Patients arriving at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department are now being registered in as little as three minutes, the hospital said Monday, with overall triage waiting times cut by 40 per cent, following sweeping efficiency reforms.

Registration, once one of the major bottlenecks, is now down to as quick as three minutes, while wait times for triage have fallen by almost half.

Service Improvement Manager Dr Ayja Clarke said on the hospital’s Pulse Radio show that new digital self-registration kiosks have made a significant difference.

“The first thing we’ve been looking at is decreasing that time to registration,” she said. “So once you get through the door of the Accident and Emergency Department, you will be screened with security. What you will see now is you are going to be directed to a digital kiosk, so a self-registration kiosk.

“So now we have decreased registration time. So once you come into the department, we have registration time sometimes as low as three minutes. Sometimes it’s ten minutes during peak times when things are really, really busy.”

Clarke said triage has also been restructured with the addition of a senior doctor working alongside nurses.

“Since introducing the changes, especially with the introduction of the physician-assisted triage, the wait times between patients coming through the door and getting to triage are down by 40 per cent,” she said.

Other measures include advanced triage, where tests and scans can be ordered earlier; nurse-initiated medication to provide pain relief on arrival; and plans for a minor case unit to fast-track patients with less severe conditions.

Head of Accident and Emergency Dr Anne Marie Cruikshank said the digital changes were also helping staff act faster.

“As [the nurses] enter digitally into the system, that information goes directly to the medical records officer. … We have physician-assisted triage, and we can now start the investigations, the pain meds, the imaging’s being ordered. Everything can start from screening or triage,” she said.

Dr Clarke also revealed that the hospital has introduced Estimated Date of Discharge boards on wards, giving teams and relatives a clear plan for getting patients home.

“Overall in the hospital, I’m happy to report that so far the average length of stay in the hospital is down in all of the wards by 1.2 days, but in the wards that we piloted the boards on, we have noted that the average length of stay is down even further, down by 2.9 days,” she said.

QEH Chief Executive Officer Neil Clark said the introduction of service improvement managers earlier this year was designed to allow departments space to rethink service delivery.

“They’ve been focused on the A&E pathway and what I call the Unplanned Care Pathway, A&E, inpatient flow and discharge planning, and we’ll move them at some point in the future to the Planned Care Pathway,” he said.

He cited oncology as one area where staff-led improvements were delivering results.

“You would have seen the cancer waiting times at 140 days for your first outpatient appointment. We’re now down to three weeks. We’re down to 21 days from 140 days. And that’s that team in the Oncology Department just taking the initiative and saying they’re going to fix this, we’re going to improve this for the population.”

Clark added: “What I sense when I walk around is that there’s a change coming. I feel that change in people who are speaking to me. I feel people are getting permission to do things. And it feels like it was always that they were waiting for the CEO to say yes you can do this and I keep saying it’s your department, if you think that works better, try it, and that’s happening.” (SM)

The post A&E wait times slashed with digital kiosks, faster triage — QEH appeared first on Barbados Today.

View the full post Free dental outreach returns to Carriacou and Grenada on NOW Grenada.

“Beauty should never come at the cost of our future.”

The post I had to Have Fibroid Surgery, but our Girls Shouldn’t Have To first appeared on Toronto Caribbean Newspaper.

This impactful initiative brought together local medical professionals and a 25-member international ...

Santo Domingo, (EFE).- Research from the University of Texas shows that heat waves, which are becoming more frequent, intense, and prolonged worldwide, not only pose a risk from high temperatures but also worsen air pollution. Presented at the American Chemical Society conference, the study analyzed the 2024 Texas heat wave, during which temperatures ranged from 32°C to 41°C.

Using air samples collected day and night on the Texas A&M University campus, researchers measured pollutants like nitrogen oxides, ozone, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and nanoparticles. The study found that extreme heat increased levels of ozone, oxygenated VOCs, and highly acidic nanoparticles. Tree emissions of natural VOCs, such as isoprene, also rose during the heat wave, interacting with other pollutants to create harmful ozone and secondary organic aerosols.

To protect public health, researchers recommend limiting outdoor activity during peak heat hours, avoiding exercise, monitoring air quality, and keeping windows closed. They stress that understanding how climate change impacts atmospheric chemistry and air quality is crucial to mitigating these risks.

View the full post Grenada foreign minister rejects U.S. claims that Cuba’s medical missions are ‘forced labor’ on NOW Grenada.

