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Using the dengue surveillance program, we prospectively collected data on all the suspected and confirmed cases of dengue in Barbados from 2006 to 2015. Data were analysed for demographic, seasonal and temporal dynamics of this disease in this country. The overall mean annual incidence rate of suspected and confirmed dengue over the study period was 0.49% (range 0.15%-0.99%) and 0.16% (range 0.05%-0.48%), respectively. There was a significant correlation between the mean monthly number of confirmed cases, the mean monthly rainfall and the mean monthly relative humidity percentage. Dengue in this population is predominantly an infection affecting children and young adults. The median age of the patients with both, suspected and confirmed dengue was 25 years and the highest proportion of cases was seen in the age group 0-15 years. The annual incidence rates of both the suspected and the confirmed cases showed an upward trend during the study period and this upward trend was more pronounced among children.

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OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological characteristics and the clinical manifestations of the confirmed dengue cases over a ten-year period in Barbados, one of the English-speaking Caribbean countries. METHODS: All the cases of confirmed dengue from 2000 to 2009 were retrospectively studied. Long-term trends in incidence rate, demographic characteristics such as age, gender and seasonal distribution; clinical manifestations, immunological characteristics, need for hospitalization and mortality were studied. RESULTS: There were 3413 confirmed cases of dengue including 778 (22.8%) children and 2635 (77.2%) adults. The mean annual incidence rate of dengue was 1.36/1000 population. The median age of the persons with confirmed dengue was 27 years. The largest number of cases was seen in the 11 to 16-year age group. Hospitalization was required in 13.1% of dengue cases; 72.5% and 84% of all dengue were secondary infections among the children and adults, respectively. Dengue haemorrhagic fever accounted for 2.2% and 6% of all confirmed dengue among children and adults, respectively. The overall case fatality rate in this study was 0.35%. CONCLUSIONS: Dengue is a significant health problem primarily in adolescents and young adults. It is characterized by less severe cases and lower mortality rate.

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OBJECTIVES: Following the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, Caribbean countries committed to identifying and reducing health inequities (Rio Political Declaration 2011). We undertook a systematic review to determine what is known about the social distribution of diabetes (DM), its risk factors and major complications in the Caribbean. This paper describes findings on the distribution by ethnicity, education, occupation and income. DESIGN AND METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase and the Virtual Health Library for Caribbean studies published between 2007 and 2013 that described the distribution by ethnicity, income, education and occupation of: known risk factors for type 2 DM, prevalence of DM, DM control or complications. Only quantitative studies were included; each was assessed for risk of bias. RESULTS: Out of 2796 unique records, 81 articles required full text review, and 29 articles met the inclusion criteria. Few studies examined DM, its risk factors or complications by education (4), income (2) or occupation (1). None described significant relationships but all had a high risk of bias. Statistically significant findings were described from Barbados, Cuba and Trinidad on the distribution of diabetes by ethnicity: higher in Blacks than Whites, and in South Asians in Trinidad compared to other groups (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.14, 3.05). CONCLUSION: Published data in the Caribbean on the social distribution of diabetes, its risk factors and complications were very limited and of overall low quality. Work to better identify health inequities in the Caribbean is required if governments are to meet their commitment to addressing them.

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OBJECTIVES: We undertook a systematic review to determine the social distribution of diabetes (DM) its risk factors and major complications in the Caribbean. This paper describes our findings on the distribution by gender. DESIGN AND METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase and the Virtual Health Library for Caribbean studies published between 2007 and 2013 that described the distribution by gender of: known risk factors for Type 2 DM, prevalence of DM, and DM control or complications. Only quantitative studies (n>50) were included; each was assessed for risk of bias. Meta-analyses were performed, where appropriate, on studies with a low or medium risk of bias, using random effects models. RESULTS: We found 50 articles from 27 studies, yielding 118 relationships between gender and the outcomes. Women were more likely to have DM, obesity, be less physically active but less likely to smoke. In meta-analyses of good quality population based studies odds ratios for women vs. men for DM, obesity and smoking were: 1.65 (95% CI 1.43, 1.91), 3.10 (2.43, 3.94), and 0.24 (0.17, 0.34). Three studies found men more likely to have better glycaemic control but only one achieved statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Female gender is a determinant of DM prevalence in the Caribbean. In the vast majority of world regions women are at a similar or lower risk of type 2 diabetes than men, even when obesity is higher in women. Caribbean female excess of diabetes may be due to a much greater excess of risk factors in women, especially obesity and physical inactivity.

