W Indian Med J
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To review the history of newborn screening for sickle cell disease with especial reference to Jamaica. ⋯ Early detection of sickle cell disease and recruitment to clinics is known to reduce its morbidity and mortality. The methods currently detailed provide an effective and economic model of newborn screening which may be of value elsewhere.
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To reveal the possible role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetic children. ⋯ Consequently, fasting and postprandial GLP-1 levels in newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetic children are not different from healthy children. Glucagon-like peptide-1 levels in newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetic children suggest that plasma GLP-1 levels do not have any role in the pathogenesis of Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
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Early cholecystectomy for acute calculous cholecystitis (ACC) reduces hospital stay and complications during the waiting period. The purpose of this study is to establish the patterns of management of ACC at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and to evaluate the advantages of early versus delayed cholecystectomy. ⋯ Conservative management of ACC results in significant delays in definitive management and risks of complications during the waiting period. Early cholecystectomy should be encouraged even in a resource-restricted setting.
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Osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as 'brittle bone disease', is a genetic connective tissue disease. It is characterized by bone fragility and osteopenia (low bone density). In this case, a 57-year old female presented to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic with left low back pain rated 6/10 on the numeric rating scale (NRS). Clinically, the patient had sacroiliac joint mediated pain although X-rays did not show the sacroiliac joint changes. Fluoroscopy-guided left sacroiliac joint steroid injection was done. ⋯ Fluoroscopy-guided sacroiliac joint injection is a known diagnostic and treatment method for sacroiliac joint mediated pain. To our knowledge, this is the first case published on the use of fluoroscopy-guided sacroiliac joint steroid injection in the treatment of sacroiliac joint mediated low back pain in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta.
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Elevated aminotransferase levels indicating liver function, even in the normal range, have attracted great concern as potential novel markers of cardiovascular risk assessment. We hypothesized the possibility that liver function test variations in the normal range might be meaningfully associated to coronary artery disease (CAD). ⋯ Alanine aminotransferase and AST may not be associated with angiographically determined coronary atherosclerosis. Albumin may be more sensitive to demonstrate the burden of atherosclerosis. These results indicate that the association between the liver function tests and coronary atherosclerosis may be more complex than generally appreciated.