Rotavirus vaccine trial in Jamaica.

Worldwide, rotaviruses have been a significant cause of dehydrating gastroenteritis. This contributed to increased infant morbidity and mortality in Jamaica. We enrolled 1804 Jamaican infants in the international randomized, placebo-controlled, pentavalent (G1, G2, G3, G4 and P1) rotavirus vaccine trial. This pentavalent vaccine was found to significantly reduce rotavirus gastroenteritis attributable emergency room visits and hospitalizations, without increasing the rates of intussusception, or other serious adverse events in Jamaican infants. It is recommended that the rotavirus vaccine be included in Jamaica's National Immunization Programme in accordance with recommendations from the World Health Organization.

Adult Hirschsprung's disease in Jamaica: operative treatment and outcome.

AIM: This study reviewed the operative management and outcome of patients with adult Hirschsprung's disease treated at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. METHOD: The case notes for 11 patients with adult Hirschsprung's disease, treated operatively between January 1986 and December 2007, were reviewed and data on preoperative diagnosis, operative procedures and postoperative complications were retrieved. RESULTS: Diagnosis was by open rectal biopsy in nine patients and by rectal suction biopsy in two patients. The time taken for preoperative bowel preparation ranged from 10 to 35 days, and colostomy was required in three patients to facilitate bowel cleansing. The Soave and Swenson procedures were used in six and five patients, respectively, leading to anastomotic stricture in one patient treated using the Soave procedure and to leakage in two patients treated using the Swenson procedure. All procedures took longer than 300 min, and 300-800 ml of blood or plasma was transfused. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic procedures for adult Hirschsprung's disease may result in life-threatening anastamotic complications. A protective colostomy is recommended when Swenson's procedure is used.

Obstruction of the duodenum by a preduodenal portal vein in situs inversus.

Mirror image transposition of abdominal and thoracic viscera is termed situs inversus. Duodenal obstruction in situs inversus is rare. A preduodenal portal vein, though not uncommon in situs inversus, rarely causes duodenal obstruction. Where obstruction by a preduodenal portal vein is diagnosed, a duodeno-duodenostomy is the recommended treatment. A duodenal diaphragm and other more common causes of duodenal obstruction should also be excluded in these patients.

Pre-adolescent gunshot injuries: anatomy of a Jamaican problem

This retrospective analysis explores the apparent increase in gunshot injuries among pre-adolescent Jamaican children. During the five-year study period (2001-2005), 74 children less than 12 years old were treated for gunshot injuries at the Bustamante Hospital for Children. In the last four years of the study, the hospital incidence of such child shootings rose by 155%. Children between six and eleven years of age were seen to be at particular risk. Shootings were likely to occur between 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm in the evening, at or near home, in inner city communities. Affected children were unlikely to have been under direct adult supervision at the time of injury and were reported to be intended targets of the shooting in 49% of cases. Injuries to the limbs occurred most frequently, resulting chiefly in soft tissue injuries and open fractures. Half required operative intervention, most avoiding blood transfusion. Hospital stay was usually less than a week. Though clearly needed, social support services were underutilized A mortality rate of 4% was seen but long-term morbidity was uncommon. Routine social and psychiatric evaluation of victims, organized after school-care, establishment of paediatric paramedical services, establishment of a dedicated paediatric interhospital transfer team and more widespread training in paediatric trauma management are recommended to improve the quality of care given to paediatric victims of firearm injuries.

