Connect with us

Caribbean News

JAMAICA: Team at UHWI finds solution for surgical smoke

Published

on

#Kingston, July 18, 2019 – Jamaica – Consultant plastic surgeon at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), Dr. Rajiv Vengopaul and a team from the Department of Surgery have come up with an affordable solution to tackle surgical smoke in operating theatres. 

The solution is expected to be a helpful tool in ensuring the health and wellness of theatre personnel, as the team, having established that surgical smoke affects all members in the operating theatre, also recognise that commercially designed smoke extractors are not readily available in Third-World countries due to the cost.   

In an interview with JIS News, Dr. Vengopaul explained that the need to find a solution became necessary, as the environment created in the operating theatre by necessary work tools was affecting his health.  He said that he and his team undertook research on how to eliminate surgical smoke, explaining that it was important, as the study dealt with occupational health.  It featured the process of treating with smoke that is related to the use of an electrocautery machine, which is commonly used in surgery.                                        

“The device is used to achieve haemostasis, which means trying to stop bleeding within the surgical field. It actually works with electric current. Depending on the cycle of the current, you can cut tissue as well as stop bleeding,” Dr. Vengopaul explained.

“This has been a significant breakthrough in the surgical field since the early 1900s, because it allows us to do surgery more efficiently, more quickly and with minimum blood loss during the procedure,” he said.

However, he pointed out that one of the main side-effects of electrocauterisation is the creation of a surgical smoke plume, which contains many toxic agents similar to those produced in cigarette smoke.    

“The literature suggests that one month of being exposed to surgical smoke would be equivalent to smoking about 30 cigarettes,” he added.                       

According to Dr. Vengopaul, the team created a very affordable method of removing the surgical plume.                                                                                  

“We used a nasogastric tube, which is plastic, removed the cuffs from rubber gloves and attached to the pencil, which is the tool through which the electro-current is used to do the tissue work. This is attached to the general suction unit which is used in all operating theatres, so that as the smoke is created from the tip of the pencil, it is moved out,” he explained.                                                                              

Dr. Vengopaul said the solution, which has been dubbed the Smoke and Fluid Evacuation (SAFE) tube “is a simple, economical and reproducible alternative”.   He pointed out that in a survey that was conducted among 99 members of staff, everyone had an issue with surgical smoke. There was 84 per cent satisfaction in the ability of the device to remove smoke and fluid from the operative field by users, and 91 per cent of participants indicated that they would use the device in future surgeries.

The team has concluded that the SAFE tube represents a simple, economical and green solution to the problem.

Contact: Peta-Gay Hodges

Release: JIS

Photo: Stock Photo

Caption: Surgical smoke plume produced by an electrocautery device being used by a surgeon

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

Published

on

Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

Published

on

Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Supreme Court Closed for Easter

Published

on

NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING