Treatment of hiccups in stroke rehabilitation with gabapentin: A case series and focused clinical review.

Background: Persistent and intractable hiccups have a major impact on quality of life and can be a barrier to stroke rehabilitation. The first-line treatment for intractable hiccups, chlorpromazine, can have sedating effects, which may negatively affect rehabilitation participation. Gabapentin has been reported in several cases to be effective in hiccup treatment in both the general and post-stroke populations.

Automated mortality surveillance in south-eastern Ontario for pandemic influenza preparedness.

Background: The recent Canadian experience with pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) influenza in 2009 highlighted the need for enhanced surveillance at local and regional levels to support evidence-based decision making by physicians and public health. We describe the rationale, methodology, and provide preliminary findings from the implementation of an automated Mortality Surveillance System (MSS) in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) health unit.

Methods: The MSS utilized an automated web-based framework with secure data transfer.

An integral quality monitoring system for real-time verification of intensity modulated radiation therapy.

Purpose: To develop an independent and on-line beam monitoring system, which can validate the accuracy of segment-by-segment energy fluence delivery for each treatment field. The system is also intended to be utilized for pretreatment dosimetric quality assurance of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), on-line image-guided adaptive radiation therapy, and volumetric modulated arc therapy.

Methods: The system, referred to as the integral quality monitor (IQM), utilizes an area integrating energy fluence monitoring sensor (AIMS) positioned between the final beam shaping device [i.