HIV Risk and Gender in Jamaica’s Homeless Population

Rigorous HIV-related data for the homeless population in Jamaica is limited. A cross-sectional survey using a venue-based sampling approach was conducted in 2015 to derive HIV prevalence and associated risk factors. Three hundred twenty-three homeless persons from the parishes of St. James, St. Ann, Kingston, and St. Andrew (the main urban centers) participated. HIV prevalence was 13.8%, with a difference in gender (males 11.6%, females 26.7%, P?=?.007). Sex work, multiple partnerships, incarceration, non-injecting drug use, and female rape were common among the participants. Long-term, multilayered, HIV-specific, female-focused interventions are required for the population, along with additional female-centric research.     

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Aim of the work

To estimate prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) infection in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients; to study its relation to disease duration, activity, damage and treatment as well as to compare the performance of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assay and tuberculin skin test (TST) in detection of TB infection.

Management of Acute Cholecystitis: Prevalence of Percutaneous Cholecystostomy and Delayed Cholecystectomy in the Elderly

Background

Published guidelines recommend early cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis in the elderly. Alternatively, percutaneous cholecystostomy can be used in compromised patients.

Methods

We reviewed 806 elderly patients diagnosed with biliary disease retrospectively identified through billing and diagnosis codes. Two hundred sixty-five patients with histologically documented acute cholecystitis were selected.

Results

Initially, 75 patients had percutaneous cholecystostomy (Group 1), 64 (24 % underwent interval cholecystectomy, 74 (28 %) early (Group 2), and 127 (48 %) delayed cholecystectomy (Group 3). Group 1 was more likely to have American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores of 4 when compared to those in Groups 2 and 3 (p?=?0.04). No difference existed among the groups when patients with an ASA of 4 were excluded: conversion rates (11 %), biliary leak, bowel injury, need for reoperation, or 30 days mortality. Patients in Group 1 and in Group 3 were five times (p?=?0.04) and four times (p?=?0.06) more likely, respectively, than those in Group 2 to have recurrent episodes of pancreatitis, cholecystitis, and cholangitis.

Conclusion

Patients were more likely to have delayed cholecystectomy after initial antibiotic therapy or cholecystostomy without the benefit of a lower conversion rate when compared to the early group, but they had higher recurrent episodes of cholecystitis/pancreatitis or cholangitis.     

Unmet needs for services for older adults with mental illness: comparison of views of different stakeholder groups.

OBJECTIVE: The authors assessed the need for mental health services among older adults in San Diego County, California, by determining what needs were not being addressed by existing services, what services were necessary to address these needs, and how much consensus there was among different stakeholders with respect to the problems and solutions related to service delivery. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 health care and social service providers and administrators, 16 services consumers and other older adults (55 years of age and older), and 19 caregivers/family members and patient/client advocates. This was followed by four focus groups comprised of 18 providers and administrators, six focus groups comprised of 50 consumers and other older adults, and five focus groups comprised of 39 caregivers (family members and advocates). RESULTS: The unmet needs fell into three categories: mental health services, physical health services, and social services. Two interrelated themes were identified by participants: 1) the need for age-appropriate and culturally appropriate services to overcome barriers to mental health services access, use, and quality; and 2) the interrelations between unmet needs that address prevention as well as treatment of mental illness, including socialization and social support, transportation, housing, and physical health care. Differences in stakeholder assessment of unmet needs were associated with respective roles in delivery and use of mental health services. CONCLUSION: Age-appropriate and culturally appropriate solutions that address both prevention and treatment may represent the best strategies for addressing the challenges of mental illness and are most likely to be endorsed by all three groups of stakeholders.