Santo Domingo, DR—The Ministry of Public Health reported in its epidemiological bulletin for week 31 that the Doctor Defilló National Reference Laboratory processed 36 respiratory samples.

It also highlights that multiple respiratory viruses, such as Covid-19 ( SARS-CoV-2 ) and metapneumovirus, are currently actively circulating.

The Ministry of Public Health urges the population to get vaccinated and follow key community measures such as handwashing, mask use for symptomatic individuals, adequate ventilation, and avoiding self-medication.

Additionally, seek medical attention if you experience respiratory symptoms to help contain transmission and protect the most vulnerable populations.

It indicates that if the patient has a persistent fever or difficulty breathing, they should go to a health center immediately.

It also suggests seeking guidance only from official sources and avoiding disseminating unverified information.

Against hepatitis

In another order, the epidemiological bulletin also highlights the warning made by the World Health Organization (WHO) in commemoration of World Hepatitis Day, that type D of this disease is carcinogenic.

“Every 30 seconds, someone dies from a serious liver disease or liver cancer linked to hepatitis, even though we have the means to stop the disease,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He indicated that viral hepatitis, types A, B, C, D, and E, are important causes of acute liver infection.

He stated that of these hepatitis types, only types B, C, and D can cause chronic infections that significantly increase the risk of cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. Still, most people with this disease don’t know they’re infected.

He also noted that these three types affect more than 300 million people worldwide and cause more than 1.3 million deaths each year, primarily from liver cirrhosis and cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently classified hepatitis D as carcinogenic to humans, along with hepatitis B and C.

He indicated that this type of hepatitis, which only affects people with hepatitis B, is associated with a risk of liver cancer two to six times greater than if the person has hepatitis B alone.

“In 2024, WHO published guidelines on testing and diagnosis for hepatitis B and D and is actively monitoring clinical endpoints for innovative hepatitis D treatments,” said Dr. Meg Doherty, the new director of the Department of Science for Health at WHO.

Last July, the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) reported that the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (Sinave) had recorded 910 cases of hepatitis B nationwide so far this year. The highest incidence of cases was reported in men.

Regarding hepatitis C, 541 cases were reported, with women being the most affected.

The disease

Hepatitis is defined as the inflammation of the liver, caused by one of the many viruses that exist, whether A, B, C, D, or E.

According to specialists, these types of viruses are transmitted through unprotected sex, contact with contaminated food and drinks, and contact with bodily fluids from infected people.

Symptoms

Symptoms of hepatitis include extreme fatigue, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, low-grade fever, dark urine, pale stools, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Treatment

The WHO reported that oral medication can cure hepatitis C within two to three months, and can also control the virus with lifelong treatment.

He highlighted that testing and treatment coverage are low, noting that 13% of people with hepatitis B and 36% of those already living with the disease were diagnosed in 2022, making expanding coverage for prevention, testing, and treatment of this disease a challenge.

In the results of gastrointestinal cultures or panels prescribed for patients, many come back positive for bacteria that are mostly linked to the consumption of contaminated food and water.

This was revealed yesterday in an interview with Listín Diario by infectious disease specialist and researcher Clevy Pérez Sánchez, former president of the Dominican Society of Infectious Diseases. She explained that the types of bacteria and viruses she has been detecting most in her patients are Shigella, Clesiopmola, Salmonella, and enteropathogenic bacteria, as well as norovirus and rotavirus.

“I can’t really say it’s disproportionate because there are always many cases of vomiting and diarrhea in the country, but there have definitely been more cases of gastroenteritis confirmed by gastrointestinal panels in the last month,” he said.

He emphasized that the country’s leading clinical laboratories now have gastrointestinal panel tests, which, unlike stool cultures, which sometimes yield nothing, detect bacterial or viral DNA and provide a rapid report within a couple of hours, facilitating diagnosis.

More surveillance

The specialist noted that she has had some cases presenting symptoms after vacationing and others who have eaten outside the home, so she believes it is essential for the country to strengthen supervision of the conditions of places where food is sold.

He noted that, although the Ministry of Public Health is doing important work in licensing restaurants, it’s always important to monitor the food processing process.

He added that the suspicion of consuming contaminated food arises because, typically, an affected patient is received by a family member with several people living there, and when the investigation is carried out, the affected person has eaten out.

More surveillance

The most common symptoms these patients report are diarrhea, crampy abdominal pain, which is a pain that tightens and then goes away, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes fever.

