Community emergency department utilization following a natural disaster (the Goderich Tornado).

Introduction: On 21 August 2011 an F3 tornado hit the Canadian town of Goderich, Ontario, leaving 40 people injured and one dead. Specific medium-term changes in utilization of health care following a disaster have not been analyzed in medical literature. Documenting the emergency department utilization through this subacute period would be helpful to enable institutions and healthcare practitioners to be better prepared for future events.

Emergency medicine ultrasonography in rural communities.

Introduction: The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) published a position statement in 2006 encouraging immediate access to emergency medicine ultrasonography (EMUS) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, barriers to advanced imaging care still exist in many rural hospitals. Our study investigated the current availability of EMUS in rural communities and physicians' ability to use this technology.

Prevalence and severity of urogenital symptoms in postmenopausal women receiving endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

Background: Data from randomized trials in postmenopausal women receiving endocrine therapy for breast cancer would suggest that the incidence of significant urogenital symptoms is around 40%. As there are inherent reporting biases associated with clinical trials, we sought to assess the prevalence, severity, and effect of urogenital side effects of endocrine therapy in the non-trial setting.

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was undertaken and questionnaires used to assess vulvovaginal and urinary tract symptoms in a group of postmenopausal women receiving endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

Survival outcomes for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: implications for clinical practice and trial design.

Background: Clinical experience suggests that many women with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC) relapse quickly. This has implications for clinical practice and trial design. We evaluated the duration of first-, second-, and third-line chemotherapy as a surrogate for duration of treatment response.