Background: Most Canadians receive their care in community hospitals, yet most clinical research is conducted in academic hospitals. This study aims to compare patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) treated in academic and community hospitals with respect to their demographics, clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes.
Methods: This nested observational cohort substudy of the Community Acquired Pneumonia: Toward InnoVAtive Treatment (CAPTIVATE) trial included 1,329 hospitalized adults with CAP recruited between March 1st, 2018 and September 31st, 2023 from 15 Canadian hospitals.
N Engl J Med
November 2024
Background: Bloodstream infections are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Early, appropriate antibiotic therapy is important, but the duration of treatment is uncertain.
Methods: In a multicenter, noninferiority trial, we randomly assigned hospitalized patients (including patients in the intensive care unit [ICU]) who had bloodstream infection to receive antibiotic treatment for 7 days or 14 days.
Bipolar disorder impacts millions of patients in the United States but the mechanistic understanding of its pathophysiology and therapeutics is incomplete. Atypical antipsychotic serotonin (5-HT) receptor antagonists, such as quetiapine and olanzapine, and mood-stabilizing voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) blockers, such as lamotrigine, carbamazepine, and valproate, show therapeutic synergy and are often prescribed in combination for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Combination therapy is a complex task for clinicians and patients, often resulting in unexpected difficulties with dosing, drug tolerances, and decreased patient compliance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe presence of contaminants in cacao-derived products, especially in chocolates, has raised concerns regarding food safety and human health. The study assessed the concentration variation of 16 elements in 155 chocolate samples from the US market by cacao content and country of geographic origin. The study further examined the potential health risks posed by toxic metals and determined the contribution of essential elements to the Daily Recommended Intake (DRI), estimated based on an ounce (∼28.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfter the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), surgery is proposed in the case of knee instability or for athletes who want to return to a pivotal and/or contact sport. The current trend is to extend physiotherapy sessions until a patient's return to sport. We aimed to assess the interest in prolonging the physiotherapy sessions up to 4 postoperative months to restore muscle knee strength and function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContext: The persistence and the recurrence of posterior medial knee pain (PKP) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using hamstring tendon graft are often overlooked during rehabilitation.
Design: Cross-sectional observational study.
Methods: The study aimed (1) to evaluate the prevalence of these types of PKP before 4 months post-ACLR, (2) to measure their consequences on the knee flexors strength, and (3) to evaluate the role of the type of ACLR.
J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect
January 2024
This is part of a series of case reports detailing scenarios from our community hospital. The cases are selected to feature clinical dilemmas, provide a review on what is currently known about the topic with expert perspective. A 66-year-old black man presented to the primary care clinic with his fourth episode of generalized painful rash and oral ulcerations without a diagnosis despite two emergency room (ED) visits alongside doxycycline treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (N/R) (Paxlovid) was introduced in Canada in January 2022. This was the first oral coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) antiviral therapy that was deployed on a large scale in Canada. Since N/R was a new therapeutic option to reduce severe outcomes in high-risk populations, clinical and implementation questions were raised about its real-world utilization and impact.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe story of the 1967 appearance of the powerful psychedelic 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM, STP) commonly omits details and often includes hyperbole and inaccuracies. It is well known how and when the drug was first distributed to the public for free by Owsley Stanley, but the role that Alexander Shulgin played in providing that material is not as well understood. In the interest of transparency and historical accuracy, this article attempts to present an accurate account of this well-known but inadequately detailed event.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome results from compression of the brachial plexus. The symptoms are mainly pain, upper-limb weakness and paresthesia. Management always starts with a rehabilitation program, but failure of rehabilitation may necessitate surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDifferent grafting procedures are available to restore knee stability after revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. We compared knee strength recovery between ACL revision surgery and primary reconstruction. One hundred and ten patients with ACL revision surgery were matched with 110 patients with primary reconstruction based on the graft procedure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Assoc Med Microbiol Infect Dis Can
January 2024
Background: Prolonged intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy may not be optimal for people who inject drugs (PWID) with infective endocarditis (IE) due to unique social and medical needs. The role of partial IV antibiotic therapy with continued oral (PO) antibiotic therapy is unclear.
Methods: A systematic review was performed using EMBASE and MEDLINE databases.
Background: Sexually transmitted and blood borne infection (STBBI) testing is recommended for people who are incarcerated (PWAI). We sought to determine the rate of STBBI testing during admissions to provincial correctional institutions in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).
Methods: This retrospective cohort study collected the identification of all admissions records in provincial correctional facilities in NL between July 1, 2020 and June 31, 2021 using the database.
Background: Data that have been reported on antimicrobial use in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) do not appear to be representative of use at the population level. We sought to use pharmacy network data on prescriptions to describe outpatient antimicrobial use in NL.
Methods: We analyzed all outpatient antimicrobial prescriptions dispensed between June 1, 2017, and June 8, 2021, from the provincial pharmacy network database and translated deidentified data into SPSS.
Front Sports Act Living
October 2023
Introduction: Knee arthrofibrosis is a disabling complication after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLr). Different risk factors have been studied but are still controversial because of a diagnosis made only during reoperations for the treatment of the stiffness, which underestimates the occurrence rate. We aimed to confirm risk factors of arthrofibrosis after ACLr in case of clinically made diagnoses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is related to the compression and/or the traction of the upper-limb neurovascular bundle, responsible for a chronic painful impairment. Neurogenic TOS (NTOS) is the most common manifestation. It remains a challenging diagnosis and its treatment is also difficult.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Artistic swimming is a highly challenging discipline, requiring physical skills and creativity. There are almost no published data on trauma. We aimed to assess the incidence and the nature of injuries in artistic swimmers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A randomized controlled trial involving a high-risk, unvaccinated population that was conducted before the Omicron variant emerged found that nirmatrelvir-ritonavir was effective in preventing progression to severe COVID-19. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in preventing severe COVID-19 while Omicron and its subvariants predominate.
Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study in Ontario that included all residents who were older than 17 years of age and had a positive polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 between Apr.
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using hamstring tendon (HT) graft aims to stabilise the knee, but it may bring some complications like anterior knee (AKP) pain that can have consequences on the functional aspect of this surgery. The aim of this study was to compare isokinetic knee strength and functional outcomes between patients with and without AKP following an ACLR using HT graft during the first-year post-surgery. Three hundred and thirty subjects operated by ACLR using hamstring tendon graft were included in our retrospective cohort and divided into two groups: a group with AKP (AKP+ group) and one without AKP (AKP-group).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Assoc Med Microbiol Infect Dis Can
June 2022
Background: Tularemia is a rare zoonosis caused by a small gram-negative intracellular coccobacillus. Transmission occurs through direct contact with small mammals such as hares and rabbits, exposure to ticks, or ingestion or inhalation of aerosolized particles. It is a highly variable disease with six subtypes based on clinical features.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Muscle knee strength is a major parameter that allows return to running. Isokinetic strength parameters may predict return to running 4 months after ACLR using the bone-patellar-tendon-bone procedure.
Materials And Methods: The isokinetic knee strength of 216 patients (24.