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Objetivos: Presentar nuestra experiencia en el tratamiento mínimamente invasivo de la lumbociatalgia con la inyección de corticoides y anestésicos locales bajo control tomográfico. Materiales y métodos: Se realizaron bloqueos selectivos lumbares bajo control tomográfico a 102 pacientes con lumbociatalgia crónica, en un período comprendido entre agosto del 2011 y junio del 2012. Del total de pacientes, se infiltraron 65 a nivel foraminal (64%), 29 a nivel epidural (28%) y 8 a ambos niveles (8%). Los procedimientos se realizaron en forma ambulatoria con anestesia local. Todos los pacientes recibieron tratamiento con antiinflamatorios no esteroides (AINES) vía oral y se utilizó la escala numérica del dolor y el índice de Oswestry (IDO) para medir la discapacidad funcional en cada caso. Resultados: El 100% de los pacientes mostró disminución significativa de la sintomatología apenas finalizó el procedimiento, sin observarse complicaciones inmediatas durante el mismo. Se hizo un seguimiento clínico posterior con las escalas anteriormente mencionadas a los 7 días, 1, 3 y 6 meses. En 95 pacientes (93%) se observó una mejora significativa de los síntomas y se suspendió o se redujo la medicación oral, mientras que en 6 pacientes existió una mejoría parcial de los síntomas al mes, pero hubo una recaída a los 3 meses. En estos casos se debió reiniciar el tratamiento con AINES, manteniéndose a 4 pacientes dentro de la categoría del IDO anterior (aunque con una disminución de al menos 2 puntos en el score numérico del dolor). Sólo un paciente no presentó mejoría de la sintomatología durante el seguimiento y tuvo reaparición de los síntomas habituales a los 7 días, por lo que se debió reprogramar una segunda infiltración. Conclusión: En nuestra experiencia el bloqueo nervioso lumbar selectivo bajo control tomográfico, utilizando esteroides y anestésicos locales, resultó un procedimiento efectivo en el control del dolor con un bajo índice de complicaciones.(AU)

Objectives: To present our experience with minimally invasive treatment of low back pain and sciatica with the computed tomography-guided percutaneous injection of steroids and local anaesthetics. Materials and methods: From August 2011 to June 2012, 102 patients underwent selective computed tomography-guided foraminal block for low back pain and sciatica treatment. Sixtyfi ve patients received foraminal infi ltration (64%), 29 epidural infi ltration (28%), and 8 (8%) were subject to combined procedures. All procedures were performed on an outpatient basis with local anaesthetic, with no immediate complications. All patients received oral NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-infl ammatory drugs) prior to the procedure. A numeric scale of pain and the Oswestry index (IDO) was employed to measure local pain and limb disability. All patients showed at least 7 points in the initial evaluation. Results: All the patients showed a significant reduction in pain by the end of procedure. A clinical follow-up was made after 7 days, 1, 3, and 6 months after the treatment using the previously mentioned scales. Ninety-fi ve patients (93%) showed a signifi cant improvement in their symptoms, with suspension or decrease in oral medication. Six patients showed only a partial reduction of symptoms during the follow-up after one month, with a recurrence of symptoms after 3 months and restarted oral treatment. Four of these patients remained in the same IDO category with at least a 2 point decrease in the pain scale. Only one patient showed no improvement in symptoms during follow-up with a recurrence of symptoms 7 days after procedure, and for whom a second procedure was reprogrammed. Conclusion: In our experience CT-guided percutaneous lumbar selective nerve block using steroids and local anaesthetics, is an effective method of pain control with a very low incidence of complications.(AU)

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Objetivos: Presentar nuestra experiencia en el tratamiento mínimamente invasivo de la lumbociatalgia con la inyección de corticoides y anestésicos locales bajo control tomográfico. Materiales y métodos: Se realizaron bloqueos selectivos lumbares bajo control tomográfico a 102 pacientes con lumbociatalgia crónica, en un período comprendido entre agosto del 2011 y junio del 2012. Del total de pacientes, se infiltraron 65 a nivel foraminal (64%), 29 a nivel epidural (28%) y 8 a ambos niveles (8%). Los procedimientos se realizaron en forma ambulatoria con anestesia local. Todos los pacientes recibieron tratamiento con antiinflamatorios no esteroides (AINES) vía oral y se utilizó la escala numérica del dolor y el índice de Oswestry (IDO) para medir la discapacidad funcional en cada caso. Resultados: El 100% de los pacientes mostró disminución significativa de la sintomatología apenas finalizó el procedimiento, sin observarse complicaciones inmediatas durante el mismo. Se hizo un seguimiento clínico posterior con las escalas anteriormente mencionadas a los 7 días, 1, 3 y 6 meses. En 95 pacientes (93%) se observó una mejora significativa de los síntomas y se suspendió o se redujo la medicación oral, mientras que en 6 pacientes existió una mejoría parcial de los síntomas al mes, pero hubo una recaída a los 3 meses. En estos casos se debió reiniciar el tratamiento con AINES, manteniéndose a 4 pacientes dentro de la categoría del IDO anterior (aunque con una disminución de al menos 2 puntos en el score numérico del dolor). Sólo un paciente no presentó mejoría de la sintomatología durante el seguimiento y tuvo reaparición de los síntomas habituales a los 7 días, por lo que se debió reprogramar una segunda infiltración. Conclusión: En nuestra experiencia el bloqueo nervioso lumbar selectivo bajo control tomográfico, utilizando esteroides y anestésicos locales, resultó un procedimiento efectivo en el control del dolor con un bajo índice de complicaciones.

Objectives: To present our experience with minimally invasive treatment of low back pain and sciatica with the computed tomography-guided percutaneous injection of steroids and local anaesthetics.Materials and methods: From August 2011 to June 2012, 102 patients underwent selective computed tomography-guided foraminal block for low back pain and sciatica treatment.Sixtyfi ve patients received foraminal infi ltration (64%), 29 epidural infi ltration (28%), and 8 (8%) were subject to combined procedures. All procedures were performed on an outpatient basis with local anaesthetic, with no immediate complications. All patients received oral NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-infl ammatory drugs) prior to the procedure. A numeric scale of pain and the Oswestry index (IDO) was employed to measure local pain and limb disability. All patients showed at least 7 points in the initial evaluation. Results: All the patients showed a significant reduction in pain by the end of procedure.A clinical follow-up was made after 7 days, 1, 3, and 6 months after the treatment using the previously mentioned scales. Ninety-fi ve patients (93%) showed a signifi cant improvement in their symptoms, with suspension or decrease in oral medication. Six patients showed only a partial reduction of symptoms during the follow-up after one month, with a recurrence of symptoms after 3 months and restarted oral treatment. Four of these patients remained in the same IDO category with at least a 2 point decrease in the pain scale. Only one patient showed no improvement in symptoms during follow-up with a recurrence of symptoms 7 days after procedure, and for whom a second procedure was reprogrammed. Conclusion: In our experience CT-guided percutaneous lumbar selective nerve block using steroids and local anaesthetics, is an effective method of pain control with a very low incidence of complications...

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OBJECTIVE: This study examines whether the adult social roles perspective. an approach that explains drinking behaviors for Anglos, similarly affects alcohol use by Cubans, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and Other Hispanics (Central and South Americans). METHOD: The 1993 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, a national probability sample of the household population in the United States, is used. The sample utilized here (N= 13,822; 56.2% female) consisted of 9,388 Anglos, 611 Cubans, 2,459 Mexican Americans, 611 Puerto Ricans and 753 Central/South Americans age 18 and older. The outcome measures include past-year drinking, and for drinkers, heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems. Logistic regression analyses are conducted using Stata. RESULTS: The results show that there are some ethnic differences in the effects of the adult social roles. Of particular importance is the finding that being married has anomalous effects for Cubans (heavy drinking), Mexican Americans (problems) and Other Hispanics (problems) compared with Anglos and the other Hispanic ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: The adult social roles perspective has some utility for explaining Hispanic drinking patterns. Future research should consider not only traditional predictors of drinking but also such socio-cultural factors as acculturation and familism, to better understand adult alcohol use by members of Hispanic ethnic groups.

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Con el objetivo de conocer los factores de riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular en una determinada muestra de población, intentando salvar factores distorsionantes como la edad, la desiguladad en las condiciones del hogar y la presión laboral entre otros, se realiza el presente estudio en el curso de la convención anual de ejecutivos de la empresa farmaceútica Merck, Sharp & Dohme de España, celebrada en 1991. De un universo de 200 asistentes, se seleccionaron 70 varones y 68 mujeres con edades entre 24 y 45 años, a quienes se les realizó una encuesta personal según el formulario (The coronary risk profile program). Las variables somáticas estudiadas fueron los pliegues cutáneos (tricipital, bicipital, escapular y suprailíaco) y el peso. Las variables fisiológicas medidas fueron la capacidad vital, la fuerza dinanométrica, la tensión arterial y el colesterol sérico total. Se utilizó el programa BMDP para el análisis factorial en componentes principales. No se encontró una clara asociación entre la hipercolesterolemia y la hipertensión arterial, aunque dicha asociación es mucho más patente en las mujeres. El sexo sigue siendo uno de los condicionantes básicos sobre el cual se puede realizar una estimación de la morbilidad. Los hombres presentan un acúmulo troncal de la grasa corporal. Las mujeres al parecer son menos receptivas a los factores

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