Este análisis retrospectivo explora el aumento evidente de las heridas de bala entre los niños jamaicanos pre-adolescentes. Durante un período de cinco años de estudio (2001–2005), 74 niños menores de 12 años fueron atendidos debido a heridas de bala en el Hospital Pediátrico Bustamante. En los últimos cuatro años de este estudio, la incidencia en el hospital de heridas producidas con armas de fuego a niños aumentó en un 155%. Niños entre seis y once años de edad se considerabanparticularmente en riesgo. Los tiroteos ocurrían probablemente entre 4 pm de la tarde y 10 pm de la noche, en la casa o en el vecindario, en las comunidades de los suburbios citadinos internos (conocidos como inner cities). Es poco probable que los niños afectados hayan estado bajo supervisión directa dealgún adulto en el momento de recibir la herida, y se reportó que fueron objetivo expreso de los disparos en el 49% de los casos. Las heridas en las extremidades ocurrieron con mayor frecuencia, trayendo como consecuencia principalmente heridas en tejidos blandos y fracturas abiertas. La mitadde ellos requirió intervención quirúrgica, evitándose la transfusión sanguínea en la mayoría de los casos. La estadía en el hospital por lo general duró menos de una semana. Aunque evidentemente senecesitaban servicios de apoyo social, hubo una marcada subutilización de los mismos. Se observó una tasa de mortalidad del 4% pero la morbilidad a largo plazo resultó poco común. La evaluación psiquiátrica y social de rutina de las víctimas, organizada después de la atención en la escuela, el establecimiento de servicios paramédicos pediátricos, el establecimiento de un equipo dedicado de transferencia interhospitalaria pediátrica, y un entrenamiento más amplio en el tratamiento de traumaspediátricos, se recomiendan a fin de mejorar la calidad de la atención brindada a las víctimas pediátricas de heridas por arma de fuego.

Paediatric day surgery: revisiting the University Hospital of the West Indies experience

Day surgery is cheaper and allows for less time delay. In developing countries with limited health budgets, these factors lead to higher patient turnover and shortened waiting lists. The decreased psychological trauma for both parents and children is significant. Paediatric day surgery (PDS) has been done at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) for over 40 years. A total of 975 paediatric general surgical (PGS) procedures were performed on 963 patients at the UHWI during the four-year period, January 2001 to December 2004. Paediatric day surgery numbered 727 (74.6%). Males outnumbered females 2:1, the age range was 2 weeks to 15 years, with an average age of 4 years. Ninety-seven (13.3%) of these patients were less than six months old, including eight neonates. One hundred and forty-five (20%) had more than one surgical procedure. Most children, 314 (43.2%) had inguinal hernia repair. Umbilical/supra-umbilical/epigastric herniorrhaphy (20.1%) was the next most frequently performed procedure, followed by circumcision (13.3%) and orchidopexy (5.9%). Ninety per cent of these patients were discharged home within 2-4 hours after surgery. Unplanned admissions were 2.1% of the cases. These were due to age, unplanned extensive surgical procedure, drug reaction and fever There was no mortality in this study population. This review showed that the number of PDS has increased from 60% in 1984 to 75%. These procedures were performed safely with a low complication rate. Further expansion of the service is recommended.

Obstruction of the duodenum by a preduodenal portal vein in situs inversus

Mirror image transposition of abdominal and thoracic viscera is termed situs inversus. Duodenal obstruction in situs inversus is rare. A preduodenal portal vein, though not uncommon in situs inversus, rarely causes duodenal obstruction. Where obstruction by a preduodenal portal vein is diagnosed, a duodeno-duodenostomy is the recommended treatment. A duodenal diaphragm and other more common causes of duodenal obstruction should also be excluded in these patients.

Paediatric day surgery: revisiting the University Hospital of the West Indies experience.

Day surgery is cheaper and allows for less time delay. In developing countries with limited health budgets, these factors lead to higher patient turnover and shortened waiting lists. The decreased psychological trauma for both parents and children is significant. Paediatric day surgery (PDS) has been done at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) for over 40 years. A total of 975 paediatric general surgical (PGS) procedures were performed on 963 patients at the UHWI during the four-year period, January 2001 to December 2004. Paediatric day surgery numbered 727 (74.6%). Males outnumbered females 2:1, the age range was 2 weeks to 15 years, with an average age of 4 years. Ninety-seven (13.3%) of these patients were less than six months old, including eight neonates. One hundred and forty-five (20%) had more than one surgical procedure. Most children, 314 (43.2%) had inguinal hernia repair. Umbilical/supra-umbilical/epigastric herniorrhaphy (20.1%) was the next most frequently performed procedure, followed by circumcision (13.3%) and orchidopexy (5.9%). Ninety per cent of these patients were discharged home within 2-4 hours after surgery. Unplanned admissions were 2.1% of the cases. These were due to age, unplanned extensive surgical procedure, drug reaction and fever There was no mortality in this study population. This review showed that the number of PDS has increased from 60% in 1984 to 75%. These procedures were performed safely with a low complication rate. Further expansion of the service is recommended.

