Publications by authors named "A Kearney"

Article Synopsis
  • In May 2017, whole-genome sequencing became the main method for identifying bacterial strains in Canada, leading to the discovery of 16 multi-jurisdictional outbreaks linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products between 2017 and 2019.
  • Of the 487 reported cases, there were 79 hospitalizations and 2 deaths, mainly involving individuals with a median age of 24 years, with the majority of outbreaks linked to a specific bacterial strain.
  • Following ineffective prior measures, new regulations were introduced in 2019 to enforce manufacturing practices aimed at reducing bacteria levels, and since their implementation, no further outbreaks related to these products have occurred in Canada.
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Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) can cause severe clinical disease in humans, particularly in young children. Recent advances have led to greater availability of sequencing technologies. We sought to use whole genome sequencing data to identify the presence or absence of known virulence factors in all clinical isolates submitted to our laboratory from Southern Alberta dated 2020-2022 and correlate these virulence factors with clinical outcomes obtained through chart review.

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Objectives: Although total laryngectomy (TL) is a well-established surgical procedure with clear functional or oncologic indications, the peri- and postoperative care for those undergoing TL is variable, particularly regarding postlaryngectomy tracheostoma management. This study examined TL outcomes from a single institution with the immediate perioperative use of soft silicone laryngectomy tubes. More specifically, we explored potential complications associated with immediate perioperative use of a flexible laryngectomy tube (LaryTube and StomaSoft) and the use of heat and moisture exchange (HME) devices in association with peri- and postoperative care.

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