam qualities: RQR 5 RQR 9, RQT 8, and RQT 9 and (ii) radiation protection (RP) ISO 4037:2019 X-ray beam qualities: N60, N100, and W60, as well S-Cs for gamma radiation. The matched and characterized reference fields are realized at SSDL-ININ with a Toshiba E7252FX X-ray tube. In all cases, the ${\boldsymbol{K}}_{\boldsymbol{a}}$ measurements are traceable to PTB, except for S-Cs, traceable to ININ.

Are Patients who are Diagnosed with Hypertension or Diabetes more likely to Receive the COVID-19 Booster? Data from PR-CEAL's Community Survey Tool.

Objective: Evaluate the relationship between diabetes and hypertension and COVID-19 booster uptake.

Methods: Members of the Community Outreach Group of the Puerto Rico Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities (PR-CEAL) administered a survey at 229 community events between November 2021 and May 2023. Information on 2,145 participants' sociodemographic information and chronic disease diagnoses was gathered.

HPV Vaccine Status, Gender, Sexual Identities and Risk Behaviors of Adults Residing in Puerto Rico: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: Currently, in Puerto Rico (PR) there is no study for HPV vaccination rates after implementing mandatory HPV vaccination school entry policy in 2018. This study aims to (a) explore HPV vaccination status in adults (≥18 years) residing in PR., particularly those who fall within the age range approved for vaccination; (b) describe participants' gender and sexual identities and behavior risk factors; and (c) determine how the willingness to vaccinate against HPV is influenced by sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, education level, and health insurance.

Impact of Postnatal Head Circumference Growth in Normocephalic Infants Prenatally exposed to Zika Virus in Puerto Rico.

Objective: We aimed to describe the head circumference (HC) growth trends for non-microcephalic infants exposed to the Zika virus (ZIKV) in utero.

Methods: This was a medical record review of non-microcephalic neonates exposed to ZIKV whose mothers received prenatal care at the fetal evaluation unit (2015-2017). The mean HC values of babies from prenatal age to 1 year old were compared with the standardized values on HC growth charts.

Descriptive Epidemiology of Intracranial Meningiomas for a Hispanic Population in Puerto Rico.

Objective: The epidemiology of meningiomas for patients with Hispanic ethnicity is mainly unknown beyond a few studies. Evidence supporting the ethnic influence over meningioma World Health Organization (WHO) grade is limited. This study aimed to investigate a Hispanic population in Puerto Rico with intracranial meningiomas regarding the WHO grade.

Critical Overview of Current Drug Abuse in Puerto Rico based on Governmental Data.

The abuse of psychoactive substances poses a critical public health challenge in Puerto Rico, with far-reaching implications for both individuals and society as a whole. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the patterns and trends associated with drug abuse in Puerto Rico, focusing on alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, benzodiazepines, opioids, and methadone. Recent statistics reveal a concerning increase in substance abuse, particularly among young adults.

The First Demonstration of X-rays in Puerto Rico: June 1897.

Objective: Röntgen's discovery made international news in January 1896, but the appearance of x-rays in Puerto Rico has been dated to 1911. This investigation was undertaken to identify the time, place, participants, and equipment of the first public demonstration of x-rays in Puerto Rico, document other users before 1911, and frame the events and persons in their social, professional, and international contexts.

Methods: Information was retrieved from digitized Puerto Rico newspapers available online and secondary printed and digital sources.

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.

Epidemiology of Dengue - Puerto Rico, 2010-2024.

Dengue is a mosquitoborne viral illness that can cause acute febrile illness, severe disease, or death. Worldwide, the number of dengue cases is increasing. During the last dengue outbreaks in Puerto Rico throughout 2010-2013, dengue virus (DENV) serotype 1 (DENV-1) predominated, and the largest proportion of cases occurred among adolescents and young adults aged 10-19 years.

Novel lineage of anelloviruses with large genomes identified in dolphins.

Unlabelled: Anellovirus infections are ubiquitous in mammals but lack any clear disease association, suggesting a commensal virus-host relationship. Although anelloviruses have been identified in numerous mammalian hosts, their presence in members of the family Delphinidae has yet to be reported. Here, using a metagenomic approach, we characterize complete anellovirus genomes ( = 69) from four Delphinidae host species: short-finned pilot whale (, = 19), killer whale (, = 9), false killer whale (, = 6), and pantropical spotted dolphin (, = 1).

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and attitudes toward routine vaccinations among Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago: implications for a National Immunization Policy.

Introduction: Vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to the prevention of COVID-19 and other vaccine-controlled diseases. In 2019, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago launched a policy outlining the scope of health services in the public sector available to registered Venezuelan migrants to include access to routine immunizations. Little is understood about immunization uptake among migrants, including the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations in Trinidad and Tobago.

Failure to thrive in infant secondary to congenital colonic stenosis: a case report.

Congenital colonic stenosis (CCS) is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction, most commonly presenting in the neonatal period. We present a case of delayed CCS and describe the diagnostic challenges experienced. A 16-week-old female patient presented with persistent failure to thrive associated with signs of intestinal obstruction.

Comparative Analysis of Healthcare Quality Between the University Hospital of the West Indies and Public Hospitals in Jamaica.

Objective This study aims to assess the quality of healthcare services at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), a quasi-public hospital, compared to public hospitals in Jamaica, examining both patient and clinician perceptions. Methods This cross-sectional study included one hundred patients (30 males, 70 females) aged 22 to 95, and 52 clinicians (29 females, 23 males) from 10 hospitals, comprising UHWI and nine public hospitals, were surveyed. Quality assessment encompassed structural adequacy, time management, privacy protection, competency, and healthcare standards.