Pre-adolescent gunshot injuries: anatomy of a Jamaican problem.

This retrospective analysis explores the apparent increase in gunshot injuries among pre-adolescent Jamaican children. During the five-year study period (2001-2005), 74 children less than 12 years old were treated for gunshot injuries at the Bustamante Hospital for Children. In the last four years of the study, the hospital incidence of such child shootings rose by 155%. Children between six and eleven years of age were seen to be at particular risk. Shootings were likely to occur between 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm in the evening, at or near home, in inner city communities. Affected children were unlikely to have been under direct adult supervision at the time of injury and were reported to be intended targets of the shooting in 49% of cases. Injuries to the limbs occurred most frequently, resulting chiefly in soft tissue injuries and open fractures. Half required operative intervention, most avoiding blood transfusion. Hospital stay was usually less than a week. Though clearly needed, social support services were underutilized A mortality rate of 4% was seen but long-term morbidity was uncommon. Routine social and psychiatric evaluation of victims, organized after school-care, establishment of paediatric paramedical services, establishment of a dedicated paediatric interhospital transfer team and more widespread training in paediatric trauma management are recommended to improve the quality of care given to paediatric victims of firearm injuries.

Hermaphroditism: cytogenetics, gonadal pathology and gender assignment: a case report / Hermafroditismo: citogenética, patología gonadal y asignación de género

True hermaphroditism is a rare intersex disorder in which individuals possess both testicular and ovarian gonadal tissue. A case of true unilateral hermaphroditism presenting with ambiguous external genitalia, right scrotal testis and left pelvic ovotestis is herein outlined Phallic, gonadal and genetic factors were considered before male gender was assigned. Gender assignment procedures have been questioned by intersex activists opposed to early genital surgery. Western societies have a binary perspective on gender and this leads to a stigma being placed on intersex cases. A multidisciplinary approach to this problem involving paediatric specialists in the field, of endocrinology, surgery and psychiatry is necessary, along with educational programmes that promote tolerance in society to variations in gender.

Bile duct injuries in the laparoscopic era: the University Hospital of the West Indies experience / Lesiones de la vía Biliar en la Era Laparoscópica: la Experiencia del HUWI

During the ten-year period July 1994 to June 2004, 20 patients were seen with iatrogenic bile duct injuries. The case notes of these patients were reviewed. Half of the patients were referred after initial surgery at other hospitals. At the University Hospital of the West Indies, bile duct injury rate was 0.8and 1for open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy respectively. Sixty per cent of patients' injuries resulted from open cholecystectomy and the majority of these were during emergency cholecystectomies for acute cholecystitis. A wide range of treatment modalities were employed for patients with minor bile duct injuries but Roux en Y hepaticojejunostomy was the treatment of choice for patients with transection of the common hepatic or bile duct. Follow-up was available in seven of nine patients who had major bile duct injury repair to a median of 36 months and all but one were asymptomatic and had normal liver function tests. There were two deaths because of septic complications.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for chronic cholecystitis in Jamaican patients with sickle cell disease: preliminary experience.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with its advantages of reduced postoperative pain and shorter hospitalization is the accepted standard of care for patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis. A retrospective study was done to assess the outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with sickle cell disease, a group known for its high postoperative morbidity. The study sample comprised of patients seen at the University Hospital of the West Indies during the period 1999 to 2004. Twelve patients were females and four were males. Their mean age was 28.5 years (range 13-43 years). Fifteen underwent elective cholecystectomy for recurrent episodes of cholecystitis while one patient required an emergency procedure. All patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, which successfully removed common bile duct stones which were present in 25% of the cases. There were four conversions to open cholecystectomy as a result of obscure anatomy due to scarring and adhesions. The duration of surgery ranged from 70-150 minutes. Six patients developed postoperative complications, four of whom had acute chest syndrome. This resulted in death in one patient. The mean postoperative hospitalization period was 5.5 days. This report indicates that patients with sickle cell disease remain a high risk group with the potential for significant morbidity even when subjected to minimal access surgery.