Press Releases

A group of young medical interns at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has placed Guyana firmly on the regional research map, earning honours at the recently concluded Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Conference.

Their work not only secured the prestigious Donald Simeon Prize but also won the Best Guyanese Paper award, a remarkable achievement for an emerging team of clinicians.

The study, titled “𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘉𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵: 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭, 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘖𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘋𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘍𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴,” was conducted by A. Amichand, O. Arjun, A. Muthu, A. Parsaud, A. Pasha, D. Raghubansi, and T. Walrond, under the supervision of R. Dubraj and R. Gobin. It was carried out through the University of Guyana School of Medicine in collaboration with GPHC.

Focusing on a pressing national and regional health concern, the team examined dengue fever, a disease that remains endemic in Guyana and across the Caribbean. Their research analysed 289 adult patients with laboratory-confirmed dengue who presented to the GPHC Accident and Emergency Department between July 2023 and January 2025.
Using a retrospective, observational, and analytical approach, they set out to answer a practical and critical question faced by frontline clinicians every day: How can doctors quickly determine which dengue patients are at risk of severe outcomes?

The inspiration behind the study came from the reality of clinical practice. Two patients may arrive with the same diagnosis, yet their outcomes can be vastly different. In resource-limited settings, making the right decision early can mean the difference between recovery and critical illness. The team aimed to identify simple, reliable indicators that could guide these decisions using data from their own population.

Their findings offer valuable insight. The most significant predictor of severe dengue was platelet count. Lower platelet levels were strongly associated with worse outcomes, making them a key marker for clinicians. Other important risk factors included older age, delayed presentation with symptoms lasting more than eight days, and the presence of warning signs outlined by the World Health Organization. Interestingly, a normal white blood cell count appeared to be protective. Factors such as gender, vital signs, liver enzymes, haematocrit, and common conditions like hypertension and diabetes were not found to significantly influence outcomes in their model.

These findings have meaningful implications. For patient care, they highlight how simple and accessible tests can help identify high-risk individuals early. In clinical practice, they support better triage and decision-making in busy emergency settings, allowing for timely monitoring and intervention.

At a systems level, the research reinforces the importance of early laboratory testing and strengthens existing dengue management protocols, particularly in resource-constrained healthcare environments.

Presenting at the CARPHA Annual Health Research Conference was a milestone moment for the team. It was their first time sharing their work on a regional stage, bringing both nerves and excitement. The experience exposed them to leading public health experts, sparked valuable discussions, and allowed them to showcase Guyanese research alongside regional peers.

Their success is a powerful reminder of the impact that young, driven healthcare professionals can have. By bridging the gap between research and bedside care, this team has demonstrated that meaningful improvements in patient outcomes do not always require complex tools. Sometimes, the answers lie in using what is already available more effectively.

Congratulations to this outstanding group of interns and their supervisors. Their achievement is not only a personal milestone but also a proud moment for GPHC, the University of Guyana, and the country.