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BACKGROUND: Abuse of healthcare workers (HCWs) and lack of public trust threaten the foundation of the physician-patient relationship. This growing global problem creates an even more difficult professional environment and hinders the delivery of high-quality clinical care. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim was to determine the prevalence of violence against Trinbagonian HCWs in the public sector. Secondary objectives included determining risk factors for violence and mistrust between the public and providers. METHOD: A cross-sectional analysis of 434 HCWs in the public sector of Trinidad and Tobago was conducted using a modified World Health Organization (WHO) data collection tool, distributed via social media and administrative emails, and snowballed for two months. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted regarding trust in the healthcare system with patients selected from communities. RESULTS: Of the 434 respondents, 45.2% experienced violence and 75.8% witnessed violence against HCWs in the past two years. Verbal abuse (41.5%) was most common. Perpetrators were patients (42.2%) and patients' relatives (35.5%). Chi-square analysis highlighted that HCWs with the highest probability of being abused were aged 25-39 (63.8%), had two to five years of work experience (24.9%), specialized in emergency and internal medicine (48.6%), and cared for psychiatric and physically disabled patients (p-value < 0.001). HCWs believed the threat of violence negatively impacted performance (64.5%), and further action was necessary for mitigation (86.4%). Patients interviewed doubted physicians' altruism and competence (80%) and honesty (53.3%), expressed mistrust in their physician (46.7%), and cited poor infrastructure/management (66.7%) and dissatisfaction with care (60.0%) as factors that contributed to violence. CONCLUSION: Analysis revealed that violence against Trinbagonian HCWs in the public sector deteriorated patient experience and adversely affected psychological well-being, efficiency, and job satisfaction. Results suggested mistrust of HCWs by the population. Interventions should be instituted to support at-risk HCWs and educate the public to avoid recurrence.

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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the strategy of malrotation of the midgut encountered during laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A 37 year old morbidly obese male (body weight=140 kg, BMI>65), presented with complaints of severe lower back pain and significant sleep apnea. After thorough pre-operative assessment, the patient was scheduled for a LRYGB procedure. Malrotation of midgut was found accidentally during the procedure. Besides scheduled LRYGB procedure, an incidental laparoscopic appendectomy was performed and Ladd bands were left intact.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The procedure was performed successfully. The total operative time was 3 hours and 10 minutes and the estimated blood loss was minimal. The patient had an uneventful post-operative recovery, an acceptable body weight loss and no longer complains of back pains or sleep apnea.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Laparoscopic surgeons need to be mindful of the possibility of such anomalies during gastrointestinal surgery. LRYGB can be safely performed in patients with intestinal rotation disorders. Routine appendectomy should be considered as a useful addition to LRYGB in these patients.</p>

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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk-adjusted perioperative outcome of colorectal cancer surgery, applying the Colorectal Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enumeration of Mortality and morbidity (CR-POSSUM). METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery from 2004 to 2007 was done. Data including demographics and physiological data for CR-POSSUM were recorded. Predicted mortality was calculated; validation of CR-POSSUM was done using Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve analyses. RESULTS: 232 patients were studied. The overall mean CR-POSSUM score was 18.3+/-3.8 (SD). Predicted mortality was 7.7%, observed mortality was 6.9% and the standardized mortality ratio was 0.9. 34.4% of patients presented with Duke's Stage C or D and had a higher risk of mortality (Odds Ratio (OR) 3.1, 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) 1.1, 9.1). Emergency surgery was associated with a higher risk of mortality (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.5, 14.1). CR-POSSUM calibrated well (Hosmer-Lemeshow Chi-square value 4.3; df: 8; p=0.82) and fairly discriminated outcome as shown by the area under the ROC Curve 0.69, (Standard Error: 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative outcome of colorectal surgery in Trinidad and Tobago is comparable to the developed countries as evaluated by the CR-POSSUM. Patients presenting for emergency surgery and those with advanced stages of cancer had higher perioperative mortality.

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