Pérez Sánchez said that aside from official supervision of facilities, it’s always essential for people to maintain high levels of hygiene, drink safe water, and wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them. He gave strawberries as an example, which should be cleaned with safe water and a portion of baking soda to eliminate contamination.

He also advises avoiding the use of medications that reduce stomach acid, unless otherwise directed by a doctor.

He explained that he is seeing this increase in his private practice, which is for adults, but that he understands it may be occurring at the level of public centers and in both adult and pediatric populations.

Everyday life

On the subject, gastroenterologist Socrates Bautista recalls that gastrointestinal infections are always common, as this is a tropical country.

“Here we have parasitic infections with amoeba, giardia, lamblia, etc. In addition to bacteria, viruses, and even fungi, on rare occasions we can have some rare acute fulminant diseases, such as some infections that stimulate secretion, such as cholera,” he said.

“All of this is part of the day-to-day routine of a gastroenterology practice,” the specialist emphasized.

More Covid

Meanwhile, pulmonologist Evangelina Soler noted that she is seeing increased circulation of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses among the population, especially influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.

He noted that patients report ailments caused by these respiratory viruses, but gastric ailments are not among the primary symptoms in the patients he has treated with these viruses.

Epidemiological report number 31, issued yesterday, reports 122 cases of Covid-19 in the last three weeks, for a total of 823 cases so far this year.

The post How can we create better habits and supports that keep people healthy longer? first appeared on Toronto Caribbean Newspaper.

Cases of dengue virus continue to surge in Hawaii, with the state recently reporting the 12th case so far this year.

One case was confirmed on the island of Maui, with the remaining 11 occurring on Oahu.

In the latest case, the person was exposed while traveling in a region where dengue is common, the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) reported.

TIGER MOSQUITOES BLAMED FOR SPREAD OF DENGUE FEVER: ‘MOST INVASIVE SPECIES’

Dengue fever is a virus spread through bites from an infected mosquito. 

It is common in the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Islands, as well as many Caribbean destinations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Other countries reporting spikes in dengue fever include Mexico, Fiji, French Polynesia, Tonga, Samoa, the Philippines, Colombia and Brazil. Puerto Rico also has an ongoing dengue outbreak, along with American Samoa. 

In 2024, there were 1,984 dengue cases in the U.S., according to CDC data.

While mosquitoes carrying dengue may be present in Hawaii, the disease is "not endemic" in the state, the DOH stated, adding that "cases are currently limited to travelers."

Typical symptoms of dengue include aches and pains (in the eyes, muscles, joints, or bones), nausea, vomiting and rash — usually experienced within two weeks of being bitten.

Most people experience symptoms for two to seven days before recovering.

DENGUE FEVER CASES RISING IN POPULAR SPRING BREAK LOCATIONS, CDC ALERTS

"It’s typically a more mild illness, but can be severe, causing headaches, joint pain, fever, abdominal pain and even death," Dr. Mark Fischer, regional medical director of International SOS, a leading medical and security services company, previously told Fox News Digital. 

There is not currently any medication to treat dengue, according to the CDC. 

Infected people are advised to rest, take acetaminophen for pain and fever, stay hydrated and see a doctor.

There is a vaccine available for U.S. children between 9 and 16 years of age who have previously tested positive for dengue and are living in areas where the infection is common.

In its alert, the Hawaii DOH called for travelers returning from dengue-endemic areas to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites for three weeks.

"If dengue symptoms develop within two weeks of return, travelers should seek medical evaluation," the health agency advised.

Experts also recommend eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed. Some examples include buckets, water-catching plants (such as bromeliads), small containers, planters, rain barrels and even cups left outside, per the DOH. 

"Pouring out containers of standing water can significantly reduce the potential for mosquito breeding," the agency stated.

Fischer added, "It’s important to wear insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin or lemon and eucalyptus oil, as these ingredients are the most effective at repelling mosquitoes and other insects."

"Those who live in areas with mosquito populations should try to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, especially at dusk and in the evening, when mosquitoes are most active, to avoid getting bitten on exposed skin."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Keeping screens on windows and doors is also a good way to prevent insects from entering and potentially causing the spread of disease, he said. 

"If you live in an area that has a high level of mosquito-borne diseases, you should use mosquito nets when sleeping and eliminate any standing water in and around the home, since still bodies of water are breeding grounds for the insects," Fischer added.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health

Experts recommend using EPA-registered insect repellent when spending time outdoors in areas where mosquitoes and ticks are prevalent.

Those who are spending prolonged time outdoors should consider treating their clothing with permethrin, which helps to repel insects.