W Indian Med J
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Hypothermia has been associated with coagulation defects. The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate the effect of mild hypothermia on clinically used coagulation tests and on haemodynamic variables. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that short term mild hypothermia may affect the coagulation mechanism to a clinically nonsignificant extent, while haemodynamic responses are significantly suppressed.
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Editorial Comment
Screening for prostate cancer: throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
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Amidst rapid population ageing, the incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases and their sequelae demand reflective and critical looks at the issue and the subsequent development of informed age-sensitive responses. This paper reviews the burden of chronic diseases in the Caribbean, and its relationship to ageing and the demographic transition. Inter-linkages between the social determinants of health, poverty, ageing, and chronic disease are illustrated. Suggestions are made regarding directions to be pursued and the emerging initiative regarding chronic non-communicable diseases being spearheaded at the United Nations by CARICOM countries
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Many low-income countries face enormous constraints which limit the development of mental health services. The World Health Organization (WHO) made ten recommendations to facilitate the development of mental health services; among these is the integration of mental health into primary care. Jamaica developed an integrated collaborative system of mental health care through the adoption of a primary care model which is central to the delivery of mental health care. ⋯ These included the training of staff in primary care, the availability of psychotropic medication in primary care facilities and the provision of mental health beds at the community level. Furthermore, focus was placed on human development and the involvement of consumers in the policy development and service delivery. This has resulted in a reduction in the population of the mental health hospital and expansion in the community mental health services.