Calciphylaxis Case Series: A Late Presentation of Chronic Kidney Disease From the Eastern Caribbean.

Calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA) or calciphylaxis is a rare condition that predominantly affects the dialysis population and is characterized by calcification of cutaneous arterioles accompanied by painful necrotic skin ulcers. At the hemodialysis unit of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, there have been eight cases between the years 2015-2019 with an incidence of 121 cases per 10,000 patients undergoing renal replacement therapy, quite possibly one of the highest in the world along with an 87.5% mortality when diagnosed with this condition. Risk factors identified in this case series include female gender, obesity, and late presentation of end-stage renal disease. This case series highlights limitations in the diagnosis and management of the disease in a resource-limited setting and intends to raise awareness of this condition in the Caribbean.

Predictors of repeat visits to the emergency room by asthmatic children in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Subsets of asthmatic children, particularly in the Caribbean, burden the health system through repeated emergency room (ER) visits. We examined children to determine predictors of repeated ER visits in Trinidad. METHODS: Caregivers of 300 asthmatic children in primary healthcare in Trinidad reported on perceived factors of exacerbated wheeze requiring ER services. RESULTS: Prevalence of ER utilization in the past 12 months was 59.7% and 40.3% for repeated visits. Average age of wheezing onset was 2.8 (SD = 2.5) years. From the logistic regression analyses, independent predictors of repeat ER visits were mothers with a history of asthma (OR = 2.0, 95%Cl = 1.0-4.0), exposure to perfumes/odors (OR = 2.4, 95% Cl = 1.4-4.2), using inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (OR = 2.2, 95% Cl = 1.2-4.0), and young age group (1-5 vs. 13-16 years) (OR = 2.7, 95% Cl = 1.1-6.4). More 1-5 year-olds (63.8%) and 6-12-year-olds (60.2%) wheezed in the dry and wet seasons, respectively (p = 0.04). Follow-up was poor (32.3%), and disease management did not include educational interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated ER use in pediatric asthma underscores a pressing need for health providers and caregivers to develop an asthma management plan noting the identified predictors to assist in reducing Trinidad's asthma burden.

Predictors of repeat visits to the emergency room by asthmatic children in primary care

BACKGROUND: Subsets of asthmatic children, particularly in the Caribbean, burden the health system through repeated emergency room (ER) visits. We examined children to determine predictors of repeated ER visits in Trinidad. Methods: Caregivers of 300 asthmatic children in primary healthcare in Trinidad reported on perceived factors of exacerbated wheeze requiring ER services. RESULTS: Prevalence of ER utilization in the past 12 months was 59.7 per cent and 40.3 per cent for repeated visits. Average age of wheezing onset was 2.8 (SD = 2.5) years. From the logistic regression analyses, independent predictors of repeat ER visits were mothers with a history of asthma (OR = 2.0, 95 per cent Cl = 1.0-4.0), exposure to perfumes/odors (OR = 2.4, 95 per cent Cl = 1.4-4.2), using inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (OR = 2.2, 95 per cent Cl = 1.2-4.0), and young age group (1-5 vs. 13-16 years) (OR = 2.7, 95 per cent Cl = 1.1-6.4). More 1-5 year-olds (63.8 per cent) and 6-12-year-olds (60.2 per cent) wheezed in the dry and wet seasons, respectively (p = 0.04). Follow-up was poor (32.3 per cent), and disease management did not include educational interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated ER use in pediatric asthma underscores a pressing need for health providers and caregivers to develop an asthma management plan noting the identified predictors to assist in reducing Trinidad's asthma burden.

Predictors of repeat visits to the emergency room by asthmatic children in primary care

BACKGROUND: Subsets of asthmatic children, particularly in the Caribbean, burden the health system through repeated emergency room (ER) visits. We examined children to determine predictors of repeated ER visits in Trinidad. METHODS: Caregivers of 300 asthmatic children in primary healthcare in Trinidad reported on perceived factors of exacerbated wheeze requiring ER services. RESULTS: Prevalence of ER utilization in the past 12 months was 59.7% and 40.3% for repeated visits. Average age of wheezing onset was 2.8 (SD = 2.5) years. From the logistic regression analyses, independent predictors of repeat ER visits were mothers with a history of asthma (OR = 2.0, 95%Cl = 1.0-4.0), exposure to perfumes/odors (OR = 2.4, 95% Cl = 1.4-4.2), using inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) (OR = 2.2, 95% Cl = 1.2-4.0), and young age group (1-5 vs. 13-16 years) (OR = 2.7, 95% Cl = 1.1-6.4). More 1-5 year-olds (63.8%) and 6-12-year-olds (60.2%) wheezed in the dry and wet seasons, respectively (p = 0.04). Follow-up was poor (32.3%), and disease management did not include educational interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated ER use in pediatric asthma underscores a pressing need for health providers and caregivers to develop an asthma management plan noting the identified predictors to assist in reducing Trinidad's asthma burden.